However, her soft voice pulled him out of the reverie he found himself in. "Your Grace, if you do not wish to exit this inner chamber, would you please turn around as I dressed?"
She ogled at him and then he clenched her fist. Of course, he was only here to ensure that she left unscathed for he truly would not wish that she was injured.
However, just about an hour ago, he had felt her disappearance. It was actually the main reason he came to spy on her. He never wanted to be caught at first, however now that he was caught, there was something else going on in his mind, because she reminded him about something he had longed to not abstain from.
Bloody tarnation, wasn't there some hidden agenda behind her smile right now?
Maxine's eyes remained fixed on the man, pleading for him to at least turn around so that she could wear her robe as quickly as possible. She couldn't risk being seen in this compromising manner. Fortunately, he uttered, "If it is what pleases my wife."
'Wife?' she uttered at the sound of that. To think she had signed a contract that demanded her being married to him, however, she could only shake her head at the thought.
Who would believe they were a couple because she only signed her name? What was he saying? What bloody couple were they?
Satisfied that he had turned around, Maxine slowly pulled her body from the warm water which had turned cold. A small rosemary petal was sticking to her hair which she didn't notice. As she stepped out of the bathtub, her mind beating as fast as it could, she told him, "Please, Your Grace, I would love it if you take some steps forward and let your eyes remain on the entrance you stare at right now."
Sullivan took a step forward, surprised at how he easily obliged to her. Of course, he was doing this to seduce her, wasn't he? He just needed a drop of her blood. Wasn't there a popular saying that you crave for something you haven't tasted and when you do, you drop it like it never existed?
However, there was also a saying that it is better to not have a taste of something than to have, for you might crave even more. Surely, both quotes were contradictory but he grew strong on the first one because he knew it was his predicament, not the latter. She definitely couldn't result in the latter.
Seeing that he took a considerable amount of steps forward like a trained dog, Maxine slowly walked a few steps, to the chair which was previously staying in the same lane that he was. She had to make him walk ahead so that she wouldn't expose herself to him.
However, when she grabbed the chair to take her night robe, the chair made a loud noise and on seeing the man wanting to turn to look at what happened, her voice grew to the top of her lungs, "Please, do not!" Her voice was hoarse, filled with warning and when she discovered it herself, she added, "Please, Your Grace, only a moment and I am done!"
While speaking, she wore her night robe with abrupt quickness.
When she was done, she let out a heavy sigh.
This bloody man had made her feel all kinds of emotions today.
Bloody tarnation, where else could she hide if he could come looking for her in the palace without being caught. She had previously thought she would inform the King, however, the King wasn't even ready to hear any words she had to say. Either way, her only hope was Maverick.
Her father and stepmother, stepsister and half-sister were against her and now that Queen Mirabel was gone, the only people she could rely on were Prince Maverick and Duncan. But Duncan was only little, he was to rely on her instead. But would Prince Maverick's love for her remain if he learns of what his father had stated?
"You are not done, are you, My Lady?"
"I am," was her quick response before she walked away from where she stood, her shoulders brushing past the man who had just wanted to turn around to look at her.
Baffled at her reaction after turning back, Sullivan turned back again only to see her heading to the bedchamber, ruthlessly.
Was this how she would repay him after blindly obliging to her words? Was she aware that no one ever had the gut to control him? Never had anyone had since he turned three centuries ago.
"Lady Maxine..." His hoarse voice called upon her, angst and rage fuelling him at the same time. He didn't understand why he felt that he had been fooled by a woman whose age wasn't a quarter of his.
When Maxine stepped inside her chamber, she was so surprised to see herself in between the wall and the strange man again. How could he be so swift? She felt like this had occurred to her all over again.
A familiar feeling, excluding the first time she had felt that in the dim-lighted room
It was as if this had happened countless times and history was only repeating itself.
Amazed to see him lean towards her, she gulped.
"I am your husband, woman. You do not avoid me like that."
She was startled but it did not last long. "A husband meant to be in a paper," she joked, not caring even though her words sounded senseless. Of course, she was not in her senses. She was caught between a very attractive man and a formidable wall.