CHAPTER 102: INTERRUPTED TASTES

Ariana opened her mouth, her cheeks more than warm, as he gently pushed the fruit into her mouth. Her lips were slightly puffy as she turned her face to the side. Zavren watched her calmly, his lips curling up.

He was glad—genuinely shocked—that she had actually agreed to let him feed her. That was unexpected, especially coming from his wife.

His eyes followed the drop of strawberry juice that slid down her chin. She was sitting in his lap, facing the side.

Zavren reached out, gently holding her chin, and before she could react, his wet tongue slid across her skin, licking the juice from her chin. Her eyes widened, lips frozen mid-chew. She expected Zavren to pull away....but he didn’t.

His tongue lingered... and then, suddenly, slipped into her mouth as his lips covered hers. Her eyes flew open in shock. Her mouth parted slightly, and it seemed she had made a tempting mistake.

Zavren’s hand moved to her neck, pulling her closer. He tucked his tongue into her mouth, stealing some of the already chewed strawberry, taking it into his own. Then he pulled away gently, chewing it slowly, his smoldering gaze locked on hers.

Ariana could not believe this man—at all. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. And the fact that he acted so casually, like it was nothing out of the ordinary, shocked her even more.

Was this man truly shameless?

If there were a word stronger than "shameless," she wouldn’t hesitate to call him that right now.

His eyes remained locked on hers, a glint flashing through them as her gaze flicked down to his lips—those inviting, annoyingly sexy, knee-weakening lips.

Immediately, she looked away, forcing herself to focus on anything else but him.

Then Zavren spoke.

"Before I left, my wife already agreed that I’d be checking on her buttocks..."

Ariana’s entire body froze against his.

He had to be joking. He wanted to do that now—in broad daylight? He had to be joking.

"How about I check that now?" he said, his voice low as he gently closed the basket and pushed it aside. The other one hadn’t even been opened, but Ariana was already full and didn’t mind.

"Go on, sweetheart... lie on the mat and spread your legs," he whispered huskily.

As Ariana’s lips parted...this man had to be joking. She could not understand him. It was too much. What if someone—

"No one will see us," he said as he held her waist as if he knew that was what she was thinking due to the ways her eyes had searched around. She knew this man wasn’t just going to see her mole.

She knew he would do more than that—knowing Zavren.

"Sweetheart, the more you waste time, the harder it gets," he said.

Ariana knew he wasn’t joking. Her body shivered slightly as she moved. Zavren turned her from his lap as he spoke.

"Rest your back gently on the mat and strangle my back with your legs," he said.

Ariana managed to lie back, her legs now on either side of Zavren’s waist. He pulled her legs gently toward him. A soft gasp escaped her lips. He moved his hands, raising her gown gently. Before she knew it, he pushed the other basket toward himself and opened it. Her gown was already up to her stomach, her thighs now fully exposed. Her panties were the only thing left on.

The gentle wind brushed against her skin, making her body tingle. Zavren moved as he spread her thighs wider, but the she realized his hesitation like he had suddenly realized something.

"I wanted to do something with you, sweetheart, but it seems like you’re quite lucky... because I can’t—given you’re p... pregnant."

Ariana’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at him. His eyes flicked down to her stomach before returning to her face. Yet the disbelief...was he...was he nervous? Or was she just imagining it?

A smile formed on her lips. Zavren? Nervous? That was impossible. She bit her bottom lip gently, trying her best to hold back a wide smile.

Zavren, noticing her holding back her smile, couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

"Oh sweetheart, what should I do with you...hmm" he murmured as he gently covered her legs with her gown.

Ariana’s face flushed lightly as she sat up. She pointed at the fruits not too far away.

"Do you want to pluck it?" he asked.

She nodded—even though she had eaten a lot earlier, she couldn’t help but feel the urge to pluck it with Zavren. It wasn’t a bad idea. Zavren nodded as he stood. They walked calmly toward the tree in silence.

As they walked, Ariana realized they were grapes. Her smile widened and her eyes lit up with excitement. Zavren didn’t quite understand why grape-picking brought her so much joy if this was the case then no denying it he would make sure grapes are planted in castle for his wife.

Then she pointed at him and signaled him to wait by the grapes, as if afraid that if he left, the grapes would be taken away or something. Ariana walked back toward the mat and opened the basket, taking out a bottle of water. She hadn’t realized a pair of eyes were locked on her...and not to mention, she wasn’t even wearing shoes, only socks. The grassy area was smooth enough to walk barefoot. There were no sharp objects, as the guards had checked it thoroughly beforehand.

Ariana walked back, though her heartbeat quickened when she noticed his gaze on her. She became aware of herself again. Just as she reached him, she handed him the bottle.

She plucked two grapes and held them out. Then she signaled for him to pour a little water on them so she could rinse them. She pushed her hand further so it wouldn’t spill on her dress. Zavren moved carefully, attentive to her every motion.

Ariana watched him in disbelief—she didn’t expect him to be this serious just to pour water. Once she rinsed them, she pulled back and popped one into her mouth, chewing silently. Her eyes shut as the sweet juice filled her mouth.

Zavren’s eyes remained fixed on her lips as he watched the way she enjoyed the fruit. His jaw ticked slightly. His eyes trailed her lips as they moved—and as if that wasn’t enough, her tongue gently poked out.

Then she swallowed.

And f*ck, that was damn sexy.

She opened her eyes, her face warming again as she caught him staring.

Why is he staring? Is there something on my face? she wondered, raising her hand where the other grape was.

Zavren moved, taking the grape—but his lips held Ariana’s hand in place. She tried to move her hand, but his lips wouldn’t let go. Slowly, Zavren pulled it away with his mouth.

Ariana’s face burned as her heartbeat raced.

Zavren ate it—and for some reason, it tasted sweeter.

He pulled her into his arms.

"I want to taste you," he whispered.

He leaned in to kiss her, but just as he did, he paused. Ariana, too, was surprised by his sudden move—time passed until they both heard footsteps.

Zavren then spoke calmly, "It seems we’ll be leaving sooner than expected."

Ariana nodded, understanding, though she didn’t realize the almost disappointed look on her face at their interrupted kiss. They walked toward the carriage in silence. As they sat, Ariana looked out the window and saw that someone had arranged everything back in place. Her lips pressed together as Zavren spoke.

"Sweetheart, are you disappointed?" he asked.

Ariana’s face flushed as she glared at him—using that to cover her embarrassment. But Zavren saw through it.

"You don’t have to worry, sweetheart. I’ll make it up to you," he said gently.

Ariana sensed something had changed about Zavren. Was it his eyes? They didn’t look as lifeless as they usually did..or was it just her imagination?

She simply nodded, calm now. The carriage began to move. Silence filled the space as Ariana gently rested her head on his shoulder. Zavren’s lips curled upward, he was glad she was now comfortable with him. She hadn’t hesitated in any way.

The carriage rolled forward until it reached the palace gate, which opened before them. As they entered, Zavren spoke again.

"Wife, you’ll go in and rest. I have some work to attend to."

Ariana nodded in understanding. She needed the rest too. She was tired... or maybe just so comfortable with him, she didn’t want to part. But she understood.

The carriage came to a slow stop. Zavren stepped out first, then helped her down. As they stepped out, the carriage door closed behind them. Ariana smiled gently and curtsied before turning to walk away.

Zavren followed her steps with his eyes, resting them on her back—but was soon interrupted by Raven.

"Y-Your Highness... uh... sorry to interrupt. I know I came at the wrong time."

"Go on. Say whatever you want to say," Zavren spoke coldly as his expression suddenly changed.

Raven nodded. "About the drawing... it was later discovered that the picture wasn’t of the Queen."

There was a brief silence he scratched the back of his head when he noticed a slight frown on Zavren’s lips before he added, "That was a painting of her mother."