Page 47 of Prince Un-Charming

We spend the rest of the day with my family, all of us enjoying each other’s company. But all I’m thinking about is getting him back into bed, or the shower, or wherever, and him having his way with me over and over and over.

23

CAESAR

Beams of sunlight streak in through the bedroom window, rousing me from a wonderful dream of Vivienne's body entwined with my own.

I dreamed of our limbs wrapping around each other, trying to feel as much of her against me as possible. I dreamt of her sweet voice losing all words until only moans remained.

It wasn't a dream. Vivienne is here in my arms, naked, revealing all the beauty of her smooth brown skin. Her head against my chest is rising and falling with the rhythm of my breath. I don't want her to wake up.

It's something I don't remember ever thinking the morning after. I was always ready to hop out of bed and onto the next conquest. But now I find myself wishing for time to stand still. I need her to stay just as she is, nestled against me like this.

As I breathe in her distinctive floral scent, it hits me. This week has been the best time of my life. The best days and nights of my life were found in a marriage that was supposed to mean nothing.

“You mean everything,” I whisper, as softly as expelling breath.

I think back to the women I've been with before. They were all stunning in their own way, and our encounters had passion. But compared to the sex I had with Vivienne, they all seem lackluster. It was the difference between a perfunctory fuck session and a night of deeply shared, soul-rending passion.

As I gently run my finger over the perfect curve of her shoulder, I remind myself that she was a virgin before the other night. I hadn't cared one way or the other before, but now it makes everything that much more special. She trusted me to be her first sexual experience, and together we made it something extraordinary.

I could only wish that my first time could have been that meaningful. I was a bundle of teenage hormones, tensed up with unrealistic expectations. It was an absolute disaster from start to end and over before it had barely begun. It had been so dreadful that I've never actually shared the story with anyone.

I find my gaze lingering on the curves of her body in the soft morning glow. There's an unspoken elegance to her form, a graceful beauty that takes my breath away. To think of how long this magnificent creature had been mere feet away from me and I hadn't taken the time to appreciate her. Now I can see that every part of her is a piece of art.

"You're mine," I whisper with equal measures of gratefulness and disbelief.

My fingers absently dance between the dark curls of her hair. She finally begins to stir, eyelashes fluttering open to reveal her beautiful dark eyes. She gives me a sleepy smile.

"Good morning," she says with a yawn. She pushes herself up onto her arms and leans forward to gently kiss me.

With a soft sigh, she nestles her head on my chest, whispering into my skin. "I could stay here forever. But we should probably start getting up."

I pull her closer, pressing a lingering kiss on her forehead before getting up from the bed. My hand reluctantly leaves her warm skin and begins to tingle with the desire to feel her again. With one last glance at her beautiful form, I head off to take a shower, remembering the ecstasy there yesterday morning.

After I finish drying off, I find her waiting for me outside. She smiles with a playful glint in her eyes. "Let's make the most of this beautiful day," she suggests. "How about a picnic?"

A picnic. It's so quaint, so normal. I love it. It's a plan that reeks of domestic bliss, a stark contrast from the world of international politics.

"A picnic sounds perfect," I reply. The idea of spending a lazy day together as a real couple is enticing.

We find a spot under a large oak tree, its branches providing a welcoming shade against the mild heat. As we lay down our blanket, a gentle breeze rustles the leaves overhead and brushes against the blades of grass. It's like a brief glimpse of heaven.

Lunch is a delightful affair. Vivienne doesn’t have her appetite entirely back, but she’s eating a little more.

At one point, Vivienne decides to toss a grape aimed for my mouth. With a girlish giggle, she launches the grape, but it bounces off my nose instead. This causes her to erupt into a fit of laughter so infectious that I can't help joining in.

"That wouldn't have happened to Leandro," I say to her. Her curiosity piqued, I tell her the story. "Leandro was a famous circus animal, at one time considered the treasure of Solvaria. He was a majestic white lion with piercing blue eyes, capable of snatching nearly anything out of the air. His speed and grace were legendary."

I run my fingers through the grass. "Of course, we don't have wild animals in the Solvaria Circus any longer. But that's okay. Things really do usually change for the better, I find."

She smiles. At that moment, all I want to do for the rest of my life is see her do it again.

As we lie back on the blanket after lunch, our gazes drift to the clouds overhead. To me, the fluffy formations appear like a great armada sailing across the ocean above, commanding and regal. Vivienne sees something different.

"Look," she says, pointing towards the shifting patterns in the sky. "They're a herd of galloping stallions." I squint my eyes, trying to see what she sees. I let out a soft chuckle.

"You're right," I admit, my tone brimming with fondness. "I thought they were boats. But they definitely make better stallions."

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