Cause & Effect | Ominis Gaunt Love Story

Chapter 34: 13 Miller's Court

SPLASH

He froze as the ice water hit him and the streams ran down his back, his shoulders, and his face.

"Are you back to your senses? Because I'm not leaving." Stella snapped stubbornly.

Ominis didn't even register what happened next until it was too late and Eden barely had time to move as he grabbed her outstretched wrist and her back hit the table. He had a hand wrapped around her wrist with his forearm against her neck as she struggled underneath him. He stood in between her legs as he leaned his larger frame over her.

Tension pooled between them, but he ignored the way her eyes grew hooded. He ignored the way his body both recoiled and felt alive with her softness pressed against him. Anger in her eyes shifted to shock, but it was muddled by another emotion he couldn't distinguish. Or maybe he could, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to acknowledge this growing sexual tension between them.

Frustration and longing made the blood run south. He needed to stop. Let her go before he had her writhing underneath him and falling apart. A growl escaped him as he briskly let her go, "15km tomorrow."

He stalked off, needing to change even though he could easily cast a drying charm. It was the escape he needed and Eden knew to follow him as vulnerability was cracking through the mask.

He was wrong about the what the worst form of torture could be. His hands formed fists as he entered his bedroom and the nausea hit him.

Torture was wanting to touch her, but the trauma overpowered him every time.

Ominis barely made it to the bathroom before he lost his breakfast.

Chapter 34: 13 Miller's Court

Lucan noticed his charcoal trousers, black vest lined with gold, and gothic purple dress shirt under his open tailcoat. "Did you change?"

Ominis barely afforded him a glance as he browsed the papers in his hands. They all stood off to the side in an alleyway that was remarkably empty considering this was one of the worst streets in Whitechapel to be on. Although the debauchery must be saved for nighttime because it seemed as if everyone was still sleeping. Even the main street was empty save for a few of the poorer residents asleep in makeshift tents to get out of the cold.

Stella's heart hurt for a variety of reasons.

Seeing shivering, starving Muggles on the sides of the street. Some of them children. The remnants from an earlier conversation where she'd been convinced he didn't give a single fuck about her existence and cared more about ending his brother's life. Sure, they weren't on close terms, but she was still a human being. Didn't he care about life for what it was? And then the look on his face when he'd shoved her on the tabletop...

He'd held his forearm against her with not enough pressure to choke her, but enough to alarm her. The contours of his hard body pressing against her haunted her, but not as much as his gaze. It was so heated and raw, but then realization hit him hard.

Ominis had touched her. Yes with gloves on, but most of his body was pressed against her as he stood in between her legs. Something made his eyes darken-maybe a memory or maybe he just really hated the idea of touching her.