This is not something I want to do, but something I must do. That we must do. And she best realize that.
“You are being serious?” She half-smiled as if expecting a joke.
“Do I look as if I am not being so?”
The half-smile dropped. “There is one problem with this plan of yours, as brilliant as it is…” Thalia rolled her eyes. “Shall I tell you? Or do you wish to figure it out for yourself?”
“You are worried that we won’t be able to convince the ton that we are in love.”
“Or that we even like each other.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Caspian dismissed. He then took the final few steps toward Thalia, closing the distance. She did not back away, but he did not expect her to. “Surely, even you are capable of pretending.”
“I am not the one we should worry about,” she shot back. “It is you who…”
“Me who what?”
“It is one thing to tell people how you feel, but to show them? To make them see it with their own eyes?” She scoffed. “I am sorry, Caspian, but I just don’t think you have it in you.”
“I think you are wrong.”
She laughed. “Not from anything that I have seen.”
Caspian was indeed closed off when it came to showing a side of himself that even he rarely allowed to surface. He did not like the idea of other people seeing him fawn and flirt, nor did he like how it made him feel. He was better than that.
However, he knew that in this singular instance he had no choice but to demonstrate what he was capable of… should the situation call for it.Which it looks like it is going to do.
The fact that it was with Thalia, someone who he was already having a hard time controlling himself around, meant that he didn’t have to try nearly as hard as he might have. If anything, it was almost too easy.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look?” he said to her.
Thalia leaned back in surprise. “Wh – what?”
“Yes…” He smiled and flashed his eyes with hunger at her as they worked up her body. “That dress…” He purred and took a final step toward her, so their bodies were inches apart. “It sits well on you.”
“I…” She laughed awkwardly. “What are you…”
“However, I do wonder…” Slowly, so very gently, Caspian reached up and stroked Thalia’s arm; his touch was so soft that his fingertips grazed her skin. “… what you might look like without the dress on.”
Thalia’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“Come now,” he continued to purr as his hand moved further up until he was stroking her chin. Her eyes were still wide, and she stood frozen in surprise. “Do you mean to tell me that you haven’t wanted to show me yourself?”
“I… I… what are you…”
“One month, you said?” His fingers touched under her chin and moved her face so that she was looking right at him. He smirked and tilted his head, licked his lips, and slowly leaned in. “Can you wait that long?”
She said nothing, but he could feel her body shudder as he came closer.
Caspian did not move for her mouth but found his lips bushing her right ear. She gasped when he did, and she moaned when he gently wrapped his lips around her earbud and started to nibble.
“Caspian… what are you… is this…”
“It’s what you have to look forward to,” he cooed as he continued to nibble her ear. His other hand went to her waist, grabbed it, and squeezed, which made her gasp. “Less than a month now, I hope you are ready for it. I know that I am.”
She said and did nothing; totally frozen in surprise.
Caspian was only supposed to be proving a point, but now that he was so close, that he could literally taste Thalia on his lips, he realized immediately his mistake. The danger that Thalia presented…
