“Perhaps it is simply relief. I know that I am awash with it. I was so afraid that my father would track me down here and you would simply hand me over,” Selina said.
Arthur took both of her hands in his and pulled her to her feet. He swept her an elaborate bow and then kissed both of her hands gravely. As their hands came down, still entwined at the fingers, the distance between them lessened. Selina saw him bite his lower lip again and she tightened her fingers around his. The feeling of touching him was just like she remembered. A mixture of sensual excitement and a deep sense of being safe.
Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him. She resisted the impulse but silently prayed that he would kiss her. One kiss, in private, could do no harm to either of them. His eyes had not left her face and she reveled in the feeling of being enjoyed, that her appearance, her face, and her body, were bringing him pleasure simply by looking at her.
“I will make all the arrangements. And in the meantime, you will have your run of the Castle and its grounds. You may come and go as you please.”
Selina nodded, though she could not imagine wanting to go anywhere unless he was at her side.
I must quell these romantic thoughts. As he said, this is a transaction. A solution to a problem.
“Well, it has been a long night. I will leave you to get some sleep.”
“I will, thank you, Your Grace,” Selina said formally.
Arthur smiled. “My name is…”
He hesitated; his mouth opened as though forgetting his own name. His cheeks colored and he shook his head.
“Call me Arthur. As you have been. It will not be long before that would be expected anyway.”
There was something in his voice, in his expression, something that was almost regret. Selina wondered at that. He had seemed so happy at the prospect of their marriage of convenience.
Perhaps happy is a strong word. Contented anyway. Maybe the reality is now hitting home. That he is surrendering his freedom for my sake.
She fervently hoped that he would not come to resent her. On impulse, she stood on tiptoes to brush a kiss against his cheek. Up close, she found it harder than she thought to pull away again. Her lips lingered for a moment longer than a platonic kiss would have warranted. She felt the line of his scar pressing against her cheek. Before she knew what she was doing, she was breathing in deeply. It was an impulse to drink him in, consuming everything about him, the touch of his hands, the feel of his skin against hers, and the scent of him.
Arthur’s hand disengaged from hers and gently looped her waist, coming to rest on the small of her back. She stiffened but in a pleasurable way, almost arching her back under his tantalizing touch. His face turned to hers and she found her lips an inch from his, her nose against his. Their foreheads touched.
“Do you remember the phantom orchestra?” Selina asked with the ghost of a smile.
Arthur did not look away from her but did not answer immediately either. Selina decided to see if she could remind him. It was a game they had played as children, when alone in the barn behind her grandmother’s house or in their secret dell in the midst of the Downs.
She took his hand and raised it, reaching back to position the other at the small of her back. Finally, she rested her hand upon his shoulder, stepping back from him to complete the formal pose. Selina looked up at Arthur with a smile and began to hum a waltzing tune. Realization dawned then, followed by a smile of his own.
“I do remember, now that you mention it,” Arthur said.
He picked up the rhythm from her humming and led her across the floor. She laughed as they began to glide and flow around the room. Arthur had never been so skillful. He had always been hesitant and awkward, but she had been the one who loved to dance, and he, the one who would do anything to please her.
So Arthur had endured the embarrassment and had applied himself. Now, he led with confidence and skill. There was no hesitancy and he picked up her tune, harmonizing with her to give them their musical accompaniment. Except when their laughter disrupted the music. That was when eye contact and smiles led to ripples of mirth, one or both of them suddenly seeing themselves, a grown adult, dancing around the room to a phantom orchestra.
Finally, Arthur lowered his hold and lifted Selina off her feet. He whirled her, grinning as her dress flared around her and she squealed in delight. Faster he spun until he lost his footing on the edge of a rug. He staggered, caught the backs of his legs on a chair and sat down heavily. Selina sat down atop him, landing in his lap, arms still about his neck.
For a moment, both just looked at each other, startled. Then, Selina kissed him. It was the overflowing of a desire that she had been holding inside since the last time Arthur had touched her intimately. Touched her and then came to his senses and ran away. Since then, she had yearned for another touch that never came. Another kiss that never came. She put her hands to either side of his face and pressed her lips against his. Arthur’s lips were warm and firm. They parted and she felt herself tasted by his tongue.
She parted her own lips, savoring the taste of him on her tongue, feeling the sparks of excitement igniting within her. She swept her fingers down his face, feeling the hard contours of his cheeks, then the firm softness of his neck, pushing the collar of his shirt down and then lowering her mouth to kiss at the exposed skin.
Marcus put back his head and his breathing grew raspy. Selina felt like a vampire, a seductive she-devil. The idea made her intensely excited and she leaned down to place a tender kiss on his throat, but then, impulsively, nipped at his skin.
Arthur's eyes widened, and something seemed to awaken within him. A primal, untamed hunger stirred as he grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. His eyes matched hers for a moment with something she couldn’t recognize, and then he began to kiss her fiercely, his lips clashing against hers with an urgency Selina had never experienced from him before. The intensity of his passion sent shivers down her spine, igniting a fire deep within her core.
Arthur's lips traced a searing path down her neck to her collarbone, and Selina whimpered softly, wanting more. His hands moved to the hem of her delicate nightdress, tugging at the fabric insistently. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest, her body thrumming with anticipation.
"Arthur, I—" Selina gasped, her voice heavy with desire. She didn't recognize this side of him, yet she couldn't deny how much it aroused her. Her fingers tangled in his hair, her nails digging into his scalp as he continued to tug at her nightdress. Suddenly, one of her breasts spilled free, exposed to the air and to Arthur's heated gaze.
“Oh!” Selina instinctively pulled away and reached up to cover herself, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. But Arthur's eyes were locked onto her, filled with a potent mix of animalistic desire and desperation that made her squirm nervously on his lap.
"Selina," he murmured, his voice low and husky. His hand slid over her throat, gently coaxing her to lower her arms, but she hesitated, torn between modesty and the growing need within her to feel him against her skin again. Soon, she found herself unable to resist that feeling. Selina lowered her arms, allowing Arthur to fully take in the sight of her exposed breast.
