Chapter 26

Lucien awoke early the next morning, tucked with his back against the burnt orange velvet of the couch upon which he had slept. As soon as his eyes opened, they found Elain. She was still asleep, he could see, as she lay wrapped tightly in the heavy bed covers. Sitting up, he moved to get a better view, his eyes moving across her, taking in her golden brown hair splayed out across the crimson pillow and the utterly peaceful expression on her pretty face. Lucien's heart began to beat more steadily as the urge to 'protect' rose in him. Elain always looked innocent but, like this, she looked even more so. Lucien resisted the urge to get to his feet and cross the room to the bed, wanting to get closer to her. He hadn't gotten off the couch since he had backed away from her the previous night and promised her that he wouldn't do anything until she wanted him. Cauldron, how he hoped that she would decide that she wanted him.

They had come so close last night. He hadn't been able to help the thoughts that had filled his mind when Elain had first come out of the bathroom in her nightgown, her hair unbound and curling around her face. As soon as the thoughts had crossed his mind, he'd felt a surge of heat down the bond and, knowing that it had come from her in response to him, Lucien hadn't been able to resist going to her. When he had lifted her to himself, he'd nearly died of shock when Elain had begun to kiss him back. His mind had been wiped practically blank when she had begun licking at him and, without considering what he had been doing, Lucien had somehow gotten them to the bed. Sinking down onto Elain, and pressing her into the soft bedcovers, had sent all kinds of desire through him and when she had wrapped her legs around him, he'd known that he was beyond hard. He hadn't entirely been thinking for the next few minutes, and it was all kind of foggy in his mind until her hands had pushed at his chest.

Knowing that he needed to get himself under control, Lucien had forced himself to the other side of the room and, as he watched her now, he knew that he would do it again. He would always pull himself into line for her. It had been easier to do last night than that night in the kitchen. He supposed that was because he knew that she would still be sleeping in the room with him, and he didn't have to let her go where he couldn't follow. He had also reminded himself that Elain was a virgin, and that had eased the primal instinct in him to have her then and there. That innocence was worth protecting, and he wasn't going to allow her first experience of such things be some rushed and mindless encounter. Especially when she hadn't even decided if she wanted him or not.

With a start, Lucien realised that Elain's brown eyes were now open and she was watching him from her curled position in the bed. "Good morning, Petal."

"Hi." She murmured, not moving in the slightest.

Swinging his legs around, Lucien lowered his feet to the floor and sat up to stretch. He groaned at the movement, deciding that the couch was not the most comfortable pace he'd ever slept. He noticed Elain's eyes follow him and he stood up to stretch again. Still, she watched him, and he wondered if she was thinking about last night. When a light blush began to flush across her cheeks, he figured that she probably was indeed, and he gave her his best courtier smile. A laugh escaped him when she gave an exasperated groan and pulled the covers up over her face.

"Come on, love." He said, moving toward the bed and gathering a handful of the covers before trying to gently pry them away from her. He did not expect her grip to be so strong however, and he needed to rethink his tactic. "We need to go and have some breakfast… You can't miss out on the honeyed pears…"

Her gorgeous dark eyes appeared, peering at him over the edge of the covers. "Honeyed pears?"

Lucien grinned and nodded. "They're delicious."

Elain sat up without warning and Lucien ended up half swamped in the bedcovers. He dropped them back onto the bed as she crawled to her feet and then cast him a suspicious look. "They had better be…"

It didn't take the two of them all that long to get dressed and, before he knew it, they were making their way to the dining hall. "Lucien…?"

He turned his head toward her as she walked beside him, her arm tucked through his. "Hm?"

"I was rethinking my response," she said softly, "to your brothers constantly touching me…" her eyes slid his way when his heart began pounding erratically.

"I see…" he just about forced the words out.

"I thought that by saying nothing they would become bored or disinterested." She told him, "But that didn't work because it wasn't my reaction they were after to begin with."

He couldn't deny the truth of that and just nodded. "So, what's your new thought?" he asked her.

"I'm not going to pretend like I don't notice it." Elain lifted her chin and looked straight ahead as they entered the dining hall.

The first thing Lucien noticed was that Beron was not present. In fact, the only one in the room was Eris who was seated at his usual spot at the table. Stiffening as his eldest brother's amber eyes followed them across the room, Lucien tried to pretend like he wasn't bothered. He moved with Elain up the table by the wall as they selected their breakfast, Elain giving him a penetrating look as she transferred a honeyed pear to her plate, and then they headed to the dining table to sit.

"Where is father?" Lucien asked, glancing Eris' way up the table. He High Lord was usually the first at breakfast every morning.

"He's unwell." Eris replied simply. "You'll discuss things with me. It would have been how it happened anyway." Lucien nodded, his eyes going to Elain when she made a small pleasured sound.

Brown eyes met his as she pulled her fork from her mouth. "Good, yes?" he grinned at her when he noticed a piece of her honeyed pear was missing. She nodded and stuck her fork into the rest of it.

"I was hoping we might set our talk for this afternoon." Eris said, drawing Lucien's attention once more. Lucien turned to look at him, and Eris continued. "I have prior engagements this morning."

"Okay." Lucien watched as Eris' amber eyes slid to Elain as she made another appreciative sound and he saw his brother's eyebrow raise ever so slightly. Before Lucien could say anything further, however, Eris' gaze shifted to the door and he half got to his feet.

"Stay there." Their mother's voice said gently, and Eris slowly sank back into his seat. Looking around with a smile, Lucien watched as the Lady of the Autumn Court collected her breakfast and joined them at the table.

"I am starving!" the rough voice of one of Lucien's brothers called not a moment later, and Lucien resisted a sigh, forcing himself to keep his focus on his own plate. He clenched his teeth when his brother dropped down into the seat on the other side of Elain just as he had at dinner and Elain set her fork down carefully. "And how are you this morning?" Lucien's eyes followed his brother's large hand as it slid up Elain's forearm to her wrist.

Swallowing his anger, Lucien didn't have time to react before Elain's head snapped in the direction of the male beside her.

"I would prefer if you kept your hands off me, thank you."

The large hand retracted and Lucien saw surprise in his brother's hard eyes. "Would you?"

"Yes. It's rude to touch someone you don't know."

Those cold amber eyes raked over Elain in a way that made Lucien's blood boil, but then his brother had gotten to his feet and strode from the dining hall without another word. Elain turned her eyes on Lucien and he wanted to kiss her then and there. Instead, however, he stuck his fork in his honeyed pear and shifted it over on to her plate. The smile she gave him in return was just as sweet.