The Hathway Kingdom. (Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-Nine.

***Author's note: Just a quick fyi, this chapter contains slightly mature scenes. Though not in great detail as I suck at that. Either way! Enjoy!***

~Thirty-Nine. ~

Romulus was frozen in the doorway to the dining room when he saw just who was sitting in the chair directly beside his and laughing happily with his sister. He had not been expecting Larissa to be there, much less looking as revived and happy as she did now. Her green eyes were alight with laughter and her cheeks had developed a light pink tinge to them. Lizbeth must have sensed her brother's presence, for she smiled as Larissa laughed and turned to look at her brother now.

"Brother! Don't just stand there! Come over here and sit with us!" Lizbeth exclaimed and this seemed to sober Larissa up and her eyes snapped over to the frozen male before them.

Larissa and Romulus locked gazes and time seemed to come to a stop. Larissa swallowed heavily before she gave him a smile and she stood up. She curtseyed to him, bowing her head as she did and when she lifted her head, she was startled when she found him standing right in front of her now.

They looked at one another still, neither daring to breathe as they locked gazes. Lizbeth watched the pair, a grin on her lips before she excused herself and she left the room. Romulus moved first, a hand reaching up and lightly cupping her cheek.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, his voice no louder than a whisper as he looked at her. Larissa gave him a smile before she closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.

"I am, Romulus," she replied just as quietly, and she opened her eyes to look at him. She found him watching her still and she gave a chuckle.

"I am fine, Romulus. I would not lie to you about that," she said to him and she saw him sigh in relief. She looked at him curiously as he looked back up at her and he took her hands in his.

"There was a report...that there had been a bandit attack on the road from your home to here. There had been only a single survivor as the bandits thought the man dead. I...I feared the worst..." he said as he held her hands against his chest and rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. She closed her eyes as well, finding comfort once more at the action and their closeness.

"I am fine, Romulus. We didn't see anything, nor did anything happen to us on our way here," she said to him softly, adjusting how he held her hands so one of hers held his and the other reached up to lightly touch his cheeks.

Before she could prepare herself, his lips connected with hers and his free arm circled her waist, pulling her closer as he kissed her. It took her a moment before she closed her eyes and kissed him back, holding him just as close.

When they eventually pulled apart, both their cheeks were flushed and their breathing heavy. Larissa opened her eyes slowly, watching him as he struggled to regain his breath before her eyes widened as Romulus leant forward and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She chuckled softly and held him close to her. He pulled back after a while and looked at her now, really looked at her as if he were assessing her.

"And you are better?" he asked her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Lord! If I have one more person, ask me that...Here!" Larissa said as she picked up the sealed letter from the table and held it out to him. He frowned before he accepted it with a curious look in her direction.

"What is this?" he asked as he looked at it before he flipped it over. He frowned again when he saw the seal that was for the Hathway healer on the back.

"Rosaleen and I agreed that you would not believe me based on my word alone. So, she wrote this letter to you herself," Larissa explained as she stepped back and sat down again, picking up some cheese from the platter Lizbeth had requested for them and had left behind when she left.

Romulus looked at Larissa for a moment before he looked back down to the letter in his hands. He sat down beside her now, opening the letter and reaching over to take her hand in his as he read the letter. She remained silent as he read, watching him as his eyes moved over the lines written before they snapped up and caught hers, trapping her under his gaze.

Larissa swallowed heavily as he placed the letter to the side before he got to his feet. He moved so that his hands were resting on both arms of her chair, one on either side of her. He looked at her as he leant in, stopping just before his lips touched hers.

"See something you like, Larissa?" he asked, his tone husky. She swallowed heavily and her response seemed to die in her throat when he leant in and began to kiss along her jaw and found that same spot again. Her eyes fluttered closed and her head tilted some as she chewed on her lip, doing her best to remain silent. Which she found hard to do as he bit down on her neck next.

When he pulled away from her neck, Larissa had yet another bruise-shaped mark gracing her skin. She opened her eyes as she felt his breath against her cheeks and met his rather heated stare. She swallowed heavily as she held his gaze before his lips came crashing down on hers once more. She kissed him in return, her arms wrapping around his as he helped her to her feet.

She heard the clattering of the platters and whatever else was on the table hitting the floor before she squeaked against his lips as he picked her up and placed her on the table now. He moved between her legs and he continued to kiss her passionately, his hands moving to the buttons at the front of her top.

What happened next, Larissa had not expected to happen until her wedding night. If she were to have one at all. She also did not expect it to happen on a table, in a room where anyone could have walked in at any second. Though it seemed that the threat of being caught spurred the pair on even more fervently. When they finished, Larissa lay panting on the table, her clothing and hair askew and with Romulus practically lying on top of her. Romulus adjusted himself and made sure that she was covered before he rolled off her and to the side, his own chest heaving as he panted too. He then turned to look at the woman beside him, her eyes closed and a content expression on her face.

"What did you ask him?" he heard her ask and he propped himself up on his elbow as he watched her with a curious and lazy expression on his face.

"Hmm?" he asked, chuckling some as he saw her go to move before she seemed to decide against it and only turned her head to look at him instead.

"My Uncle. What did you ask him that day? You never came back to my room so I couldn't ask you before," she asked him as she looked at him and he gave a bark of laughter.

"That particular question seems a bit moot now after what just happened between us, my love," he replied as he stroked her arm and she blinked at his choice of wording. She winced slightly as she moved to sit up, but she ignored it as she looked at him.

"What...do you mean by that exactly?" she asked as he sat up as well and reached for her top, adjusting it so that her chest was now covered, and he began to do up the buttons at the back.

"I asked your Uncle for his permission to start courting you once you were well again. But given what has just happened between us, that question seems irrelevant now," he said to her and she blushed before looking away from him.

"Oh..." was all she said before she moved to get up now. He reached over and stopped her, and she looked at him curiously.

"Let me," he said to her before he got off the tabletop first. He then turned to her before he scooped her up into his arms and carried her from the room, ignoring the whispers and stares from those they passed as Larissa squealed and they both began laughing.