The Noble: A Sequel to Hwarang: The Saga of the Sooks Book #4

Chapter 44: More Wedding Jitters

They were in their garden again. Staring up at the moon.

"Soo Yeon?" Ban Ryu queried quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Where are we sleeping tonight?"

She shifted her gaze to meet his. She smiled. "Why, in my room, of course!"

"Oh." He was feeling unaccountably nervous.

"Ban Ryu."

"Hmm?"

"Why are you so quiet tonight?"

He blinked. And remembered the first day that she had kissed him. When he had admitted that he dared not touch her. So she had dared to touch him instead.

He swallowed. But he didn't say anything.

"Oh, dear," she whispered.

"What?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

"My quiet Ban Ryu has returned. And the man who had begun to talk to me – and tease me – has gone into hiding once more."

He felt himself blushing. Thankfully, the darkness was concealing his embarrassment.

"Ban Ryu...?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you...nervous?"

"Nervous?" he scoffed. "Why would I be nervous?"

"About what I'm going to do to you tonight," she declared boldly.

"What you're going to do to me?" he uttered in surprise.

She bobbed her head as she smiled flirtatiously up at him.

He bent towards her then with a mischievous grin lighting up his own face. "And just what exactly are you going to do to me tonight?"

Now that enterprising young lady had given quite a bit of thought to this, so she stood on tiptoe to whisper some of her suggestions into his ear. And the darkness once again had to hide his embarrassment. He cleared his throat. And swallowed as his imagination went wild with hers.

He slid his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him. Then he bent to breathe into her ear, "Would you like to join me in your bedchamber right now?"

"I thought you'd never ask," she murmured teasingly.

He grinned down at her. And kissed the tip of her nose. "You're not nervous?"

"No," she shook her head. "I am terribly nervous."

Startled, he glanced sharply down into her eyes. Though he couldn't see them well. "Are you?"

She bobbed her head. Before beaming up at him. "But I have absolute faith in your ability to steal my anxiety."

"You do?" And he wondered what he had done to deserve such complete confidence. He certainly felt unworthy of it.

"I do," she responded firmly.

"But, Soo Yeon, I am as inexperienced as you are. I'm afraid I might do something wrong."

Her tender heart broke at his sweet words. She leaned up to kiss his cheek softly. "Don't be afraid. We shall learn together. I am sure it will be a most fun experience."

Then she unleashed the wonders of her delightful giggle on him, and he tightened his hold around her waist, drawing her close to him again. Until her chest bumped his. He bent his head under the bright moon and brushed his lips lovingly across hers.

"Thank you, Soo Yeon, for grabbing my butt all those months ago," he murmured with a chuckle.

That embarrassed lady turned pink and smacked him on the shoulder. "Really, Ban Ryu! What a thing to remind me of on our wedding night!"

"What?" he asked innocently. "Tonight is the perfect night to remind you. You did, after all, make the first move. Several times."

"How else was I to get your attention?"

"Well, that certainly worked, my love," he teased her. "And I am most grateful that you graduated from grabbing your brother's butt to grabbing mine."

"You are absurd," she giggled.

"Excellent. You are in fine company then."

"Are you calling me absurd?" she asked, outraged.

"Absolutely. You are the most absurd female whom I have ever had the pleasure of meeting."

She huffed. "Ban Ryu! I have half a mind to punish you for such rude remarks."

"What did you have in mind?" He quirked his elegant brow at her. But the effect was lost on her in the dark.

She simply stared up at him. At a loss for words. "I don't know," she finally admitted.

"Splendid. I have a few ideas of my own...."

He bent his head again and demonstrated one of them. Much to her utter delight.

"Come along, Ban Ryu. It's time to go to bed...."

"Is it now?" that noble gentleman murmured.

As a smile of absolute adoration lit up his face. And his bride dragged him towards her bedchamber.