“You look lovely tonight,” Caspian said, his voice a touch deeper than usual.
He looked good too. His long hair had been smoothed back, with only a small piece escaping, and he wore his customary dark tunic, which showed off the broad planes of his chest. She would never admit it out loud, of course, but if he hadbeen a mortal, she would have found him to be the most attractive man she had ever seen.
But he was a demon, and there could be no beard that would ever make up for the things he’d done.
She waited for him to say something else, but he was silent, and standing so still, she wasn’t sure that he was even breathing.
“We will do as you wish tonight.”
She gave a choked laugh. “I am not forced? What happened to ‘you own me’ and me being forced to fulfill the terms of our bargain?”
“Not tonight. We will do what you want,” he said slowly. “Only what you want.”
Her eyes flicked up and down his frame.
He looked at her hungrily but made no move towards her. He watched her like a hunter, waiting for his prey to come to him.
He did not appear weak, but rather content to wait. Like he would have waited a hundred years for her to touch him. And even then, only if she wanted to. The air between them grew heavy as her thoughts warred.
She glanced at his chest, his shoulders, then back to his face. They stood in silence, devouring each other with their eyes. Would it be so horrible to kiss him once more? After all, they had kissed before, and nothing bad happened.
After a long moment, left in the comfort of making her own decisions, she decided shedidwant to kiss him again. She stepped towards him.
She placed a hand tentatively on his chest. “Anything I want?” she asked softly, raising a brow.
A firm nod. She splayed her fingers on his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heart beneath her hand. His skin was warm, almost feverish. “Is this what you want?” she asked, tilting her head up to his.
He was silent and unmoving before her. A statue of marble.
Her fingers traced his shoulder, then down his arm corded with muscle. She touched his beard, his jaw, then threaded her fingers through his thick, wavy, dark hair. Circling him with her arms, she leaned into the nook above his shoulder and inhaled his scent—woodsmoke, and expensive soap. His arms encircled her loosely, and she tilted her face to look at him; they were almost nose to nose.
She felt warm all over and could think of nothing but the idea of his lips upon hers.
“And if this is all I want?” she said, her voice breathless.
“Then, this is all it will be,” he said gruffly.
“Good answer,” she murmured against his lips, and then she kissed him.
His lips were gentle against hers, letting her decide, and she found she wanted more. She placed a hand upon his jaw and drew him closer, kissing him harder. Capturing his lower lip, she boldly bit it on a whim.
It was all the answer Caspian needed as he wrapped his arms around her, their lips still melded together. He picked her up off the ground and gently placed her on the bed.
“What do you want, Elizabeth?” he said, asking as if her answer was the most important thing in the world.
“I want you,” she said simply.
He shook his head, smirking. She pulled at his shirt, a silent order, and he obliged her, slipping it off. He looked pointedly at her gown with its many petticoats and layers.
“You will have to help me.” She gestured at the corset, smiling.
He stood and opened his arms. She rose and stepped into his embrace. His lips met hers, and as he kissed her, his fingers deftly found the laces of her corset and began to undo them. With a few strategic tugs, her gown slipped to the floor.
She raised a brow as she stepped out of her skirts, in nothing but her undergarments, the fabric thin and flimsy.
She looked at him with suspicion. That was ... fast. This was not the first time he had removed a gown, petticoats, and a corset in such a fashion. The thought made her narrow her gaze in envy.
The corner of his lip tugged upwards.
