Bonded

Chapter Thirty Eight

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Kavya

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With Ronin and I are appropriately scolded for letting such sexual tension between us that we had almost forgotten ourselves and reached for our sweet wife... Holding him close as we did yesterday to soothe some of the ache we hold for him and each other what was on my mind at least... Though I can say that I know my husband well enough to understand that his mind was likely in the same place as mine had been... Because even though we both must want him as deeply as I know I do... We know we must value and protect his reputation...

Which is why when Jian asked for he and India to be excused so that they might refresh themselves in their chamber for a few moments... No offer for our company on the short walk back there leaves my lips because I know that Ronin and I need the blessedly provided break from the stunning man that has captured so much of our attention and desires...We need a few moments to calm ourselves and banish this new tension from the air...

It is made known to be the right choice as India is tugged up from his seat, his face one of pure confusion and concern... My heart aching over watching him leave though I know that the wisest choice is for us both to allow Jian to do his job as our chaperone properly in order to protect India's reputation and spot here in the Obsidian Palace so that we may continue courting him and causing that delicious rose-red flush to build in his delicate cheeks...

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Ronin

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Watching India retreat hand in hand with Jian nearly breaks my spirit... For the last thing I want to do is drive away the lovely scholar that we have become so infatuated with...

I don't want to dive him off and lose the chance we had with him over being impulsive and not stopping to think about how his position in the palace might be compromised if he is found in a compromising position with us... Along with Jian's as well since he is meant to be watching over us...

I know we need to be careful...

I know we need to care about the state of India's reputation so that he does not lose his position here in the palace as a pupil and any future positions he might gain here as a tutor for growing Royals later on in our lives... Because we want him to have a happy and fulfilling life by our side...

I don't want us to ever prevent him from having a happy life... I want him to feel safe and flourish with us... And nothing less...

...

India

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I had not expected Jian to stand and excuse us from the library altogether... But before I even had a chance to say anything about not needing to freshen up I was whisked out of my seat and out the door... Jian's hand unrelenting as he tugs me towards our shared chambers, the way he seems to be rushing us more than strange to me...

No matter how many times I try to slow him down so that I might ask what the matter is and what just happened back there... His feet won't stop until our personal door comes into view... His shoulders dropping as he relaxes pulling the door open... The strangeness of this all somehow still not making sense to me... The odd way he stares at me while waiting for me to follow him into our chamber somehow causing an even longer pause than I had intended to actually take...

It takes a shake of my head in disbelief to restart the motion of my feet, and in the few steps that it takes me to enter the chamber and pull the heavy door behind me somehow, Jian becomes the slightest bit impatient... His arms crossing before I'm even entirely over the threshold... My expression likely mirroring his as I try and figure out just what is going on at the moment, "Jian, I didn't need to freshen up... Why would you-"

Before I can finish Jian untucks one of his arms so that he might lift his hand in order to silence me, "I know you do not need to... I do not need to either..."

His words only leave me more and more confused... The way he turns from me in order to stride over to my bedding in order to plop himself down at the end of it before patting the spot next to him seeming strangely final in the way that he expresses the tone of his body language... "Come on. Come sit... And tell me... Do you know what was going on in there? Between Sir Ronin and Sir Kavya?"

His tone is serious as I approach... The way I perch on the edge of my bedding next to him feeling so stiff that I cannot drop my shoulders or even attempt to relax while trying to figure out just what he means by his question... "What do you mean? They were watching us study... Were they not?"

Jian's expression changes to a mix of both amusement and concern...The emotions I find in his gaze not giving me any clarity over what he means...

"They were... But did you noticed their behavior, India?" His words turn more gentle than they seemed before... His eyes lowering themselves from mine to stare at the floor for a few moments presumably to collect his thoughts before continuing, "I pulled you in here because I thought maybe you might not have learned of this kind of thing... Of... Desire... The physical kind...  Since no one truly talks of it or can really speak of it in polite company without offending others..."

His words fill his own cheeks with color as the words leave Jian's lips... My ow complexion starting to glow as well as I fully understand what he's saying to me... What the words actually mean...