My King of Darkness (Maven x OC)

Chapter 9

Lydia

I gazed up at the ceiling of Maven's room. He's thinner than most guys his age, but I was still swimming in his shirt. He lay shoulder to shoulder with me, panting but looking satisfied. He grinned, sheepishly, "Sorry. That whole being gentle thing kind of went out the window after a bit, huh?"
I shook my head, "No, you were great. So how did you...um..."
He chuckled, "I was wondering when the questions would start." He rolled into his side to face me and I did the same, "I was barely a teenager when I got sent to the front. There was this girl I was seeing and I went to her to say goodbye and I said 'You know, I might not come back, I might die out there...'"
"Maven, that's awful!"
He shrugged, "Hey, she knew well enough that wasn't true."
"Have you courted anyone other that her and I...and—erm—Mare?"
"Evangeline Samos, but nothing came of that. We just fooled around. She really just wants the throne,"
"Fooled around like...?"
"Ugh, no!" he made a face.
I laughed, but then we lapsed into silence. He was gazing into my eyes all romantic, but there was another question I wanted to ask. I hadn't realized until now how scared I was of the answer.
"Did you and Mare...fool around?"
"Not how you mean,"
"Did you want to?"
He hesitated, but gave a simple, one word answer. My favorite. "Yes."
I swallowed, "Did you love her?"
Maven frowned, rolling back onto his back. His thin, dark eyebrows knitted together, "I don't know."
He looked lost in thought, so I curled up against him, nuzzling into the crook of his neck and laying one arm on his chest. I could feel his heartbeat under my hand. He didn't move away, but I felt his body relax like he had let out a sigh. The searing heat in his skin simmered down to a cozy warmth as we both dozed off.

I wasn't sure what time it was when I woke up, but it was sunlight filtering through the curtain that awakened me. I had rolled over at some time during the night and I couldn't feel Maven next to me. Half asleep, I groped behind me and found a knee. "Yes, I'm still here," a voice laughed.
I rolled over with some difficulty. Maven sat cross legged next to me, reading. When we met eyes, he gave me a big smile. "How long have you been up?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.
Maven smirked into his book, "A few hours."
I propped myself up on one elbow, running the other hand through my hair, "Oh, so you had to sit and watch me sleep like a bum?"
"No, you were cute,"
"Heh, sure," I rested my head on his hip, and he ran the fingers of one hand through my hair. The notion that something existed outside this room or that I had a job to get to or a family that was wondering where I was hadn't occurred to me yet.
A knock on the door broke the silence. "Hide," Maven hissed. I jumped up and dove into the wardrobe. I heard the door open and heard Marlene's voice, "Good morning. I have your breakfast."
There was no reply from Maven and Marlene said nothing else as she set the tray down and left. I stepped out of the wardrobe, "Wow, the maids really don't talk as much as me, do they?" I took the toast he offered and took a bite.
"No, and look where it got you," he teased, "Sit down."
"I should go. I have work," I pulled his shirt off over my head.
"You work for me. You can start whenever you want," he gave a flourish of his hand to make me laugh.
"I mean at my other job,"
Maven rose to his knees, coming to the edge of the bed and kissing me, rubbing his hands up and down my sides, "I don't want you to go."
"I have to. Why don't I come back after my shift?"
"5:00 sharp?" Maven offered, "In my study. I'll see to it that the cameras are turned off. There's something I want to talk to you about."
I nodded. Satisfied, Maven sat back and gestured to the bathroom door, "You can use my shower if you want."