Truth be told, he was struggling, too.
“I have had time to think about everything since this morning, so I want to discuss it with you,” he said quietly, seriously. “Only yesterday, we were declaring our feelings and, today, we have already had to face serious opposition. Would you agree with that statement?”
She nodded. “I would.”
“But that does not mean it is ruined. Nothing is ruined, Cissy. Do you understand?”
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm. “I do,” she said. “I am sorry if I sounded snappish and weak.”
He smiled at her. “You are dealing with the stress of this situation far better than any woman I know of,” he said. “Ever since we reached Norwich, this has been a tribulation for you. You’ve had to deal with an amorous king, an angry father, and an unsympathetic commander. But you have dealt with it all beautifully and you will continue to do so. Every moment shows me how strong and capable you are, and that simply makes me adore you all the more. So, I swear to you, nothing is ruined. But we do have to think of a few things about our future. It sounds ridiculously premature to say that, but it’s necessary. I have no intention of letting you go, so if we have a plan in place, we’ll both feel better. Agreed?”
She was visibly calming in the wake of his logic. “Agreed,” she said, smiling weakly. “And thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not letting me go.”
He shook his head, reaching up to gently touch her cheek. “Never,” he whispered. “For now, I think we must adhere to the plan we set earlier – that you must leave the castle until the king departs. That will keep you away from him. If your father does not know about last night, he soon will, so I am sure he will agree. The fastest and safest thing to do is take you to the inn near the cathedral, as we discussed. I will escort you there myself, so you should pack a satchel and be ready to leave as soon as I can secure the horses.”
She nodded. “What about my father? Will you tell him?”
He nodded. “Of course,” he said. “As soon as you are safely away, I will tell him everything. I suspect he may even come to you at the inn and I further suspect he will want to take you back to Lioncross Abbey with him.”
Her brow furrowed. “I am not entirely sure I want to go there.”
“Why not?”
“Because it is a massive fortress and once I am there, it would be a simple thing to keep me locked away from you.”
Alexander chuckled. “Do you seriously think those old walls would keep me away? You do not know me very well.”
She grinned. “That is something I hope to change,” she said, squeezing his hands. “I was so hoping we would have more time to talk and come to know one another. But if my father takes me back to Lioncross…”
He cut her off gently. “It will be the safest place for you right now,” he said. “You will be far away from John and he can focus his attention somewhere else.”
Christin thought on John and his determination, and of a future where she and Alexander were separated for an unknown amount of time. “And then what?”
He shrugged. “The Marshal and I must have a serious discussion about the situation,” he said. “It may be that you will stay at Lioncross for some time and I will come to you when I can. It may be that you must give up your life of spying altogether, which I hesitate to say because I know you love it. I do not want to see you unhappy, but I will say this… as my wife, I would prefer you not continue to serve The Marshal.”
She cocked her head thoughtfully, looking at him in such a way that told him she was considering everything quite carefully. Perhaps that wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but at least she wasn’t outright denying him.
“I do love serving The Marshal,” she finally said. “Susanna continues to serve him even though she and Achilles are married.”
“That is true.”
“May I serve as she does?” she asked. “As time and the situation allows? It’s simply that I feel it is important work, Sherry. I have told you this. I would not do anything you did not approve of.”
She said it in such a way that he didn’t immediately flare. Not that he would have, and he didn’t expect her to give up so easily, but what she said made sense. Moreover, she was willing to give him the control, even this early on in their budding relationship. That spoke of her willingness to compromise. Regardless of what he wanted, however, he couldn’t have denied her.
She was gifted.
He understood that.
“We do not have to decide anything today,” he said. “I suppose that I do not see any issue with you continuing to serve in some capacity, but that is far in the future, sweetheart. Let us get through the immediate situation and we’ll address the rest. But I think, for now, getting you to the inn and then on to Lioncross is the best course of action. You will be safe with your father, in any case. The king cannot touch you.”
Reaching up, she gently touched his hair and he closed his eyes, savoring the sweetness of her touch. It was such a gentle moment of discovery, having the freedom to touch one another in a setting that allowed them complete privacy. At the moment, there was nothing lustful about it, simply the excitement of something new and wonderful at hand.
“You are worried about the king, still,” she said. “You do not think that last night truly discouraged him?”
Alexander opened his eyes. “With John, we have no way of knowing,” he said. “All I know is that we should not take any chances when it comes to you. I want you safe and away from Norwich.”
“Today?”
“Today. Right away.”
“Will you do something for me, then?”
“If I can.”
She smiled, embarrassed, and he could see her cheeks flushing. “I am not sure how to say this,” she said. “I fear we may spend a good deal of time apart and I was wondering… you see, I’ve never been kissed by someone other than my father or mother or uncle. It would give me a memory to take with me if you would…”
Alexander was on her in a flash, his hands cupping her head as his lips slanted over hers. Instead of stiffening with surprise, she was immediately soft and compliant, and he pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply. Everything about her was warm and honeyed and the more he tasted, the more he wanted.
She was exhilarating.
He lost himself. While one hand held her against him, the other began to roam. He touched her hair, feeling the long and silken strands, before he gently stroked her arm, her back, the curve of her torso. Everything about her was so soft and beautiful, and his mouth left hers to nibble on her jaw.
Her neck…
Her shoulder.
He wanted to move lower on her. God knows, he did, but it wasn’t the right time. At least, he didn’t think so until Christin untied the front of her garment and yanked it down. Suddenly, both shoulders were fully exposed as was the rise of her full breasts. She’d pulled it down just short of her nipples and he didn’t ask questions. He didn’t chastise her or pull the front of her dress up.
He feasted.
He suckled on the top of her breasts, gently kissing, gently tugging at the tender flesh. Christin gasped at his intimate touch. As he bent lower to plant his face in the valley between her breasts, her small hands snaked into the neckline of his tunic, her bare hands against his bare shoulders, caressing him.