Chapter 66

When Lucien leaned toward her, Elain thought that he was about to kiss her and she tilted her face up toward him, only to catch her breath as he smiled and leaned past her. She turned slightly to see him delicately pluck one of the blue flowers from its stem, and then he drew it back toward himself, softly tapping it to the tip of her nose as he did so.

"…what?" she watched him for a moment before dropping her gaze. Lucien's warm fingers were suddenly beneath Elain's chin, lifting her chin so that she would look at him again.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, and a small smile tugged at his lips. "I was playing…" he leaned toward her again, and this time his lips brushed her cheek and Elain gave a small smile of her own.

"I think you owe me more than that…"

"Do you, Petal?" He kissed her cheek again, his fingers still beneath her chin, and Elain turned her head to bring her own lips to his, feeling him smile into the kiss when she did so. "You're getting better at telling me what you want." He murmured against her lips and Elain felt herself flush scarlet.

She sat back a little, lifting a hand to her mouth as she looked at him. "Oh." Lucien tilted his head as he looked back at her, and she could feel disappointment trickle down the bond toward her.

"I didn't mean that was bad…" he said, his hand falling to her shoulder and sliding down her arm. "I … like it."

"Really?"

"Absolutely." His metallic eye clicked as he focused on her, "I want to know what you want… I'm no daemati."

Elain blinked as she looked carefully at him, heat flushing further throughout her. "What if… what if it's not… proper…" To his credit, Lucien didn't laugh. Elain did feel a flicker of amusement from him, however, as he smiled at her.

"Oh, Petal." His smile widened wickedly, "I'd want to know even more desperately then…" his hand moved back up her arm and Elain shuddered pleasantly, "You are my mate…" his expression turned more serious, "and you can share anything and everything with me without fear of judgement." Looking into Lucien's eyes once more, Elain felt the truth of that. His hand came gently to her cheek and he raised an eyebrow at her. "You understand?"

"I understand."

He gave her a satisfied smile then, his fingers moving over her cheek as his eyes moved over the rest of her approvingly. "Then tell me what you want."

Elain swallowed thickly. "I want you to kiss me." She murmured, "I … want you to hold me tightly while you do so and I want to feel your fingers in my hair…"

As he had said, there was no judgement in Lucien's eyes, and nothing but pleasant anticipation reached Elain down the bond. She held his gaze as he shifted closer on the blanket, one of his hands going to her waist and sliding around behind her as he leaned in to press his lips to hers. Bringing one of her own hands up, Elain took hold of the collar of Lucien's jacket, drawing him in even closer, as she parted her lips for him, allowing him to deepen the kiss when his own hands tightened on her lower back. A startled gasp escaped Elain when Lucien lifted her a little, pulling her to himself as he licked at her and she wrapped both of her own arms around his neck, desire coursing through her.

"Is this what you wanted, Petal?" he asked, lifting his head to meet her eyes and Elain smiled at him as his hand slid slowly up the back of her neck and into her hair. Tingles erupted across Elain's scalp and down her spine and she nodded, sliding one of her own hands down to the side of Lucien's throat, smiling gently at him.

"Mhmm." Closing the small distance between him, she pressed a delicate kiss to his lips, listening to the way that his heart was thundering in his chest. Smiling still, Elain could feel how close Lucien was to letting his control slip, and she decided to see just how long he could last before he sought more. Giving a soft groan of appreciation for his gentle licks, Elain slid her other hand across Lucien's shoulder, her nails scratching at his coat. She opened her mouth a little more for him, encouraging him on, and was pleased when he took that opportunity to deepen the kiss. Still listening to his heart, Elain slid her hand around to the back of Lucien's neck as she manoeuvred herself into his lap. She could feel his self-control and she smiled at him when he lifted his head to meet her eyes. Surprise was clear there and she slid her left hand down his chest, her fingers tracing some of the delicate embroidery in his coat.

"I can feel you holding yourself in check…" Elain murmured, her eyes flicking back and forth across his face, trying to read him. "What a good courtier you are."

"That's not why I'm doing it." His reply was low and Elain tilted her head.

"Then why?"

One of his hands came to her cheek, his finger brushing her cheekbone. "I respect you, who you are, your choices… I don't want to do anything that would put you into a position you're uncomfortable with or would find unseemly."

"Aren't we past that?" Elain asked, remembering his expression when she'd gone down on her knees before him in the Eisblume garden.

"We'll never be past that." He told her, and she was pleased that what she had done hadn't changed his view of her. That thought seemed to give her more confidence, and she thought about what he had told her moments ago.

"You want to know what I want?" she asked, and he nodded, "I want you to do what you want to do… If I'm not worrying about my desires being proper, then neither should you." Interest reached Elain down the bond, and she met Lucien's eyes with a bold a look as she could muster. Fire burned in his russet eye and she felt his hands tighten on her waist an instant before he went up on his knees, lifting her to himself, and Elain wrapped her legs around his waist as he kissed her.

Heat flooded Elain, and she could feel her skin flush with it. She knew that a dark blush was currently painted across her chest and up her arms before reaching her skin, and she was glad that Lucien wasn't looking at her while she was wrapped around him. When he leaned forward, Elain clung to him as he placed her gently against the blanket on her back as he hovered over her, his lips moving slowly against hers while one of his hands slid up into her hair again.

"Like this?" he murmured, lifting his head just enough to meet her eyes.

"Yes." She replied, her own hands skimming over his waist. "This is where you first kissed me," she reminded him, "Last time we were here… Right here by that tree…"

"I remember," Lucien breathed, his eyes flicking toward the tree for the briefest moment before back to Elain's. "You were teasing me."

"I was not." She smiled, "I just… That was when I realised that I wanted you to kiss me…" her smile widened when he pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose.

"You said that you thought I was meant to bring you here…"

"I believe you were…" she could feel her own heart still beating quickly as she looked up at him, "This place feels significant… There was a reason you always used to come here and that I dreamed of it…"

Lucien nodded, bringing the blue flower he had picked up to trace along Elain's cheek. "I'm glad you're including it in your book…"

"I'm glad we came back here." She said gently, "I hope that we come back again…"

Lucien nodded. "As do I."