The Crown's Obsession

Music recommendation: Michele Morrone - Feel It

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Calhoun looked at her fiery brown eyes that glared at him that had him smiling. Leaning forward towards her by bending down to the side of her face where she continued to struggle with gritted teeth, she felt his warm breath on her ear, "Who knew I was going to have you in my bed this soon. You need to know not to poke a lion. Just because the lion is quiet doesn't mean it's not going to pounce on you."

With her under him and this close, Calhoun could smell the rose-like scent that wafted from her, and he couldn't help but move closer.

When he pulled back, there was a broad smile on his lips that had made Madeline worried. She knew it was a wrong approach, but it was worth knocking every door and window to find a way out of this. For a moment, a streak of fear appeared in her nerves when he had pulled her to the bed and with him hovering on top of her in this compromising position,

"Are you going to get off of me?" she asked him. At the same time, the grip of his hands tightened around her hands.

"I think you are forgetting something here," he said with a thoughtful look on his face before his eyes shifted to look back at her, "Where is the magical word?"

She knew what he wanted to hear, but she was stubborn, "I don't think I did anything wrong here."

"Are you sure about it?" he tested, his hand about to touch the side of her cheek and she shut her eyes close. She was nervous as if she was able to feel his hand that only hovered near her but didn't touch her. When Madeline's stomach growled because of hunger, Calhoun ran his tongue over his sharp canine and got off of her.

Pulling the table back to its position, he took a seat at the table.

Madeline sat up quickly and scrambled away from the bed, making her dress right before going towards the table and taking her seat. Her cheeks had turned red.

"Seems like you liked what we did in the bed," he commented with a small smirk on his face, he picked up the glass that was on the table to take a sip from it.

Trying to keep herself calm as more blood rushed up to her cheeks in embarrassment, she said, "I would request you not to phrase things that might mean something else when nothing happened."

He placed the glass on the table, "Why have you turned red then? You look as if I have whispered something unruly that I am going to do to you," grinned Calhoun.

"Have you no shame?" she asked him, feeling the next wave of embarrassment.

"Once you discard it, there's no word called shame, Maddie," he then brought his hand to wave at the food in front of them, "Eat. If you skip your meal with me, you will end up starving."

"I will have to look at you every day," muttered Madeline under her breath.

"If your feet hurts from walking from your room to mine we can have you shift here," this overbearing man...it seemed that she would have to play this game on his terms else she would end up as a worn-out pawn.

"No, thank you."

"That's what I thought. Feel comfortable to change your room," when he picked up his fork and knife, Madeline did the same.

Eating crab would need breaking its outer shell before she could eat the meat inside it which would make things messy on her plate. And eating lamb would mean clean eating. In reasonable condition, Madeline would have picked to eat the lamb as she wasn't at home. But right now she felt like she was cornered and she was in the mood to rebel.

She picked up the fork and knife, she moved the knife around in her hand, bringing the crab in the middle of her plate, all the while feeling Calhoun's eyes on her. Holding her knife tight, she started to beat the crab that was on the table that made loud cluttering sound. One hit after another that had the crab move all over the plate as the room filled with her action.

The servant who was outside heard the sound and opened the door to bow his head before he was dismissed immediately with a small wave of the King's hand.

Calhoun's eyes narrowed, "What do you think you are doing?"

"Making myself comfortable," she answered, and Calhoun's lips twitch. Who knew cornering her would bring this side of her, which he was enjoying. He found her far more entertaining than any women he had ever met until now.

"You have a very peculiar way of making yourself comfortable. I have some ways myself if you are interested," he proposed, and she quietly pushed the crab aside before cutting the softer meat that was on her plate.

The rest of the meal Madeline stayed quiet, obviously not interested in starting a conversation with this man but that didn't stop Calhoun from not looking at her. And he could tell how self-conscious she was turning out to be because of the way his eyes looked at her. Thankfully this time, unlike this noon, he was eating the meal that was served.

"When will I next see my family?" asked Madeline, trying to be polite so that he wouldn't refuse her words right away.

"Once I know you have earned my trust."

"You're supposed to first trust and then like the person," she tried to enlighten him but she should have known this was no ordinary person.

He raised one eyebrow of his, "Who likes to follow the normal route, Madeline," he said raising his fork to his full lips before putting it into his mouth, that grinned at her.