Capítulo 30: Making me jealous?

Madeline felt herself gulp at the voice that spoke to her. The hand was stopping her from opening the door, and she wondered why she even stepped inside this room when she wasn't willing to have dinner with this man.

Staring at the door, she demanded, "I want to go back to the room."

"Is that how you speak to your King?" his words demanded with an edge in it, his hand that was on the door moved towards her.

Madeline closed her eyes, forgetting in her anger and desperation that this man was not only the King, but he could kill anyone he wanted, and no one would ever hear of it.

"Please, I want to go back to the room," she added her request, her eyes eyeing his hand to make sure it wasn't going to get closer.

She felt Calhoun step even closer and heard him take a deep intake of breath, "You know, Madeline," she heard him speak in a low voice behind her, "If you run I am going to chase you. Like it or not that is going to happen, and if you run and I catch," his words were slow and deliberate, "You won't like the outcome after it. So why don't you join me at the table, hmm?"

Madeline moved her head to the side to notice that if she turned around, she would be able to see his red eyes even more clearly, "Okay…" she didn't like the position they were in.

"So easy, yet you decide to make it difficult for yourself," chimed Calhoun making Madeline think that if it weren't for him keeping her, she wouldn't be making anything complicated.

When Madeline felt him take a step back along with his hand, she finally released her breath to turn around and see him walk towards the table. The table was set with a red cloth spread on it with a candle burning brightly at the centre, and plates laid down along with fork, spoons and knife. Food was placed in a trolley next to the table.

Calhoun pulled the chair, waiting for her to take a seat.

"Is it normal for a King to do this?" she asked him, as she looked at him to have his eyes staring at hers.

"What do you think?" one side of his lips pulled up to a smile, "Sit," he ordered, and she made her way to the table and sat down gingerly.

With the tight corset, she was made to wear, Madeline wondered if she could really eat anything in here. Seeing Calhoun sit opposite to her, she glared at him.

"What would you like to eat first? There's sizzling crabs or spiced lamb which has been roasted in the fire," he said to her in a charming tone, but Madeline was in no mood to be charmed by her captive.

"Are you going to serve tonight?" asked Madeline, a certain challenge in her eyes.

Calhoun smiled, his eyes holding amusement, "What is the point of being a King if you cannot make use of the available resources around you," and as if on cue, a maid stepped inside the room, bowing her head before she started to walk towards the table and served them dinner.

When the lid to the container was opened, Madeline's anger dissipated and all she wanted to do was eat right now. Being angry and not touching the food would be her loss. And if she did plan to run away, she would need the energy to do it. Madeline looked around the room, her eyes taking in to realize that this was how the King's bedroom looked like—made of lavish things.

And while Madeline was ogling at the room, Calhoun who sat in front of her drank her appearance. Her eyelashes were long, fluttering every once in a while as they blinked before continuing to look at whatever it could find. Her lips were delicate and pink in colour, and he wondered how it would feel under his lips.

"I didn't get to hear from you today," said Calhoun to bring her attention back at the table where her sweet expression turned back to a guarded one.

The maid was almost done serving, and she left the room for the time being.

"All I heard was your sister speak about her achievements and what she does and likes. I was utterly bored with her. I would like to hear from you," he said, and it was right because it was Beth who kept talking to prove her worth, that he had done right by choosing to see her today but who knew that it wasn't Beth who the King was interested in.

Madeline stared at the food and then shifted her eyes back at him before standing up and bowing her head,

"I don't know what caught your attention and what word of mine gave you the feeling that this is going to work, but please consider when I am saying this that, this won't work. I have no feelings for you, and I have no interest to live in this castle of yours. My dreams are small. Beth will be more suited to be your partner," she said, trying to persuade him as it wasn't too late to turn things back.

Calhoun stared at her with his collected eyes right now, "Your sister might want to live and be part of this social circle and society, but she doesn't suit my taste, Maddie," he saw the way her face hardened at the short name he called her, "Beth might be a good girl but is she? I overheard the conversation that took place at the ball that night. The way she belittled you as a village girl, wanting to steal your partner. I am sorry, but I don't take scraps. I prefer things that are untouched and not defiled so that I can do the work myself."

Hearing this, Madeline looked into his eyes and said,

"What makes you think that I have not been defiled?" the smile on Calhoun's lips slowly fell, his eyes piercing her.

"You're not a good liar, darling," responded Calhoun to her claims.

"You do not know anything about me. You don't know who holds my heart and who I wish to be with. I-" the table that was in front of them, was suddenly pushed away to the side to make a screeching sound.

Calhoun had stood up, his eyes smouldering at the words she uttered.

Before Madeline could make a dash towards the door after seeing the anger in his eyes, she was pulled by her arm and thrown on the bed. Her body bounced on the bed, and she tried to scramble her way out of there, but Calhoun was quick to climb and hover over her body. He was holding her small hands single-handedly as she struggled to get out of his grip.

"Get off of me!" she tried to set her hands free but his grip was tight enough to keep them down.

Calhoun smiled down at her, enjoying her continuing to glare at him and having her like this, "If I were you, I would choose my words wisely before I speak, my sweet flower," his voice had dropped low, and he looked right into her eyes, "Are you trying to get me jealous? It is very effective in getting my attention. I told you, you would fall in love with me in no time."

How in God's name did he conclude that to fit his perception?!

This crazy King!

comentário 159 comentário

Votar

ENVIAR PRESENTE

Capítulo 31: Making myself comfortable

Music recommendation: Michele Morrone - Feel It

Calhoun looked at her fiery brown eyes that glared at him that had him smiling. Leaning forward towards her by bending down to the side of her face where she continued to struggle with gritted teeth, she felt his warm breath on her ear, "Who knew I was going to have you in my bed this soon. You need to know not to poke a lion. Just because the lion is quiet doesn't mean it's not going to pounce on you."

With her under him and this close, Calhoun could smell the rose-like scent that wafted from her, and he couldn't help but move closer.

When he pulled back, there was a broad smile on his lips that had made Madeline worried. She knew it was a wrong approach, but it was worth knocking every door and window to find a way out of this. For a moment, a streak of fear appeared in her nerves when he had pulled her to the bed and with him hovering on top of her in this compromising position,

"Are you going to get off of me?" she asked him. At the same time, the grip of his hands tightened around her hands.

"I think you are forgetting something here," he said with a thoughtful look on his face before his eyes shifted to look back at her, "Where is the magical word?"

She knew what he wanted to hear, but she was stubborn, "I don't think I did anything wrong here."

"Are you sure about it?" he tested, his hand about to touch the side of her cheek and she shut her eyes close. She was nervous as if she was able to feel his hand that only hovered near her but didn't touch her. When Madeline's stomach growled because of hunger, Calhoun ran his tongue over one of his sharp fang and got off of her.

Pulling the table back to its position, he took a seat at the table.

Madeline sat up quickly and scrambled away from the bed, making her dress right before going towards the table and taking her seat. Her cheeks had turned red.

"Seems like you liked what we did in the bed," he commented with a small smirk on his face, he picked up the glass that was on the table to take a sip from it.

Trying to keep herself calm as more blood rushed up to her cheeks in embarrassment, she said, "I would request you not to phrase things that might mean something else when nothing happened."

He placed the glass on the table, "Why have you turned red then? You look as if I have whispered something unruly that I am going to do to you," grinned Calhoun.

"Have you no shame?" she asked him, feeling the next wave of embarrassment.

"Once you discard it, there's no word called shame, Maddie," he then brought his hand to wave at the food in front of them, "Eat. If you skip your meal with me, you will end up starving."

"I will have to look at you every day," muttered Madeline under her breath.

"If your feet hurts from walking from your room to mine we can have you shift here," this overbearing man...it seemed that she would have to play this game on his terms else she would end up as a worn-out pawn.

"No, thank you."

"That's what I thought. Feel comfortable to change your room," when he picked up his fork and knife, Madeline did the same.

Eating crab would need breaking its outer shell before she could eat the meat inside it which would make things messy on her plate. And eating lamb would mean clean eating. In reasonable condition, Madeline would have picked to eat the lamb as she wasn't at home. But right now she felt like she was cornered and she was in the mood to rebel.

She picked up the fork and knife, she moved the knife around in her hand, bringing the crab in the middle of her plate, all the while feeling Calhoun's eyes on her. Holding her knife tight, she started to beat the crab that was on the table that made loud cluttering sound. One hit after another that had the crab move all over the plate as the room filled with her action.

The servant who was outside heard the sound and opened the door to bow his head before he was dismissed immediately with a small wave of the King's hand.

Calhoun's eyes narrowed, "What do you think you are doing?"

"Making myself comfortable," she answered, and Calhoun's lips twitch. Who knew cornering her would bring this side of her, which he was enjoying. He found her far more entertaining than any women he had ever met until now.

"You have a very peculiar way of making yourself comfortable. I have some ways myself if you are interested," he proposed, and she quietly pushed the crab aside before cutting the softer meat that was on her plate.

The rest of the meal Madeline stayed quiet, obviously not interested in starting a conversation with this man but that didn't stop Calhoun from not looking at her. And he could tell how self-conscious she was turning out to be because of the way his eyes looked at her. Thankfully this time, unlike this noon, he was eating the meal that was served.

"When will I next see my family?" asked Madeline, trying to be polite so that he wouldn't refuse her words right away.

"Once I know you have earned my trust."

"You're supposed to first trust and then like the person," she tried to enlighten him but she should have known this was no ordinary person.

He raised one eyebrow of his, "Who likes to follow the normal route, Madeline," he said raising his fork to his full lips before putting it into his mouth, that grinned at her.