The King's Lover
Chapter 231: Dessert

Chapter 231: Dessert

It was finally time for dessert. At this point, Rose was stuffed full, and even breathing was hard with our over-fed she was, but there was always going to be space for dessert—especially when it was apple pie.

A triangular piece was placed on her plate and then drizzled with honey. The honey formed lines that dripped onto the silver plate.

Rose could smell the honey and the pie; she didn’t need anyone to tell her it was a very good mix. Her mouth watered even though she was full, and as soon as the servant stepped away, Rose prepared to dive in, not caring if the crown prince had been served or not.

"You’re all dismissed," Caius suddenly said and Rose lifted her head as she was about to cut a piece of the pie slice. The crown prince had his gaze on her and immediately looked down.

The servant next to the crown prince bowed and placed the rest of the pie on the table. Without another word, the servants followed after each other out the doors. Rose jerked as the doors closed, turning around to look. It was annoying how jumpy she was.

"Do you not like pie?" Caius asked and took a bite.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like the pie, but something told her the crown prince couldn’t care less about the pie—she was the one who was about to get eaten here.

Did he really... here? Rose could hardly believe her thoughts.

"No," Rose answered and sliced into it. Taking a bite, she brought it to her lips, knowing full well that the crown prince was paying attention to nothing else but her.

Rose chewed slowly before swallowing. She kept her gaze low because she knew the instant she lifted it, she would lock eyes with the crown prince.

After swallowing, Rose realized she had forgotten to taste the pie because she had been too aware of his eyes. Her throat also felt parched, and she reached for the cup of water. Rose took a long sip—more because she wanted something to block her lips from the crown prince than from actually being thirsty.

She placed the cup down and took another piece just as Caius adjusted in his seat and leaned back. He was no longer eating, just staring at her with reckless abandon. There was some distance between them because of the table, but Caius didn’t miss even the littlest movements she made.

The room suddenly felt warmer, and Rose blamed it on all the candles. They didn’t even need a fireplace with how warm it was.

"I take it that it would be fitting to say you quite like the pie, little lady. You won’t stop making these sounds," Caius said when she was halfway through eating the pie.

Rose blushed. She hadn’t even heard herself until the crown prince mentioned it. The pie was really good—it was warm, and she could easily taste the apples. Coupled with the honey, it was heavenly. Rose couldn’t stop chewing.

"Don’t stop now," Caius said. He still had the teasing tone to his voice. "I quite like it."

Caius rested on his elbow, which was placed on the arm of the chair. He looked a little too content to just sit there and watch her, but now Rose was too self-conscious and warm to eat.

It didn’t help that she knew exactly what he was thinking about as he stared at her. She locked and unlocked her ankles, forcing herself to think about anything else and not being taken right on the dining table. However, that was hard to do with the way the crown prince stared at her.

Rose nearly jumped out of her skin when Caius stood up. Her hand that held the pie shook as she brought it to her lips. Rose could not understand why she was so anxious.

If the crown prince intended to take her here, it would not be the first time he had done that outside the bedchambers. Hell, the first time had been under the sky, right amid his knights.

The crown prince appeared in front of her, and Rose felt her heart hammer against her chest as she looked up at him, pausing mid-chew. Caius didn’t hesitate; he bent his head almost immediately, soundly kissing Rose.

Rose closed her eyes as their lips met. To say she was shocked was an understatement. Caius wasn’t gentle in the slightest—he pried her lips open, kissing her deeply. His taste mixed with the honey and pie. When he eventually pulled away, Rose was breathless, and she looked at him with dazed eyes. <a href="https://.com">.com

"I suppose your taste is right," Caius said as he wiped the corner of her lips with his thumb and licked it. "It is sweet."

Rose’s throat felt dry again, even though she had just drunk enough water to quench any thirst. It was the crown prince who was affecting her this much. The way he had said it almost sounded as though he meant she tasted sweet.

"But I do not care for pie, woman," Caius said before Rose could think of a reply, and he lifted her off the chair. He placed her on the table and stood between her legs.

Rose heard the sound of dishes falling to the ground, but Caius didn’t flinch. Rather, his gaze was on her as he locked her between himself and the table.

"Your Majesty," Rose called, but she was unsure what she had called his name for.

He rubbed the side of her face with the back of his palm. "Yes, little lady." <a href="https://.com">.com

But the instant Rose opened her mouth to speak, the crown prince sealed her words with his lips. He pulled her against himself until her rear was at the very end of the table, and Rose wrapped her arms around his neck for balance.

Caius pressed her against himself, and she instinctively ground her hips and locked her legs around his waist.

She could feel his hard-on press against her warmth, and Rose suddenly felt an urgency she couldn’t explain. All she could think about was that it was such a shame there were garments between them.