The Selection

Chapter 71

This story/plot belongs to Kiera Cass

𒊹︎︎︎ᴥ︎︎︎𒊹︎︎︎

I woke to the feeling    of Jungkook sliding an arm around me. Somewhere in the night, I ended up with my head on his chest, and the slow sound of his heartbeat was echoing in my ear.

Without a word, he kissed my hair and went to hold me closer. I couldn't believe this was happening. I was here with Jungkook, together, waking up in my bed. This morning he would be giving me a ring. . . .

"We could wake up like this every day," he mumbled.

I giggled. "You're reading my mind."

He sighed contentedly. "How are you feeling, my dear?"

"I feel like punching you for calling me 'my dear' mostly." I poked his bare stomach.

Smiling, he crawled to sit over me. "Fine then. My darling? My pet? My love?"

"Any of those would work, so long as you've reserved it solely for me," I said, my hands mindlessly wandering his chest, his arms. "What am I supposed to call you?"

"Your Royal Husbandness. It's required by law, I'm afraid." His own hands glided over my skin, finding a delicate spot on my neck.

"Don't!" I said, shying away.

His responding smile was triumphant. "You're ticklish!"

Despite my protests, he started running his fingers all over me, making me shriek at the playful touching.

Nearly as quickly as I began squealing, I stopped. A guard rushed through the door, gun drawn.

This time I screamed, pulling up the sheet to cover myself. I was so frightened that it took me a moment to realize the determined eyes of the guard belonged to Taehyung. It felt as if my face caught on fire, I was so humiliated.

Taehyung looked stricken. He couldn't even put a sentence together as his eyes flashed back and forth between Jungkook in his underwear and me draped in a sheet to cover mine.

My shock was finally broken by a deep laugh.

For as terrified as I was, Jungkook was the picture of ease. In fact, he seemed pleased at being caught. His voice was a little smug as he spoke. "I assure you, Kim, she's perfectly safe."

Taehyung cleared his throat, unable to look either of us in the eye. "Of course, Your Majesty." He bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

I fell over, moaning into my pillow. I would never live that down. I should have told Taehyung how I felt on the plane when I had the chance.

Jungkook came to hug me. "Don't be so embarrassed. It's not as if we were naked. And it's bound to happen in the future."

"It's so humiliating," I wailed.

"To be caught in bed with me?" The pain in his voice was clear. I sat up and faced him.

"No! It's not you. It's just, I don't know, this was supposed to be private." I ducked my head and played with a piece of the blanket.

Tenderly, Jungkook stroked my cheek. "I'm sorry." I looked up at him, his voice too sincere to ignore. "I know it's going to be hard for you, but people will always be looking at our lives now. For the first few years, there will probably be a lot of interference. All the kings and queens have had only children. Some by choice, I'm sure; but after the difficulty my mother had, they'll want to make sure we can even have a family."

He stopped talking, his eyes having moved from my face to a spot on the bed.

"Hey," I said, cupping his cheek. "I'm one of five, remember? I have really good genes in that department. It'll be all right."