“Here we are…” Thalia walked into the room ahead of Caspian and turned around to find him still hovering in the doorway. “Caspian?”
There was already a fire burning in the hearth of Caspian’s room. It was warm and inviting, its light stretching the length of the room and setting it afire. That same light reached where Caspian stood, moved up his body, and was cast across his face so that it glowed brightly.
His eyes were what Thalia noticed the most. They were no longer cold and distant. They were no longer devoid of emotion. They reflected the light of the fire so that they seemed to burn hot and hungry… or maybe that was just the way he was looking at her?
Her heart pounded loudly as Caspian watched her, drinking her in, even admiring her in ways that he never had before. He did not look nervous, nor did he look unsure. And he certainly didnot look as if this was just business. He wanted her, and Thalia knew in that moment that she wanted him just as much.
“Are you…” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
He nodded once and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. The click of the lock made Thalia flinch, and suddenly they were alone.
“No more rules,” Caspian said as he approached her. “No more excuses.”
“I wasn’t going to…” She swallowed again. “I wasn’t going to make one.”
“And no more waiting.” He reached where she was standing and he took her by the hand. Unlike the last time, it wasn’t cold and clammy, but warm and inviting. And Thalia felt that warmth rippling up her arm and sweeping across her body.
He gently guided her toward him. She allowed herself to be pulled. She met his eyes and licked her lips and pushed herself up onto her toes as their bodies came together. Caspian did not hesitate, nor did he rush. His spare hand rested underneath her chin, tilted her head back, and his lips found her mouth for what was their second kiss as husband and wife.
It could not have been more different to their first kiss.
This time, the moment that their lips touched, Thaliafeltsomething come alive inside of her. It was like a fire being lit, or a clash of thunder and lightning erupting throughout her body, or perhaps the very air around her crackling and sparking so that she nearly gasped and pulled away, such was the intensity.
She did no such thing, of course. Bodies pressed, lips mashed, Thalia’s hands found Caspian’s waist, and she held on tight as their kiss evolved into a most passionate affair.
Their lips parted and their tongues began to dance. It became hot and heavy, hungry and insatiable. He tasted better than Thalia thought possible and she kissed her husband as if trying to devour him. And he did the same to her.
For a few moments, all they did was kiss. Standing in the middle of the room, lips and mouths melding together, that single kiss confirmed exactly what Thalia had long since started to suspect: that this marriage had well and truly transformed into something real.
The kissing quickly became more intense.
Caspian’s hands moved to Thalia’s waist and squeezed as he held her close. Then, all of a sudden, he stepped into her, pushing her back, guiding her across the room until she felt the back of her knees hit the bed.
“Oh!” she gasped.
Caspian pulled away. “I am sorry, I did not mean –”
“It is fine,” she assured him gently, not wanting to ruin the moment. “Should I…” She looked back at the bed and raised an eyebrow at him.
“No,” he said. “First, let me…” His brow furrowed as he considered, and then his lips firmed decisively. “Here, let us help you out of that gown.”
Caspian took Thalia’s hand and turned her on the spot so that she was not facing him. Her body was quivering as his hands moved up her waist and rested on her shoulders. She moaned as she felt his lips kiss the back of her neck, gently moving toward the shoulders. And with each kiss, his hands delicately worked at the ties that kept the back of her dress held together.
Thalia felt the dress come loose. She moved her shoulders, helping it to part from her body. Caspian continued to kiss her shoulders and neck as he wiggled the dress down, and her eyes widened when it left her body and fell to the floor so that she was completely naked.
On instinct, she moved her hands to cover her breasts.
“No.” Still behind her, he took her hands and lowered them by her side. Then he moved his hands up and cupped them over her breasts. His hands were warm, and his fingers began to squeeze her nipples in a way that made her moan from pleasure.
“Caspian…” she moaned as he squeezed and kneaded her breasts.
His body was pressed against her naked self. His hands squeezed, and his lips kissed and licked her neck and shoulders. She tilted her head to the side, giving him room to work, and her legs wobbled furiously because it was taking all the effort she had to stay standing.
This was not going at all how she expected it to go. Thalia had expected that she would feel more nervous. She had assumed that Caspian would be more stiff and awkward. She had known it would be tense and possibly uncomfortable, like a blind man trying to feel his way through a room that he had never been inside before. But the Duke was tender. He was gentle. And most of all, he was in full control. It was enough that it allowed Thalia to relax and give herself over to him. It was enough that it allowed her toenjoyherself.
“Now you may lie down,” he whispered in her ear.
She did as he told her. It was slightly awkward, being watched as she crawled onto the bed and lay herself down. And that awkwardness grew when she looked up to see him standing over her, watching.
