CHAPTER 342: THIRSTIER

When Rose woke up again, she noticed she was lying on something soft this time, but it didn’t feel like her position had changed much. She frowned at the strong urge to stretch, but the tight grip around her body didn’t give her any chance.

She slowly opened her eyes to see soft sunlight spilling in through the partially drawn drapes. The soft rays poured onto the white sheet, lighting up the space. Rose realized that despite her confined position remaining the same, something else was different.

She was lying on the soft bed underneath thick covers. Her head rested on soft pillows that felt like lying on feathers. Caius lay under the covers too, right behind her, his warm naked chest to her back and his arms wrapped around her while her naked frame was pressed up against him.

She could feel the steady beat of his heart on her back and his soft, warm breathing caressed her ears. His head was so close that they had to be sharing a pillow, but that wasn’t the only odd thing; something felt off. Almost as if he were awake.

She unintentionally stiffened; she didn’t like the idea that the crown prince wasn’t sleeping but was still in bed with her. If he was awake, why did he not let go of her yet? She had hoped he would leave the room by morning, giving her a chance to leave without any awkwardness, but that was clearly not happening.

Rose certainly didn’t want him to know she was awake. She didn’t know what she was running from, but she was unsure how to face him. She did her best to stay as still as possible, trying not to give any sign that she was awake.

As she lay still, her eyes roamed the room. She could tell it was past breakfast by how brightly lit the room was. How could she oversleep in this uncomfortable position? But oversleeping was the least of her worries. How long did Caius plan to keep holding her like this?

"I know you are awake," Caius whispered directly into her ear.

Rose felt her head ring, his voice tingled every part of her body. He was too close; she could feel every inch of him pressing against her back, and even though she was already this close to him, it felt like he wanted her closer.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t keep pretending to be still asleep as he now knew she was awake. "Y-your Highness," Rose whispered, her voice a little shaky. "I was unsure if you were awake; I didn’t want to bother you."

Caius scoffed and whispered, "Liar." His tone was accusatory and slightly amused.

Before Rose could try to refute this, one of his hands moved to grab one of her breasts. She sealed her lips, barely managing to hold back the sound that nearly slipped out at his caress. Caius wasn’t happy about this, and he pinched a nipple, exacting the result he wanted.

She jerked against him, letting out a whimper. Rose realized what she could feel against her back wasn’t just him lying too close to her. To think she had forgotten just how virile the crown prince was.

"Did you sleep well?" Caius asked casually while one hand teased her chest, twiddling with each one, while his other hand held her in place and was slowly sliding down towards her legs.

Rose groaned, clamping down on her lips. She knew she couldn’t reply without making lewd noises, and she was sure that was what he wanted.

"I asked you a question, Rose," He whispered right into her ear, and Rose felt a charge zap from her ear to her spine.

"Y-your highness, I did," she forced out but barely got the words out before she was moaning again.

"Do you not care to ask if I rested well?" Caius asked as he lightly grazed her earlobe with his tongue.

Rose drew in a sharp breath, blaming her reaction on his voice being right in her ear. That baritone voice was vibrating through her ears to the rest of her body. It certainly didn’t help that Caius’s hands were restless. It was hard to stay still, let alone listen, with how much he teased and pinched at her nipples.

"I care, Your Highness," Rose replied, dragging out the last word more than she needed to as Caius opened her legs.

"Hmm," Caius grunted as his fingers traced the small patch of hair on her pelvis, drawing a triple circle before his fingers headed even lower.

Rose squirmed at the light touches, but this only caused her to rub against him and he pressed harder against her. He hummed deep in his throat, sounding like a cat purring.

"I don’t hear the question, Rose," Caius said as his fingers touched her petals.

Rose held back a moan as she arched her back. He slid his finger up and down and Rose could feel herself get more moist. His teasing was relentless and her entire body was already so alert.

Rose tried to close her legs, but Caius didn’t let her. He slipped his finger in, but only the tip, before he slipped it right out, pressing down as he rubbed against her petals.

Rose did her best not to react, but it was hard when all she could feel was his warm breath against her ears, his hands on her chest and between her legs.

"The question, Rose," Caius repeated when she took too long to respond.

"Ah, yes, Your Highness. Did you you—ohh Your Majesty," Rose moaned as Caius slipped two fingers in. The words dried in her throat as she was overcome with the sweet pleasure of him invading her most sensitive space.

Caius grunted as his fingers pushed in deeper, sliding in too easily because of how wet she was. Caius swore at how easily she made him lose all reason. All he wanted to do was bury himself as deep as possible. He couldn’t get enough of her. It was as though the more he drank, the thirstier he became.