“I would tear down cities, if I had to. I would…” He clenched his jaw and took a deep breath. “They really thought that they were helping you, didn’t they? They really think so little of me that… that…” He was shaking now. “That they came here thinking to save you.”
“Is that what’s wrong?”
“I know that I am not the easiest person to live with,” he started, his voice trembling. “I know that when we first married, the idea of running away might have been appealing…” He winced. “But I would hope that by now, you and I…” He winced again. “That we have reached a place where… that you no longer…”
Thalia could not believe what she was seeing. Or hearing, for that matter.
Caspian was worried about the offer that Laurent and Rosaline had made. And he was afraid that she might be considering it. For all his stiffness and coldness, for how long it had taken for Thalia to crack through his outer shell and coax him to a place of trust and understanding, he was still not confident with where they were as a couple.
More than that, the idea of losing me terrifies him. And not because of some silly arrangement, or a desire to have a child. But because he…
Thalia was up and swept toward Caspian before he had a chance to say anything further. She took one hand, while the other rested on his shoulder. And she stepped into him as close as she could.
“There is no need to worry,” she assured him. “And there is certainly no need to be upset.”
“I am not upset.”
“Whatever you are, I can assure you that running away is the last thing on my mind.”
“It better be,” he said.
She laughed. “That sounds like a threat. Besides, after last evening, you could not drag me away from your side.” She kissed his cheek and squeezed his hand.
“That…” Caspian took the hand that was on his shoulder and pulled it around his waist so that he was facing her. “That was nothing.”
She pumped her eyebrows. “Big words. But I expect that one of these days soon, you match them with –” She squeaked as his arms wrapped around her.
Caspian lifted Thalia in the air; one hand on the small of her back, the other under her legs. He did not ask permission, he did not say anything, he simply picked her up and carried her to the chair.
“Caspian, what are you –”
“You doubt me,” he growled as he sat her down. “It is time I put those doubts to rest.”
“What doubts?” she laughed. “I was only joking.”
“And I am not.” He then dropped to his knees right in front of her and, without saying anything, took hold of her legs and spread them apart.
Thalia’s eyes widened when she realized what he was doing. On instinct, she went to stop him. “Caspian, what are you… it is not yet midday.”
“So?”
“The staff…”
“I don’t care about them.”
“But… but… but…” She stammered and Caspian shuffled on his knees between her legs, a look of sheer determination on his face as if the fate of the world depended on what he was about to do.
“Thalia.” He was looking at her. There was no hunger in his eyes. There was no desire dripping from his lips. He simply looked at her, made it so she knew that he was not playing games, and she could do little more than look back. Literally stunned into silence. “Just try and keep it down.”
She swallowed. “I… I will try.”
Thalia and Caspian had come so far in such a short amount of time. They now kissed often. They held hands, they spoke freely, and they acted like a happily married couple; both in public, and privately. Even them sleeping together was no longer taboo or awkward, and Thalia was grateful for all the changes that had occurred between them.
But this right here… what she knew Caspian meant to do… never in her wildest dreams did she think he would dare such a thing.
Not that I am complaining…
Thalia closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair, getting herself comfortable as she felt Caspian shift so that he was right between her thighs. And with her eyes still closed, she bit into her lip and her breathing caught as she felt his lips start to kiss gently and wetly across the bare skin of her right thigh.
