NOVEL WEB Chapter 14: Chapter 14
Vera took her sweet time kissing him, her lips moving with a deliberate slowness that belied the urgency of moments before. Each kiss was gentle yet fervent, a passionate exploration that lingered as if she were savoring a long-denied delicacy. Their faces pressed close, heat radiating between them—hers especially, flushed a bright, feverish red that spread from her cheeks to her neck.
Syn felt the warmth against his skin, an inescapable intimacy that clashed with the cold steel still lingering in his wrists. Slowly, with each tender press of her lips, Vera seemed to find her rhythm, her technique refining itself. She was still learning, her kisses cautious rather than clumsy, ensuring they carried the weight of feeling she intended—soft, deliberate, a contrast to the aggression he'd braced for.
Their lips were slick, wet with shared breath, and Syn's restraint faltered in jolts—his head twitching away, a reflex to reclaim distance. But Vera was relentless, her hands swift to cup his face, guiding him back with a gentle but firm insistence. Her half-open eyes, framed by strands of purple hair, locked onto his, a smoky intensity swirling in their depths, watching him as if she could will his resistance to crumble. The air between them thickened, charged with her unspoken claim, her breaths shallow and quick against his mouth.
"Kissing you is the best feeling ever," she murmured, pulling back after what felt like an eternity, her voice husky with satisfaction. A faint smile curved her lips, her cheeks still ablaze as she brushed a thumb across his jaw. "I already feel addicted."
Syn stared back, his expression flattening into a mask of detachment. "I don't feel anything," he said, his tone clipped and emotionless, a stark rebuttal to her fervor. "Now can you get up from me? You're heavy." His words were blunt, a shove against her closeness, though his voice trembled faintly under the weight of his own bravado.
Vera's smile didn't waver, though a flicker of something—amusement, challenge—danced in her eyes. She stroked his face once more, her fingers tracing the lines of his cheekbones with a tenderness that felt out of place amid their struggle.
Then her hands slid down, palms flattening against his chest, pressing briefly as if to feel his heartbeat before she shifted, sitting upright atop him. "Don't worry," she said, her voice lilting with a confidence that sent a chill through him. "We'll always be together from now on anyway, and we're just getting started with the kissing. There's a lot more to come." She winked, a playful promise laced with intent, and swung her leg off him, rising with a fluid grace that belied the intensity of the moment.
Syn sat up, his chest heaving as he twisted his wrists, testing the handcuffs that still bound him. The metal bit into his skin, unyielding despite his efforts, and he tugged harder, a grunt escaping as the cuffs refused to budge.
Vera watched him, her head tilting with a mix of curiosity and pity. "You'll hurt yourself," she said, stepping closer, her tone softening into something almost maternal. "Wait." Before he could protest, she knelt beside him, her fingers deftly unlocking the cuffs with a practiced ease. They fell away with a soft clink, and Syn rubbed his wrists, staring at her in bewilderment. She was letting him free?
She stood, towering over him for a moment before gently taking his hands in hers, guiding them to cup her cheeks. Her skin was warm, soft beneath his calloused palms, and she held them there, pressing his touch against her as if sealing a pact. "This spaceship is yours," she said, her voice steady, sincere, her eyes locking onto his with an unguarded intensity. "Use it however you want. I hope you don't try to run away." She shifted one of his hands, cupping her cheek with it more firmly, her own fingers lingering over his. "I'm trusting you, Syn. Don't betray me again."
Syn blinked, his mind reeling as he processed her words. Why was she acting like this now? The shift was jarring—from predator to supplicant, her aggression melting into a vulnerability that felt both genuine and calculated. His nose itched, a sudden irritation that broke his focus, and he pulled one hand free to scratch it, the mundane act grounding him amid the confusion. Was this a test? A trap to gauge his next move?
Her sincerity seemed real, her eyes glistening with an emotion he couldn't name, but her earlier words echoed—daily advances, relentless pursuit. She was confident he couldn't escape, even free to roam. Why? What held her so certain?
He studied her, the flush still fading from her face, the faint tremor in her hands as she stepped back, giving him space. Her trust felt like a leash, not a gift, and the thought twisted in his gut. She'd torn his contract, kissed him, cuffed him—yet now she stood there, offering him the ship like a magnanimous queen. It didn't add up, not with the Vera he knew, the one who'd chased him down moments ago with a hunger that bordered on obsession. His fingers flexed, the memory of her touch lingering, and a spark of defiance flared within him. He couldn't let her dictate this game any longer.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice low and firm, a prelude to action. Before Vera could register the shift, Syn moved—swift and decisive. He ducked down, snatching the handcuffs she'd dropped, and in one fluid motion, snapped them around her ankles. The metal clicked shut, locking her legs together, and her eyes widened in surprise, a startled gasp escaping her lips. He didn't hesitate—grabbing her waist with both hands, he hoisted her up, her weight lighter than he'd expected in his adrenaline-fueled surge. With a quick turn, he threw her onto the bed, her body landing softly amidst the crimson sheets, a tangle of purple hair and startled limbs.
Vera laughed, a sharp, mocking sound that cut through the tension. "Oooh! Kinky!" she teased, her voice dripping with amusement as she tugged at her bound legs, testing the cuffs. Her hands flailed, reaching for freedom, but Syn was faster. He snatched a ribbon from the pile of presents she'd given him earlier—vivid red, still coiled from its decorative knot—and lunged forward. Pinning her shoulders to the mattress, he wrestled her wrists together, his muscles straining as she writhed beneath him. "Syn, you sneaky kitten," she grunted, half-laughing, half-resisting, but his resolve held firm. With a final tug, he secured the ribbon, binding her hands tight, her struggles subsiding into a breathless chuckle.
Panting, Syn pulled back, standing over her as she lay sprawled across the bed, her mocking grin unwavering despite her predicament. "I'm not a pirate anymore," he said, his voice steady now, a declaration carved from years of choice. "I belong to the Kingdom. Leave me alone." He grabbed her arms, hauling her upright with a firm grip, forcing her to stand on her cuffed legs. She wobbled slightly, her balance precarious, but her eyes never left his, gleaming with a mix of defiance and delight.
"Now," he continued, his tone hardening as he loomed over her, "I'll take my people and escape from here. And you're going to help me with that."
Vera tilted her head, her purple hair cascading over one shoulder as she raised an eyebrow. "Why would I do that?" Her question was a challenge, her smirk daring him to justify his sudden upper hand. She shifted her weight, testing the cuffs again, the metallic clink a quiet taunt in the stillness.
Syn's lips pressed into a thin line, he already had an idea for a leverage in his mind. She'd handed him freedom, but he needed more—control, a way out for his crew.
His gaze darted to the floor, to the scattered boxes of her gifts, and landed on one he'd nudged aside earlier. He bent down, fingers closing around the familiar shape within, and straightened, holding it up for her to see.
"Because…" His voice was low, edged with a quiet menace as he flicked the plasma torch to life, its emitter humming with a faint, menacing glow. The blue-white light cast stark shadows across his face, illuminating the determination in his eyes. "Else you'll get burnt."