Chapter 35
Later that evening, as Anastasia sat down to undress, Hannah and two other maids helped her remove the pins from her hair. They removed every layer of her gown until she was naked. Then she walked to the bathtub and dipped herself in, allowing the steaming water to cover her from her neck down to her legs.
Hannah helped her scrub her skin, while the other maid washed her hair. She was married to Cassius now, and she wouldn't be allowed to do anything for herself. She stepped out of the bath and slipped into a black lace robe.
Since this was her honeymoon, the maids were to escort her to Cassius' room. They rubbed scented oils on her skin and hair. She stepped inside the room to see Cassius standing there with a cup of wine.
When the door closed shut, she squeezed her eyes closed for a moment before meeting Cassius' gaze.
He raised a brow. "What is the point of making yourself look this beautiful when we won't be doing anything?"
"It was the maids who chose this for me. If I had refused, they might have suspected something was wrong." He took another sip from the wine before approaching her.
Then he lifted her chin with two fingers. "Don't be afraid," he said. "I won't touch you, not unless you want me to."
"How many times do I have to tell you that I am not afraid of you?" she asked.
He smiled and didn't say anything. Anastasia wanted something to keep herself busy. Her eyes fell on a book, and she walked closer, but Cassius grabbed her arm, pushing her against the wall.
She gasped, opening her mouth to say something when he captured her lips. He grabbed her neck, sucking and teasing her with his tongue.
He kissed her down, peppering her face with hot, wet kisses. An unfamiliar feeling came in her stomach, and her legs trembled.
The feeling of having him touch every area of her body overwhelmed her. The pressure of his cock against her stomach brought her back from her fantasy world, and she pushed Cassius.
She tasted red wine from his mouth. He smiled. "We could do it again. Shall we?"
She ignored him, walking past him, and she grabbed one of the books, flipping it open to read its content.
When Anastasia thought he was going to leave her alone, she gasped when she saw Cassius inches away from her. Before she could protest, he pulled her closer, sucking the skin on her neck. She threw her head back, falling onto his shoulder. He swirled her around, parting her lips with his tongue, and he slid inside her mouth.
He sucked her lip before blowing soft air to soothe her down. He continued kissing her slowly, and she lost her grip on the book. As relentless moans escaped from her mouth, she wondered if the servants could hear her. At the thought, her cheeks became warm.
"Scream more so they would think we are consummating this marriage," he murmured, kissing her.
Anastasia was hesitant at first but when she felt a small bite on her skin, she couldn't help but moan. He didn't draw blood from her and she was glad he didn't do it.
….
Anastasia woke up the next morning, covered in sweats. She slowly peeled her eyes open to notice she was in her room. Cassius had carried her to her room after kissing her endlessly. She wanted to sleep more, closing her eyes when she heard the door open, and she saw Cassius.
At the sight of him, her cheeks burned from shame. Her mind drifted back to how she had moaned his name, wanting the servants to hear what happened last night. She knew that they would report to the Elders what happened.
Cassius was dressed in a long black robe. His hair was neatly trimmed to the back. His hard features made him look like a god. He looked so beautiful this morning, and Anastasia couldn't help but smile.
"What about your family?" She asked. "I haven't met them since they arrived at the castle."
"They just arrived and they're spending time greeting friends and family from this Kingdom," he replied.
"They don't stay in Blackwood Kingdom?" She asked.
He shook his head. "My cousin sister, Genevieve, was married to a Duke from another Kingdom. She lives there with her two children."
"Two children?" She said.
"Yes," he nodded. "She has a boy and a girl."
Just then, a knock sounded through the door, and Hannah with two other maids walked in carrying buckets of steamed water.
"I should give you some time to get yourself ready," he said before leaving the room.
Anastasia stood up from the bed, allowing the robe to fall to her feet. She stepped inside the bathroom, sitting in the tub as the hot water soothed her skin.
"Good morning," Hannah bowed her head as she took the soap and began to rub it across Anastasia's skin.
Anastasia's mind flashed back to last night in his room. She wanted him to be here, running the soap across her skin while she found pleasure in his sight. He had only kissed her, yet her body yearned for more of that. She shook her head, scolding herself for thinking about that night. It only happened because they wanted everyone to know they had consummated the marriage.
The maids left after dressing her. Once they left, Cassius walked in to meet her. "You look beautiful," he commented, his eyes moving from her head to toe, and he smiled.
"Thank you," she said. She wanted to say how he also looked beautiful, but she held herself back.
He will think I care for him, she thought.
"We should go downstairs for breakfast," he said, stretching out a hand for her. She ignored him and walked away, stepping out of the room to meet Maggie standing there. The small smile on her face quickly faltered at the sight of Anastasia.