CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Saturday, November 26

"Hey, Baby." Marcus grinned as he aproached me, but I just stared ahead. "Miley?" I could hear that he was worried now and I sighed. I was with Marcus, I was actually starting to get over the confussion of Shane Gray and now the confussion hits back times ten and I can't even look at Marcus because for the first time since late last month I dreamt of Shane again. "Are you okay?" I felt his warm hand brush my hair away.

"I'm fine." I mumbled, as fine as I could be when I couldn't even think without mentally cheating on my boyfriend. "Just... Thinking."

"I'm sorry... About your birthday." Marcus said and I finally looked at him.

"You know, other than someone trying to kill me it was a pretty good day." I smiled weakly at him and he laughed a little.

"I never got to give you your present." Marcus stated and I furrowed my brows.

"You-" I started to say when Shane entered the sitting room in the Crown quarters.

"I'm sorry for the disruption, your Highness, but the King requests your pressence." Shane said formally, looking just over my shoulder instead of actually at me.

"I'll be right back." I murmured to Marcus, not taking my eyes off of Shane as I kissed him swiftly on the cheek and followed the dark-haired boy out of the room. "So what's the deal now, Gray?" I asked as I followed him to my grandfather.

"Your Highness?" Shane's voice was strained and formal.

"Do you crawl back into the hole you came out of before you started messing with me or what?" I reiterated, sounding a Hell of a lot more casual than I felt.

"If you wish to have me transfered to another sector of the CRS it is wholey your decission, your Highness." Shane said and I looked at him, he was looking straight ahead and his jaw clenched as he spoke I groaned and glanced around for my guards before I pushed Shane through a nearby door into what turned out to be a broom closet.

"Cut the crap, Shane, why did you do it?" I demanded, feeling the hurt start to rise again and with it the anger that I felt as a defence. "Why did you lie to me? Why didn't you tell me what you were?"

"My orders explicitly said that you weren't to know." Shane said in that stupid strained, formal voice that just sounded wrong on him.

"They also said that you weren't supposed to interact with me after the first day." I pointed out, not to mention he'd anounced it in front of the King and half the CRS that he couldn't follow orders. "Yet you did, you kept talking to me, screwing with me, kissing me..." My eyes subconsciously darted to his lips when I said that.

"I'm sorry, Princess." And suddenly the old Shane was back, the one that would coo and kiss and cuddle. "I never wanted to hurt you, I swear." He was pressed against me and I wasn't sure if it was his heart that was racing or mine. Maybe it was both of us? "I just couldn't stay away from you."

"If you never wanted to hurt me then why did you?" I choked and I felt Shane move impossibly closer. "Why are you still hurting me? Why can't you just let me be with Marcus without being hurt?" I begged and Shane sighed, dropping his head down so our foreheads were together for a second before he pulled back.

"You have to get married." Shane stated and I had to look away at the look in his eyes. "Hawthorne... You want to marry Hawthorne, don't you?" Shane swollowed thickly and I found my eyes tracing the lining of his jacket.

"I don't want to marry anyone." I bit out, that little bit of bitterness rising up. "But since I have to... Marcus isn't so bad." I forced myself to smile. "He's a good guy and I really do like him... A lot." Shane sighed and stepped away from and I felt the familiar loss of his body against mine.

"The King wants to see you." His voice was back to formal and he opened the door and stepped out into the hall, waiting for me. I sighed and followed, looking down and feeling guilty. I know I said what Shane didn't want to hear, probably the exact opposite in fact, but was it the right thing? Was it right to still be with Marcus when I had Shane constantly in my head again? "Your Highness." Shane bowed slightly, formally, when we got to a door and I guess the King was in there.

"I'm sorry, Shane." I whispered before I opened the door. "Sir?" I questioned once it was closed.

"Miley, please sit." The King requested and I nodded, sitting opposite him at the desk he was sitting at. It was a different room than yesterday, but the desk looked the same and there was a green folder on it and I could see Shane's name written in bold black ink. We were going to talk about Shane. "That was a rather interesting interaction you had with Mister Gray yesterday." The King pointed out and I flushed. "Since his official training began Mister Gray has been the epitome of the perfect agent; respectful, dedicated, followed every order down to the last letter, never once spoke out of term..." I flushed again, he'd done almost all of that because of me yesterday.

"I'm sorry I broke your best agent." I said, I didn't know what else to say; aparently he'd been the best until he met me.

"Broke would not be the word I'd use, Miley, Mister Gray is also feircely protective of you; he's been pushing for the death penalty for the culprits of Wednesdays crimes." King Altiyan told and I wasn't sure how to feel about that. "And I have never seen an agent act so quickly and agressively before, he had three men unconscious before the chemicals ignited." He always was quick; he could go from across a room (or tree) to right on top of me before I could even blink. "The question is, however to you."

"Me?" I frowned, what question? Why did I have to answer.

"Mister Gray seems to have created a somewhat unfriendly bond with you, and though he is the best agent in the Cyrus Royal Security, his placement can change if you are uncomfortable." Oh. That's what Shane told me not long ago. It was up to me whether he stayed or not.

"I-" Did I really want to have Shane around me all the time? When I was trying to get over him. I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times like a fish before I could speak. "He-he can stay." I stuttered out. Shane must have worked hard to get to be the best and King Altiyan had told me that he had hand-chosen everyone on my security, that had to be an honor for Shane, I couldn't take his life's work away from him. We'd both just have to get over ourselves; maybe one day I could convince the King that Shane was more qualified to be on his security team or something.

"That is very admirable of you, Miley." The King praised and I nodded mutely, already feeling a sense of dread at my decision. "You may return to Lord Hawthorne now if you wish." He dismissed and I nodded and stood up, quietly and quickly leaving. Shane was still standing outside the door, all straight and formal like all the other guards. Shane was the only one here as well and I had no idea which way to go, I hadn't been to this part of the palace before.

"This way, your Highness." Shane muttered, gesturing ahead and I sighed, but followed him. When we got to the hall that led to my private wing Shane stopped me and glanced around before pushing me lightly back into the wall. "Hawthorne is the luckiest bastard in the world." And then he pressed his lips hard against mine for a second before he pulled away. "That's the last time I'll do that; I swear." Then he started walking away. I took a minute to get my breath back and fight the blush and the sudden stab of pain at his words before I started towards my quarters.

When the doors opened the first thing I saw was Marcus standing in the middle of the room and I heard a soft, slow song playing in the background. I slowly walked in and Marcus grinned at me.

"Hey, Beautiful." Marcus ran his hands up and down my arms before he kissed me. It wasn't like the kiss Shane just gave me and that made me feel guilty. "I know it's late, but... Happy birthday." I smiled and he kissed me again before stepping back. Then Marcus turned around for a second, in a complete circle, before he ended up on one knee, holding a small jewellery box. I gasped and took and unconscious step backwards. "Princess... Miley..." Marcus started and I felt my breathing start to shallow. "I know we haven't known each other too long, but I'm already crazy about you, I already know that the thought of you with someone else drives me insane-" Did he see what happened with Shane? Should I tell him was what happened with Shane? "-but I also know this isn't the best time for a girl to get engaged, but... I'm asking anyway; Miley, will you mar-" I turned and ran before he could finish, I could think, I couldn't breathe, I felt dizzy.

"Princess!" I heard a voice shout as I went down and I felt strong arms catch me just before I passed out.

Princess Miley

Sunday, November 27

When I woke up I thought I was alone at first, then I registered the soft stroke of the pad of a thumb against the back of my hand. Since then it had been completely silent. Shane was the one next to me, after I'd woken up more it had been a mute communication that had led to him sitting on my bed with me, holding me. I was between his legs and he had one of his strong, mouthwatering arms across my waist, holding me to him, and the other was laying across my chest and playing with the tips of my hair.

"Us?" I asked after I don't know how long, breaking the silence for the first time. I was comfortable in his arms, and I knew that this probably went against Shane's orders or whatever.

"Hmm?" Shane hummed against the back of my head and I turned a little to see him, his eyes were closed and he had a small smile on his face, he looked content. Content to just hold me in his arms.

"Can we happen?" I whispered, I probably knew the answer already, but I needed to know, if there was even a miniscule chance for us. I wasn't stupid, what I was doing to Marcus wasn't fair. I knew I was falling harder and harder for Shane everyday, that was the only reason why it would ever hurt this much, because I was falling in love with him. Shane stiffened around me and held me a little tighter. "You and me, can we be together, Shane? Can we have a relationship?" He hadn't said anything. Didn't he understand that he couldn't change his mind? If there was a chance for us he couldn't afford the time to play around anymore, I had five months. Five months and then it was either him or we would never happen.

"Just let me hold you." Shane begged and I swollowed thickly. "Please, just let me hold you when I still can." I pulled out of his hold and turned completely so I was face him, kneeling so I was face to face with him.

"If you say yes then you can always hold me." I was begging now, begging for him to say yes, that we could be together. Because, whilst I like Marcus, and he would be an amazing guy to be with... My heart olny ever seemed to race for Shane. Instead of speaking Shane leaned forward and kissed me, one hand tangling through my hair and pulling me closer whilst the other gripped my hip almost bruisingly. I can't believe I had gone a month without kissing Shane. The kiss yesterday had been far too one-sided and quick for me to apreciate it, but this... His lips were soft yet demanding and he had the bewildering, amazing taste that made me crazy, and his tongue was somehow both urgent and gentle as it touched with mine.

I felt the soft matress touch my back and Shane pressed on top of me, making me moan and sigh at the feeling. After a while I started to feel dizzy and I realised I'd forgotten to breathe, but for whatever reason Shane pulled away from lips anyway and I was able to gasp in a breath before it flew out of me again when he kissed down to my neck and bit softly on my pulse point.

"Shane!" I gasped his name, gripping his hair and holding him to me as he bit, suckled and kissed my pulse until I was a whimpering mess underneath him. My body was reacting to him in ways it never had before. Shane pulled back for a second to admire his handiwork before he kissed my lips again. My hands didn't want to settle, they started in his hair, pulling him closer to me, demanding his lips on my own, then they gripped onto his strong, hard arms and I felt his muscles quiver under my touch. They seemed to have a mind of their own as they then started down felt his abs before I felt adventurous and tugged at his CRS regulation suit shirt. That's when Shane pulled his amazing lips away from me and I whimpered at the loss, leaning up to follow him, but Shane held me down and I fluttered my eyes open.

"You need to stop or I won't be able to." Shane murmured huskily, his hazel eyes had darkened to a deep chocolate brown that made the green and gold flecks stand out even more intensly. I was confused for a second, what wouldn't he be able to stop? Why wouldn't he be able to stop? Then I felt it pressed against me and my eyes widened when I reallised it. Shane sighed and dropped his forehead onto mine, looking deep into my eyes and I felt like he could see my Soul. Shane kissed my lips chastely before He sat up on his knees and started unbutton his shirt. I felt my eyes widen again as I watched him, but I didn't say anything. He threw his shirt on the flor and then swiftly pulled his undershirt off and tossed that away, leaving him in his pants and somehow his tie that had remained on. I felt my mouth start to water when I looked at Shane, his muscles were hard and rippled and looked like he'd been chiseled from marble. I ached to reach up and trace his abs and pecs, to touch them, to taste them. I swollowed, I knew that I had to be bright red and burning hot, but I couldn't stop staring at him. The tie only seemed to add to the hotness above me. Shane moved down again and I could feel his hot breath on my ear and it made me shiver. "Nothing more." Shane murmured and it took me a few seconds to actually register the words. I let out a breath of relief I didn't know was in me and I saw the ghost of a smile on his lips. He knew what I wanted more than I did.

Shane kissed me again, slowly this time and I let my fingers reach for him and trace over his impecable pecs. His skin was hot and he let out a slight hiss at the contact. His muscles were hard, but his skin was soft and I could lay like this with him for the rest of my life and not complain a single second. I couldn't help but moan when Shane pressed against me tighter as his tongue brushed with mine in soft strokes. Right when I moaned Shane stiffened and I felt him twitching slightly on top of me before he pulled back quickly.

Shane looked at me in complete and utter horror before he got off of me and scrambled for his shirts and dressed, quickly, leaving me laying on my bed as he fled with his hands over his private parts and his face and part of hischest a bright blushing red. I bit my lip and tried to figure out what I'd done wrong as I held his tie that had come apart in my fingers before he'd left me. Again. Shane had left me again.

Hehe... I guess the subject matter of my one-shots has been leaking over into this ;)

I already have the next one in the works and there are going to be confrontations coming up in the next few chapters.

I can't believe I forgot the countdown last chapter! I'm completely horrified with myself :(

17 DAYS UNTIL MILEY CYRUS' 19TH BIRTHDAY!
49 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!
59 DAYS UNTIL MY 19TH BIRTHDAY!

Just let me tell you in this story... Marcus isn't gone O.o

Please review? I was so happy to see 5 reviews for chapter 15 :)

XOXO
Peace, Love, Miley!