A/N: Here's another fun one. I'm so excited to post it! Read on for more excitement, I don't think it will disappoint! As always, some of the characters are owned by C.S. Lewis and Disney. Now onward and upward…

CHAPTER 7

It's hard to believe that Caspian and I have been together a month. Although our relationship really hasn't changed at all in that we treat each other exactly the same, it has only gotten more physical. That has been the real challenge, though, as we want to keep it private for now. We know that as soon as the Council finds out, they will do nothing but pressure him towards marriage. Neither of us is bothered by the idea of marriage, but this time is unlike any other that we have experienced, and we want to make the most of it without the added pressures and expectations that come with being royalty. Because of that secrecy, finding alone time with a Prince-soon-to-be-King is a lot harder than I thought it'd be. At times, we have had to resort to being alone in closets or side hallways that are rarely used.

I have some unexpected free time tonight, so I go down to the kitchens hoping that Ty can help me. I feel like making something but I'm not sure what yet, so I want to look through her recipes. I find her at the wash sink attending to some produce.

"Hey Ty!"

"Miss Anna! Do you need something this evening?"

"Actually, I was hoping to make something myself. I don't have much to do, so do you mind if I look through your recipes?"

"Not at all, my dear. Here, sit down and I'll bring 'em to ya."

"Thanks," I say, sitting on the tall bar stool next to one of the counters.

She returns momentarily with a large box, filled with tons of recipes on old yellow parchment. "Let me know if you need anything else my darling."

"Thanks. You're the best." I start to flip through the stack, but I get almost all the way through and still haven't found anything that I want to make yet. I suddenly crave a glass of wine, so I head to the cellar and pick out a bottle. When I return to the kitchen, I find Caspian standing by the counter, looking down at the recipe pile.

"Great minds think alike," I say.

His head pops up, "Anna! I didn't know you'd be in here. I thought you were going to spend the evening with Molly."

"I was, but she had to cancel. Her youngest brother is sick, so she went to help her mother."

"I see," he says as he opens his arms to me. I step into his wonderful embrace and hug him tightly, and then he sees the wine bottle. "Drinking alone?"

"Huh? Oh the wine! Ha. I had a craving for it while I was looking through Ty's recipes." I sit on one of the stools, thinking for a moment. "Wait, are you done for the day?"

He sits on the other stool, "Actually, yes. I came down here for something to eat. So what are you making me?" He asks playfully.

I grab his under his chin, and we lock our gazes. "What do you want?"

"Food? Or…." He says, looking hopeful.

"Yes, food, you old pervert."

"Old? I'm just a few months older than you!"

Ty's voice startles us, "You two still argue like you did when you were my little ones."

"Ty, I'm the good one. She's the troublemaker," Caspian explains, pointing at me.

She laughs at his remark. "Now, I don't mean to call the Prince a liar, but I seem to remember a boy of twelve coming in one night and stealing the candy meant for my cake decorations. And there was another time where a stack of china was broken. Oh—and there was…."

"You must be thinking of someone else," he cuts her off, sheepishly. He then lays his head down on his crossed arms on the counter.

Ty and I just laugh at him. I place my left hand on the back of his neck, massaging the skin there.

"Ty, is the recipe for my favorite honey bread in here?"

"Oooh, that's a good one. It isn't written down but I could start it for you, then you'd have to finish it. It takes a while though."

"That's ok."

"And I'll need a good pair of arms," she says, looking at Caspian.

He straightens up and flexes his muscles. "I'll help. What do I do?" He asks.

"Just wait a minute until I need help kneading it," she says. She starts by assembling the ingredients. While she does that, I go find some strawberries to wash so I can snack on them later. Just as I'm done with them, she calls Caspian over. Ty shows him what to do in order to mix the ingredients correctly. I laugh when she comes behind him and puts her arms around him to show him the proper hand technique for the dough. He looks up at me, mock horror and disgust in his eyes. Then she finally removes her arms from around him and tells him to continue for a few minutes while she leaves to attend another chore. I sit on a bar-stool across the counter from where he's standing. I watch as his face, looking down at the dough, begins to focus on his task. His lips are pulled thin and his eyebrows are slightly furrowed in concentration. My eyes wander down to his arms. He rolled his sleeves up, so I can see as his arms flex with every ministration while he expertly folds and presses the dough. For the first time, I let my mind wander, and I start to imagine what it would feel like with those hands on my body. I know these thoughts are just torturous though. Caspian and I are both virgins and we want to stay that way until we are married. Still, a girl can dream.

It's finally time for the dough to rest and rise, so he stops and washes his hands. He comes over and leans on the counter right next to me, so close that we're almost touching.

"Were you enjoying the view?" He asks playfully but seductively.

"Something like that. You look pretty efficient with those hands of yours."

"Maybe you'll find out someday," he says, then leans in for a kiss. I play coy for a second, leaning back a little, making him chase my lips. He grabs the back of the bar-stool and spins me around so I'm facing outward, away from the counter. He then takes one of his hands and gently grabs my chin, tilting it upward.

"Gotcha…" he says, first playfully nipping at my lips with his own, and then pressing them completely against my own. Yet again, I'm amazed by the feeling of his lips pressed against my own. My heart pounds with excitement as we enjoy the familiarity of each other.

He quickly pulls away and sits in the barstool next to mine when we hear Ty returning to the kitchen. I'm able to turn my chair back around towards the counter just in time as she walks in the door.

She looks at us both, "You're all done?"

Caspian smiles and says, "Mmhhmm."

She continues to stare at us questioningly. "Why do you always look like you're up to something?"

"Us? Never!" I reply as I loop my arm through Caspian's because lately, I'm not happy unless I'm touching him.

She rolls her eyes, then goes to inspect the dough. It must be good because she picks it up, lightly oils it, and then puts it in a covered bowl.

"Now, can I trust you two to finish the rest? I have to finish my chores for tomorrow and then get to bed."

"Of course! What do we do?" I ask.

"Let the dough rise for about an hour. Then punch it and knead it down just a few times. Cover it again in the bowl and let it sit for another 30 minutes. After that, just place it on the bread rack in the oven for about 30 minutes, and just watch it so it doesn't get too dark."

"I think we can do that. Thanks Ty!" I say.

"You're welcome. Goodnight my darlings," she replies and leaves us alone again.

"We're going to be waiting here a while. Oh well. At least we have strawberries," I say, reaching for the bowl of the fruit I collected earlier. We eat and sit and talk for a while. But I'm still craving honey and the bread is going to be at least an hour. I reach over the counter for the large honey jar. I take a small spoon and dip it in the thick viscous substance then quickly put it in my mouth. Delicious. I notice a drip of honey slowly running down the side of the jar, so I wipe it off with my pointer finger. I'm about to lick it off my finger when Caspian's hand grips my wrist and pulls it towards him. I swallow as I watch him pull my finger into his mouth. He stares at me while he slowly sucks the honey off my finger, and I can't help the heat that floods straight to my core. I love the feeling of his textured and moist tongue rubbing down and around my finger, licking it clean. He pulls my finger back out of his mouth with a smug look on his face and says, "I can see why you like that." I just sit stunned but happy in my chair.

He gets up and I watch him as he completes the next step of the dough, removing it from the bowl and kneading it again, and then returning it to the bowl. He washes his hands again then comes back over to me. "Now, what am I going to do with you for another 30 minutes?" He asks. I'm really enjoying this seductive, playful side of him, and I can't help but play along. I push my chair out and stand up, then hoist myself up on the counter in front of him, legs slightly parted.

"You're always saying that you're the smart one. I'm sure you'll figure something out," I reply.

He smiles, then steps closer to the spot between my legs. He reaches up and brushes my hair away from my neck, and then dips the tip of his finger in the honey. He wastes no time rubbing the honey on his favorite spot on my neck. The low fire in me continues to burn as he places his open mouth on the honey on my neck, sucking and licking vigorously. A small moan escapes my lips and I run both hands through his perfect hair. He puts both of his hands on my lower waist and scoots me even closer to the edge of the counter, our bodies pressed closer than they've ever been before. I can't help but squeeze my legs closer around him, holding him in place, right where I want him. The honey on my neck must be all gone because he starts a trail further up my neck. Then, I lower my head and press my lips fervently against his own. We move and caress and kiss and tease, guided only by our instincts and our love. Caspian's hands end up halfway under the back of my shirt, held against the softness of my skin just above the waistline of my pants. I know that if we don't stop soon, we'll go farther than we want. I press one more deep kiss against his lips then pull away and kiss his forehead, signaling our need to slow down. He pulls his hands from inside my shirt and just grasps my waist, not really wanting to go anywhere.

"So you think it's been 30 minutes yet?" I ask.

"Ha! I have no concept of time after that."

"Yah, I know what you mean."

He reluctantly backs up from me and goes to check the dough. It's finally ready, so he places the dough on the rack in the open fire oven. Now we just need to wait another 30 minutes as it bakes. We both sit back on the stools. I cross my arms on the counter and lay my head down on them, but turn my head so I can see him. I close my eyes as he comfortingly rubs his hand up and down my back.

"I love you so much," I say quietly.

"I love you too."

"How is Cair Paravel coming along?"

"It's going faster than they expected, actually. The outside structure is really taking shape. I'm going to have to go visit again soon."

"Already? You just got back from being gone for a whole month a couple of weeks ago."

"I know, my love. I'm going to be King soon, so there are certain things that I have to do."

"I hate when you're gone."

"Me too."

"Do you think that you'll have to work a lot more when you're King?"

"Hopefully not a lot more, but sometimes I will."

We continue to talk until the bread finally looks done. He carefully removes it from the oven, and then puts it on the clean part of the counter. I can smell the sweet aroma drifting through the kitchen, and it's the perfect light golden brown. After it rests for a minute, Caspian grabs a knife and cuts off a few slices for us. I blow it off a little then take a bite. It's exactly what I wanted.

"We're good cooks. We should cook together all the time," I tell him.

"Mmm. I only like cooking when it's you, me, and some honey," he says, looking over and winking at me.

"Yah, good thing Ty doesn't know about that." We laugh together, and then spend the rest of the evening trading stories, hopes and dreams.

A/N: True story: I've never made bread, so that required some research lol! I hope you all liked the chapter :)