Guarded ✔️

Chapter 17

I chose this dress specifically to mess with Maddon.  

It was maroon, which he said complimented my eyes, and super low cut.  It was strappy, with little cut outs on the side.  I would be cold later, but it would be worth it.

Last night, we had been sitting together in the lounge and I leaned over to try and kiss him.  Not on the lips or anything, although I want to.  But he pulled away, saying he wasn't in the mood.

He would be soon.

I walked slowly into the room, exaggerating every sway of my hips, looking at him under hooded eyes.  His eyes widened and he gulped.

I turned to hide my smile and sat at the edge of the bed.

"What's that dress for?" he said, a little out of breath.  I bit my bottom lip and looked at him from under my lashes.

"You," I said simply.

"Me?" he said while raising his eyebrows.  "What's the occasion?"

"Don't you like it?" I pouted.

"I do.  Very much," he whispered, coming closer.  I stood up from the bed and walked over to him.

"How much?" I whispered back.

"A lot," he quirked one eyebrow up as we were practically nose to nose.

"Show me," I demanded and he walked us back so we were laying on the bed, feet still on the ground.

Maddon kissed my nose, where he started every time we did this.  He trailed down to my cheekbone, kissing up it until he rested on my temple, pausing there for a moment.

My body was on fire, and we weren't even kissing on the lips.  I swear, Maddon will be the death of me.  Actually, that could happen quite literally if we were caught.

I was brought back to the moment when Maddon started peppering kisses down the side of my face, underneath my ear.  I sucked in a breath, making him smile against my skin.

It seemed like he was kissing every part of my face, except my lips, of course.  When he was finished, I opened my eyes to look straight into his.

"My turn," I said and flipped us so I was propped over him.  His eyes darkened as I smirked.

I started on his left jaw, kissing all along the bottom until I got to his right ear, where I hovered for a second.  His eyes opened, wanting more.  I smiled and kissed his earlobe, moving in a path towards his lips.  A bit of stubble scratched my lips, but I didn't mind one bit.

I pressed a hard, but sweet kiss to the side of his lips, so the corners of our lips were touching, before pulling back.  We were both too afraid of what would happen if we kissed on the lips, what we would do to each other.

When Maddon's dark eyes met mine, I wet my bottom lip.  His gaze traveled down to them and was stuck.

A knock at the door made us both jump.  

I quickly scrambled off of him, smoothing out my hair and touching my blushed cheeks.  Maddon was standing by the time I was finished.

"Come in," I called.

Holly and Lauren walked in, tray of food in each of their hands.

"Oh, it's just you guys," I said, relieved it wasn't someone else.

"Don't sound too excited," Holly joked.

"We brought lunch, like we used to do when you were younger.  Thought it would be fun," Lauren said.

"Thanks guys, it looks amazing," I said and they laughed.

"What?"

"Your faces are so red right now," Holly giggled.  "What were you guys doing before we came in?"

"Nothing!" Maddon and I said at the same time, making all four of us laugh.

"Uh-huh, sure," Lauren said slowly, sitting down by the tray.

We enjoyed a chatty lunch together, talking about random things.

Once finished, I grabbed Maddon's hand and took him out into the hall.

"I just had this idea about a way we can help the kingdom," I said, rushing down the hall.

We ran through the ballroom, cutting down the guest hallway, where all of our spare rooms were. A huge smile was plastered on my face.

"You haven't stopped smiling since we left the room," Maddon commented.

"It just feels so good to help people.  To do something right for once in my life," I said.

Maddon yanked my arm into an empty room, pushing the door closed and slamming me against it.  I let out a startled gasp.

"When you say things like that, it makes me want to kiss you," he breathed, our foreheads touching.

My heart skipped more than a few beats in my chest.  I swallowed.

"Then do it," I said, confidence rising up in me.  "Kiss me."

Maddon pulled back a second, looking me dead in the eyes.  He pulled me to him and walked me backwards so my back was pressed against the wall.  He leaned in closer, never once breaking the eye contact.  

My eyes fluttered close, my lips expectant, my heart beating out of my chest.  

Our lips brushed together, barely touching.

Suddenly, a crash sounded from the other room.  Maddon pulled back and furrowed his brows.

"I told you it was the back gardens," an angry voice snarled.  "You ruined the whole thing, idiot."

"I've been back there before, no one is ever there," a familiar voice answered, but I couldn't place it.

"The king was there for tea!  We had her held in the orchard and him a sitting duck.  You blew it for all of us.  Next time, it won't be the king, it'll be your pretty little wife," the guy shouted.

They were talking about me.  I was being held in the orchard.

The voices dropped in volume, and Maddon and I had to press our ears to the wall to hear better.

"...the only inside to the castle.   Without her, there's no engagement.  Without the engagement, you don't get any information."

Engagement?

The voice finally hit me.

Ford.

~*~

If you could invent something, what would it be?