Eternal Damnation [Black Butler]

~ Chapter 23 ~

~Cecilia's POV~

I woke with a smile on my lips as I remembered our day out yesterday in the gardens. Claude was lying next to me with his arms around my waist sound asleep. I smiled to myself and kissed him lightly on the lips. His golden eyes shot open and I felt his lips pull into a smile against mine before deepening the kiss.

"Well good morning, angel, sleep well?" He chuckled.

I nodded and slipped out of bed to pick out an outfit for the day. Claude appeared behind me as I searched through the wardrobe and his arms snaked around my waist. I felt warmth flood through my body and a shiver run down my spine as his lips traced a delicate line of kisses up my neck.

He chuckled and plucked a deep blue gown from the wardrobe with a black and blue lace bodice and a black lace overlay. "How about this one?"

I felt like a princess with all the gowns I had and wondered how on earth I had acquired them, with the status of butler's wife, but shrugged off the thought and smiled at Claude, "It's beautiful."

"Do you need help?" I could feel his hot breath in my ear as he whispered in my hair and I felt another shiver run down my spine, but I couldn't quite place if it was from pleasure desire, or fear. Fear? Why would I be fearful?

I blushed at this, "Please."

Claude chuckled, "Would you feel more comfortable if I called Hanna to help you?"

"No, it's alright, to be honest I'm not sure the others like me at all, they don't talk to me and it seems like they're always avoiding me." I sighed.

I jumped as I felt his fingertips between my shoulder blades, dancing lightly across my skin, down to the laces of my nightgown. He chuckled and his lips caressed my neck sending more delightful shivers down my spine.

"Claude!" I gasped in pain as he bit my neck.

He kissed the same spot he had bit me tenderly, "Sorry, my love, got a little carried away." He peeled away my nightgown leaving me feeling very vulnerable in my sheer white under-slip.

I shivered as I felt his gaze scan across my body. That's odd, we're married, it's not like we've never been this close before, it's not like he hadn't seen me in less. I blushed at this thought and Claude chuckled and helped me step into the blue gown. He laced it up as if he'd done it a thousand times before streaming his fingers through my hair.

"You look simply stunning." He smiled as he spun me around to face him.

I felt the familiar blush surface on my cheeks and looked at my feet shyly. Claude tipped my chin up lightly with his fingers so I was forced to gaze into his golden eyes. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine in a sweet passionate kiss. I fell into his delicate kiss and wound my arms around his neck. We broke apart and he smiled at me sweetly but there was a glint of something dark in his eyes as he released me.

"What would you like to do today, my love?" he swept me a bow and kissed the top of my hand. I couldn't help but laugh at this, he treated me like a princess.

"I think I'd like to walk the gardens for a bit. If that's alright with my dear husband."

He plucked a black rose out of thin air and swept it behind my ear, "Anything you wish, my love." He gave me one last tender kiss and went to get Alois out of bed and ready for the day.