Chapter 317

Lucien was pulling his jacket on, standing by the window, when Elain awoke the next morning. She stretched from her position in bed, enjoying the feeling of the sheets against her skin. "You're up early." She murmured, smiling at Lucien when he looked over at her. Instantly, he was returning her smile, and she watched him reach up and pull his hair back, securing it with a strap of leather. "Places to be?" she asked, sitting up and letting the sheet fall from her body. Lucien's smile widened and he took a step toward her and the bed. Elain stretched again, closing her eyes and lifting her arms high above her head, very deliberately. She knew that her mate's eyes were on her, and she held the stretch for several moments longer than necessary. A small bump against the bed let her know when he had been unable to help himself, and he had come toward her. When Elain opened her eyes again, it was to see Lucien standing beside the bed, both russet and gold eyes fixed intently upon her.

"Petal…" his voice was low, guttural, and Elain wasn't sure how much longer his self-restraint would last.

"Time to get up." She said, smiling innocently up at him, and she moved to push the sheets further back and to swing her legs around to the side of the bed. She did not expect Lucien's hands to wrap around her ankles as he pulled her closer to the edge, and she gave a startled squeal. His hands slid up her calves then to her knees as he parted them, and then Elain found her thighs wrapped around her mate as his hands moved further up her body, pulling her to himself. Lucien was warm and comfortable, and Elain did not resist as he nuzzled into her. She could feel him drawing one deep breath after another as he inhaled her scent, and she ran her hands gently over his back, making slow soothing circles as he held her.

"We could wait a while." He said softly, breath hot against her throat. "I didn't have to get up so quickly… I regret it now."

"Breakfast will be over if we get… distracted." Elain replied, her eyes closing as she tried not to give in to her own desire to sink back into the bed and take Lucien with her.

"They'll always make us something if we ask later…"

"Mmm…" Elain pressed a hand to her mate's chest. "I was going to walk into the city with the Courtiers." She said, "They asked last night…"

"I remember." He let her go then, one hand sliding down to her wrist before he took her hand in his and she let him pull her to her feet. She looked up at him then, enjoying the expression on his face as his eyes moved over her. He took a little step back then as if to be able to see her better and Elain knew that only a few short months ago, she would have blushed and grown shy. Now, she just stood there, watching her mate's face as those eyes looked at her. The expressions that crossed Lucien's face went from appreciative to hungry and Elain felt the heat growing within herself.

Knowing that she needed to stop this if they intended to get on with their day, Elain moved toward Lucien and went up on her toes. She wrapped her arms around Lucien's shoulders and pressed a kiss to his lips. Lucien's strong arms wound around her waist and she smiled into the kiss when he lifted her from the ground a little as he returned the kiss. When her feet touched the ground again she stepped back, turning to pick up the robe she had tossed onto the bed last night once they had gotten out of the bath. Slipping it on, Elain headed for her wardrobe. She hadn't even considered what she might wear into the city with those Courtiers. She did not want to seem aloof or pretentious, and so she opted for something a little more practical, pulling a peach coloured day dress out. She had worn this dress into the gardens on more than one occasion, and she knew it to be comfortable for long walks.

The breeze across the room told Elain that Lucien had opened the doors to their private garden and, as she pulled the dress on over her head and began tying the laces to tighten it, she turned to look at what he was doing. He had pulled the long curtains aside, and was letting some morning light and air into the room. He smiled when he turned to see her watching him. "I do like that dress on you." He told her, "It makes your skin look even more beautiful…" Elain smiled in return at him. She knew that this dress did for her skin what those gorgeous olive colours did for Sheera's.

"Thank you." She said, moving toward him again. "I like you in that jacket. It makes you look very…" her eyes roamed over him, over his broad shoulders and strong arms. "… impressive."

One of Lucien's hands reached up to brush her hair back over her shoulder, and Elain wanted to wrap herself around him once more. She resisted however, and just allowed her eyes to move over him again. "Shall we go to breakfast?" he asked, and Elain was relieved that he had been the one with the strength to end this and force them to leave the room. She nodded and reached for his hand, thankful when his warm fingers interlaced with hers as they headed for the door. They would be forced to behave in public, and she looked up at him when he opened the door. "We shall continue this later." He said, and Elain smiled, knowing that she would be looking forward to that all day.

"This afternoon." She promised, giggling a little at Lucien's exaggerated lascivious wink.