Spit Shine (Open)

[Baroness Elina Cali]

Chocolatepools traveled around the dark, dusty, musky room. It was obvious it had been a long time since Henry even stepped foot in here much less touched anything. Elina walked over to a couch and pulled away some of the sheet that was draped over it to to show the pale blue tone of the fabric. She frowned a little and grabbed a handful of the sheet, yanking it off to reveal the very lovely couch. She looked around for a moment, coughing on the dust that she had disheveled when disrobing the couch. She waved some of it out of her face before looking around for a moment.

This was going to be some serious work, but Henry was obviously not going to do it. She looked around for a moment longer before she pulled her hair up into a ponytail to keep it out of her face. She walked over to a window and pretty much threw open the curtains, washing the room in light. She then opened the window, allowing the fresh, sea scented air to fill the room. She repeated this process of undoing the curtains and opening the windows with all the windows till the room was filled with light and fresh air. She looked around the room once more.

She knew the servants could have been cleaning the room, but Elina wanted to do it. She needed something taxing to do to vent her frustrations. Unfortunately, her piano didn't give her much comfort like it usually did. There just wasn't a perfect piece to play when it came for her feelings for Henry. That frustrating man! He was going to drive her mad. She never knew how she felt about him. One moment she was having to fight the urge to jump into the bed with him and the next she was arguing with him. It was so confusing and frustrating. He was ruining her music for her. She sighed and looked around for a moment before she began taking the sheets off the furniture, putting the sheets in a pile for one of the servants to retrieve in a bit.

Once all the furniture was uncovered she picked up the wood polish and a dust rag and went to work, dusting away on the wood in the room from Henry's desk to the window trim, giving it a nice shine and bringing a citrusy scent to the room while she worked, humming softly.

[henry]

Henry had to get out of the suite. He'd been trying to relax without the constant presence of his fiance, but relaxation wasn't very forthcoming. His thoughts were too troubled and he was frustrated, both with himself and his situation. Elina hadn't relented about him sleeping in the bed, and rather than kick her out of it, he'd been spending his nights on the couch. Granted, his couch was awesome, but it wasn't awesome for sleeping. Sitting there even now, Henry's fingers twitched against it in agitation. The sand colored suede made patterns under the tips of his fingers. He was really beginning to hate this couch. He would much rather be in his own bed, curled around Elina's warm body. He wanted to, but he couldn't. Not only because she wouldn't let him, but because he wouldn't let himself. He didn't want these feelings for her to develop any more than they already had.

With a deep sigh, Henry got up. Pacing had done no good, the cold showers were starting to feel normal, and he ached all over from the sleeping arrangements. Something had to give, and he didn't want it to be him. He thought of finding a bed to visit for awhile, but his efforts in that area had been more and more strained. Either women were steering clear of him because he was now engaged, or Elina had done something to warn them away. The second option was the most likely, and he didn't doubt that it was well within her power. She played dirty, and he wondered what she'd told them. There was no telling, and he wasn't going to ask her. However, visiting Lillian and Zia was getting a little old. Both of them were good at what they did, but it wasn't what he wanted. He wanted Elina. More and more with each passing day, with each passing moment, he wanted her.

Growling in frustration, Henry left the suite. He needed to move. Luna was pulling at him, and he thought about going for a run, but decided against it. He'd wait until nightfall. Instead, he let his feet take them where they would, simply wondering around the palace. As he neared the offices, he stopped in his tracks. He'd been following Elina's scent without even being aware of it. How stupid was he? Did he have a death wish? After thinking about it for a moment, he decided he probably did. What other fool would put his heart on the line for a woman who cared nothing for him in return? Prince Henry David Niall did, that was who. As much as he tried to fight it, she was pulling him along as if he were on a leash.

Relenting for the moment, Henry allowed himself to keep following Elina's scent, frowning as it led him to his office. Remaining as silent as he knew how to be, he crept up to the doorway and peeked in. His breath hitched at the sight of Elina in those shorts. Her shirt clung to her and she seemed to be mostly legs. Desire flared in him even stronger than before, and he knew he had only a moment before his scent wafted to her. He used that time to simply stare at her as she worked, only dimly aware that she was cleaning his office. That realization slowly started to creep up on him. Was she intending on making him go back to work? Why? Years ago, Richard had practically begged him for the extra load, and Henry was quite happy with that arrangement. Leaning against the door frame, he whispered softly. "I'd like nothing more than to break in that desk right about now."

[Baroness Elina Cali]

She knew he was there the second he leaned against the doorway. She could feel his presence the second he joined her. And he could feel his eyes on her. She smirked a little and pretended to drop her cloth. She slowly bent over so he could get a good view of her ample bottom as she picked up the cloth. Those short shorts she wore just about didn't cover her cheeks well enough. Not that that was the intention when she put them on. No, her intention was for comfort while she cleaned up this messy room. She stood back up and looked over the shelf of books for a moment, running her fingers along the spine of a book thoughtfully. He certainly had a good choice in books. She saw all manner of works here, and she wondered if he actually read them or if they were just for looks.

She chose to ignore him for the time being as she worked. She was just going to pretend she couldn't feel his eyes roaming over her back side. She ignored the feeling she got when he's in the room and the scent that filled her nostrils at his presence. She just continued to dust the book shelf, taking a few books out at a time as she swiped the rag over the wood, dusting away all the dust and giving it a lovely shine a little at a time.

She glanced to the freshly dusted desk at his soft comment. She didn't look to him though. She only smirked and looked back to the book shelf as she sprayed a little more polish on her rag. "Well if you really want to break it in that badly, I know a certain someone who has plenty of paperwork that he could use some help with." She said calmly as she went back to dusting the shelves. She knew that wasn't what he was referring to. And she couldn't help but imagine the very idea of him taking her on that desk. She hand to pause and take a discreet, deep breath to calm herself at the image of their bodies as one on that desk. As appealing an idea as it was, she still refused to sleep with him so long as he actively went looking for other women.

She knew he was having trouble in that department though. Oh yes, she did. She found that little black book of his. He made sure to go through that list and make sure every woman on his "caught" list wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole. Of course not all of them would comply, but that was only natural. With so few women to choose from though, he would grow tired of them. And when he grew tired of them, he would stop going to their beds, and the only other option would be her. When he finally did decide to take monogamy seriously, she would for sure show him a good time no other woman could give him. Until then, she was just going to have to drive him crazy.

As to that paperwork, she did intend to get him back to his duties. She saw that mountain of paperwork that obviously never went away on Richard's desk and she felt like it wasn't right that he didn't get any time out of the office. He had not only a wife to worry about, but two daughters as well. He needed to spend all the time he could with the two girls. Henry needed to grow up and accept some responsibility so Richard could be a part of his family.

[henry]

Henry should leave before he did something stupid. The moon was making him crazier than normal, which meant he should probably just keep his mouth shut whether he stayed there or not. Instead, he cocked his head to the side, watching his future mate move. It was a lupine gesture he couldn't suppress, not then. And not in those shorts. She was going to be the death of him. It was that simple. In one way or another, Elina Cali was going to kill him. If she bent over again, she might manage it right then.

Henry slowly stepped into the room as she commented on Richard's paperwork. That... definitely hadn't been what he was referring to, but she probably knew that. She just liked to tease him until he couldn't think straight. She did a good job of it, too. It didn't help that he hadn't had a female in a few days. The constant guards that Vaan had set on him chaffed, and they were well trained. He'd managed to slip past a couple of them, and he hadn't seen them again after that. Apparently, failure was not an option for them. However, it seemed that their replacements were given special instructions to not let him out of their sight. Even now, Henry knew that someone would be standing at the end of the hall, watching. Like he was going to get into trouble in his own office. Well, if things went well, perhaps he would. Not likely, but it was a nice thought.

Approaching Elina casually, Henry leaned up against the desk. "I was thinking more naked flesh and less paperwork, but that's just me, I guess." Even though his words were joking, his tone was serious, especially with the memory of her lips pressed against his. Henry swallowed hard. If she had any idea how close he was to just giving in to her demands, she'd be all over him. Perhaps not physically, but that would hardly matter. It wasn't even the lack of available females, either. He would have lost interest in Lillian and Zia anyway. Why would he want them when this image of perfection was in front of him? The fear of falling in love with her was still there, but he found himself caring less and less about that. The fear of being without her was almost as strong, and getting stronger every day.

Henry shook his head at himself and his rampant thoughts. It did him no good. As soon as Elina had him wrapped around her little finger, she would have complete power over him. The power to crush his heart and do with it what she wanted. He couldn't let that happen, and so he fought, even though he'd given up trying to make her hate him. Try as he might, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He wanted to see her happy and smiling. More than that, he wanted to be the one that put that smile on her face. Well, what he wanted obviously didn't mean anything. He grabbed a stack of old papers off the floor next to the desk and flipped through them, remembering another time when he would have been scribbling away at them, taking notes and making adjustments to them. Abruptly, he laughed. "I remember this. Crazy lycan noble from Russia. Pedrov? Plinkov?" He shook his head. "Anyway, he insisted that we all drink a shot of vodka before and after each deal we made. I've never laughed so hard through a meeting like that in my life." He smiled at the memory before replacing the paper and setting it aside.

So many memories in this room. Memories of his lessons as a pup, and later, the meetings with nobles to discuss trades, and border disputes. Endless tutoring on proper greetings and ceremonies. Arguments and long nights. Then Lady Jane had died and everything in his life had changed once again. Her death was the proverbial last straw. Now, he'd not only lost one mother, but two. As much as he tried to act like a badass, he couldn't handle someone else leaving him. It would break him, and he knew it. But then again, how could he possibly live without Elina now? Now, when every sense he had was filled with her? The simple truth was, he couldn't. It was a sobering realization that had him turning around to look at her, brow furrowed. His heart pounded in his chest as he realized what he was about to do. Fear flared within him, but he couldn't decide what he feared more, loving her or living without her.

Henry stood up straight, hoping he wouldn't sound as nervous as he felt. He didn't like change, and this would be a very big change for him. Add to that the fact that he didn't speak his feelings very often. He spoke his mind about matters, but not about anything that was close to him. Hesitating only a moment, he held his hand out to Elina for her to take, if she would. Then he took a calming breath, and spoke words that would change everything. "Elina. I..." He took another breath and tried again, his heart jumping. "I want to be with you. Only you. You being in my life, engaged or not, has changed a lot of things. I can't sleep, can't think half the time. It's never been that way with anyone else." Once he got started, the words flowed easier. "Other women hold less and less pleasure for me, and my thoughts always turn to you. It's more than just lust. I've felt that enough to know the difference. I don't just want you. I think... I think I need you." The admission cut him, but it was a brilliant pain, tinged at the edges with a hint of hope.

[Baroness Elina Cali]

"Mmmmm as tempting an idea as that is... I don't sleep with royal playboys who parade about court with lude women." She stated calmly as she flipped through a book before replacing it on the shelf. It was true enough. As tempting and arousing an idea that was, she wasn't going to sleep with him on that desk. With her back turned to him she closed her eyes and imagined herself spread out on that desk, naked with him joined to her, making sweet love to each other. She often wondered how well a lover he really was. It was a very arousing image, but she had to resist. She didn't want to give him any ideas that she was going to let him have her on that desk so long as he continued to sleep with other women.

She looked over her shoulder to him as she dusted the large bookshelf. She smiled faintly as she listened to him reminisce about a file he had found on his desk. She watched him thoughtfully for a moment before she turned back to the tombs and wiped away the dust, bringing out the shine. "His name was Pavlov. Papa did a lot of buisness with him." She said softly as she ran her finger along the spine of Shakespeare. She remembered Pavlov. She'd still been a pup when George first started his buisness with the crazy Russian, and as Henry said, the man always had a shot before and and after any deals he and her father might make. He was constantly drunk. She certainly remembered that. And George Cali slept with Lady Pavlov on occasion. A shame he never got caught. A part of Elina would have enjoyed watching the Russian carve her father up.

She tensed a little as he approached her, keeping her gaze averted from him and to the progress she was making on the book shelf. She glanced to him for a moment before looking to his ha he held it out to her. She studied it for a moment before looking up to him. Something was up. The look on his face said it all.Elina couldn't deny that her interest was peaked now. She looked to the book in her hand for a moment before slowly setting it down as well as the rag and polish. She laid her hand in his gently, smearing a bit of polish on his hand as she looked up to him, listening to him speak.

Okay, to say that she was surprise was a drastic understatement. She was utterly flabbergasted. Truley there were no words to describe how she really felt. She just couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth. Chocolate pools looked down to their joined hands for a moment then up to Henry's face, taking in his expression. Henry never spoke about his feelings, and she could tell he was being honest and sincere with her. She just didn't know what to make of that. She stood there in silence for a very long time before she looked to her hand in his. She slowly lifted his hand and laid it over her heart, which was pounding about a hundred miles an hour. "You do this to me, Henry.... every damn time you're this close to me. Every time I smell you, even if you're not there. Every time you look at me with those gorgeous blue eyes. Every time you touch me. You do this to me. " She murmured weakly as she met his gaze, her hand softly laying over his as she let it rest there over her fluttering heart.

"You can sleep in our bed again, Henry. I never wanted to kick you out of it to begin with but... I just... I don't want to turn into my mother. " She murmured softly as she looked over his face thoughtfully. She wasn't sure if she would sleep with him just yet. She didn't want him to sleep with her now and then run off to some other girl, not that she thought he would. She did not mind sharing the bed with him, though, so long as she knew he wasn't sleeping with other women. She just didn't want to turn into her mother. She loved her mother, but she hated what George did to her. The humiliation he still caused with his parade of women. She refused to become that woman while Henry paraded women through the castle.

[henry]

Henry thought his heart might explode as he looked into Elina's eyes, awaiting her response. His fingers tightened on hers, as if he could keep her by his side through sheer strength of will. She seemed to be completely shocked by his admission, and he didn't blame her. He was a bit shocked himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid... you should have just kept your mouth shut. The litany didn't help in the least. The words were out there, his feelings exposed. Now he'd just have to trust that this was the right move. He wanted to say he was sorry for bringing it up. He wanted to back away, make some hasty excuse to be elsewhere, and leave. The anticipation of waiting to know whether she was going to accept his feelings or not was making a sheen of sweat pop out on his brow. He watched, nearly holding his breath as Elina looked down at their joined hands then up to his face.

Henry started to think she wouldn't respond at all, that she would simply stand there in stunned silence until they both turned to stone. He opened his mouth to beg her to say something when she lifted his hand and pressed his palm over her heart. He sucked in a breath, remembering their encounter on the beach. Her heart was fluttering like the wings of a bird, but it was a strong heart. He closed his eyes, feeling life pound through her as she spoke. Everything that she said, he could have been saying to her, and he felt himself smile. At least he wasn't alone in his sea of confusion and longing. He wanted to pull her into his arms and simply hold her, but he didn't want to move his hand from over her heart. He just stepped closer and rested his forehead against hers lightly, feeling a thread of connection to her. He still didn't want to be in love, but he wasn't sure how to stop it. It was like the moon. He could love it, hate it, or be completely indifferent, but it still came and went. Could he stop the moon? It was unlikely.

Henry swallowed hard with emotion and pulled back, watching Elina's face. She looked at him, her eyes unreadable. "You can sleep in our bed again, Henry. I never wanted to kick you out of it to begin with but... I just... I don't want to turn into my mother." Henry's brow furrowed. What did her mother have to do with him sleeping in the same bed as her? "Your mother?" Henry let out a breath and closed his eyes once again as he made the connection. Immediately, he wanted to kick himself for how he'd been treating her, putting her in the same situation her mother was in. Elina had seen first hand what her mother went through as her father paraded other women around, and feared being trapped in the same situation. Her reluctance made so much sense now. Slowly moving his hand at last, he cupped her face gently, looking into her eyes for a long minute. "I will not do that to you. You have my word. I'll make whatever promise you want me to make, but I will not dishonor you that way." He stroked his thumbs over her cheeks lightly, happy just to be touching her.

[Baroness Elina Cali]

Her eyes slowly fluttered shut as he moved closer and his forehead gently laid against hers. They fluttered open once more as she took in a deep breath, her nostrils filled with the scent of chocolate. She pressed herself close as the scent lingered on her nose. Chocolate. Now there is a scent she hadn't been expecting. Not from Henry anyways. She rather liked the scent though. She had to resist the urge to bury her face into his neck and take another deep whiff. It just smelled so good. She gently lifted her forehead away, but her hand laid over his still, her thumb stroking over his knuckles softly. Her gaze met his once more.

He didn't get it. She could see that in his expression when she told him she didn't want to end up like her mother. He never even realized what he was doing to her when their engagement was announced and he continued to frolic about with his loose women. It made him no better than her father, who ruined a perfectly compatible marriage with his whores. Henry had no clue how hurtful his actions could be, even if they weren't married yet. She watched him as it finally clicked for him. She may have not cared for him much, but that didn't make what he did any less hurtful. How would he feel if he thought she wasn't satisfied enough by him and went to other women's beds to get that satisfaction.

She met his gaze as his hand softly cupped her cheek. She reached her hand up and laid it over his as he promised her the one thing she asked of her. A weak smile spread across her lips as she turned her head and brushed a tender kiss over his lips. "You know I'm going to ask you to prove it to me before we actually sleep together, right?" She asked softly as she pressed close to him. She wouldn't make him suffer for too much time. She only wanted to know that he was being serious. She hoped he understood that. It wasn't to torture him. It was just because she wanted to know that he was serious about the promise he just made to her.

[henry]

Henry was relieved, but at the same time it felt like a vise was twisting around his heart. He'd rarely had the experience of asking something of someone, and even less experience being so influenced by the response. He had exposed a part of himself to Elina, and he didn't like the vulnerability. Still, her response warmed him and gave him hope that perhaps he wasn't being a complete and total fool. It was nice to see that he had the same effect on her that she had on him. It meant that he wasn't insane. He had feelings for her, and by her response, she had feelings for him too. That was a good thing and a bad thing. It was almost as if he could feel her pulling him closer. Even then, a part of him resisted. Damn it, he just didn't want to get hurt.

Henry watched as she laid her hand over his where it rested on her soft cheek. With a slight tilt of her head, she brushed her lips against his and a slight tremble ran down the length of his body. Her lips felt like a butterfly's wing against his. It was something he wanted to experience more of. Instead, she leaned back. Suppressing a sigh of regret, he forced himself not to glance at the desk behind him. Just remembering the sight of her in the shower jammed his imagination into overdrive. He could picture running his fingers over every inch of her creamy white skin, drinking in her scent, their bodies moving in unison. The mental image of them twined together nearly made him miss her words. It didn't help that she pressed closer to him after she said it, and it took him a moment and a great deal of concentration to make sense of what she'd said.

Henry swallowed hard, every line of his body filled with tension. Unable to hold himself back completely, he wrapped his arms around the impossibly frustrating woman in front of him and pressed his nose into her hair. Inhaling deeply, he pulled her close. "You are going to be the death of me. You know that, right?" He ran his cheek over her silky hair, for once in his life almost content to just hold someone. Almost. What he wanted to do was drag her to the desk and break it in his way, but he didn't. He wondered if there was a way to turn his imagination off completely. His face still close to Elina's ear, he whispered to her. "Don't make me wait too long. If I get any more tense, I might explode. I'll be the first lycan ever to die of a heart attack." That was an understatement. Even still, he smiled into her hair as his fingers drew lazy circles on her back.

[Baroness Elina Cali]

It would seem her plan might actually work. He was caving in for sex. Maybe once the two of them created a more intimate relationship, she could nudge him to start working in his office. She hoped anyways. She knew it was a long shot, and it would take a lot of work. It was going to take a lot of coaxing and nudging towards his office to get him to work, but if she could motivate him properly, she could get him to start working.

Deep brown eyes studied his face thoughtfully. He was smart. You could not deny that. He was smart and yet he wasted that intelligence. He threw it out the window just so he could whore around. She was starting to understand why he did though. His mother left him. His mother left him and never came back. That's why he was so against monogamy. He was afraid of someone walking out on him again. She really wanted him to see that she was not going to do that to him. She was not his mother. She would not leave him. Not like his mother w

A soft chuckle escaped her lips gently at his pleading. "Don't worry, Your Highness. I promise I won't wait that long. I'm not going to ruin both our sex lives like that." She grinned teasingly as she puled away from him. She could feel a tell-tale bulge against her hip, and she really didn't want to take a chance. She glanced to the desk for a moment before looking back to him. Luna it was so tempting to just let him take her right there on that desk. She was tempted to walk over there and shove everything off the wooden surface and spread her legs for him. It was just so tempting to do just that. You would not believe how much she was questioning herself on her decision to hod out a bit longer, but she was afraid if she gave into him so easily he would go find some other woman once he had his way with her. She wanted to know that he was serious and she could trust him.

Damn! Why did it have to all be so difficult!? Damn him for being such a man whore...

"Now, how about you help me clean up?" She asked gently, stroking a finger along his jaw. "It's such a nice office and you have neglected it so much." She murmured softly, smiling at him faintly. Maybe getting him to help clean up the office a little would be the first step to getting him to start working again. She knew that this was really why Vaan had chosen her for Henry's wife. He wanted his son to grow up and take some responsibility. Vaan may have thought that her and Henry made a good match and mates and Elina would be able to get Henry back into the swing of things, but Elina was not always so confident in herself.

[henry]

Henry didn't want to let go of her. Elina just felt too damn perfect in his arms, and that scared the beejesus out of him. She promised him that he wouldn't have to wait too long, but that didn't exactly reassure him. Lycans had long lives so that could mean a day or a decade. Well, if they were to be married in almost three months, it couldn't be that long. She wouldn't be that cruel, would she? Her next words interrupted his thoughts, though. Ruin both their sex lives? Did that mean she had one? A wave of possessiveness washed over him and he beat it back with a stick. After his exploits, he couldn't possibly expect her to be a virgin, but the thought of some other male's hands on her made him want to rip them apart. Sadly, none of that dampened his libido.

Elina pulled away from him, and he let her go, though it was hard. He thought he might hang onto her forever if he got the chance. That scared the beejesus out of him too. The thought made it easier for him to back up a step. He ached all over from the force of his restraint and the bulge in his pants ached even more. This woman was going to kill him. It was that simple. The sad part was... it wasn't even entirely about sex. He wanted all of her. The strength of her, and her teasing sarcasm. Her scent and her company. He wanted everything. This, also, scared the beejesus out of him.

Leaning back against the desk, he shifted his weight, trying to find a comfortable position to stand in. Nothing worked, and he gave up with a sigh as he caught her glance at the desk. A knowing smile lit his face, but he said nothing. So she was thinking about it too, was she? It was so tempting to push her... just a little nudge in the right direction. He wouldn't let himself do it, though. He'd just promised her monogomy, and she'd given him a condition. He'd abide by that even if she really did give him a heart attack. It wasn't likely, but he sure as hell felt like she was going to.

Henry sucked in a breath at her seductive voice as she stroked a finger along his jaw and asked him to... clean? What? His office? "It's such a nice office and you have neglected it so much." Henry let out his breath on a laugh. She thought she'd have to seduce him back to work. Well, he might just let her. Trying to get his mind off of her and the desk behind him, he held out his hand with an amused grin. "Rag me. Just keep in mind that doesn't mean I'm actually going to work. I might just decide to flip you with it when I get bored, so watch out." His heart was still beating wildly, and it would be awhile before he could do any work that involved bending over unless he wanted to impale himself, but he welcomed the chance just to watch her work.

[Baroness Elina Cali]

She grinned and slowly backed away from him to where she left the rag and wood polish. She was a little surprised that he actually asked for a rag. She knew that didn't mean he was actually going to clean, but it was a start after all. She handed him an extra rag and sprayed some of the wood polish onto it. "Why don't you work on the desk? I wouldn't want to get dust all over myself when we break it in." She grinned knowingly as she walked away from him once more, picking up her own rag she went back to the large book shelf. She did intend to break that desk in, in the fashion he wished to, but she was going to wait a few days. Surely they two of them could hold off just for a couple of days.

She glanced to Henry for a moment, feeling those gorgeous blue eyes on her still. It made her boil with desire just to know it. This is what made her wonder how the two of them would be able to handle sleeping in the same bed without sex for a few days. She honestly didn't think they would make it to the first morning. Not if he continued to look at her the way he did. It sent a chill up her spine just knowing that those smoldering blue eyes were on her. She looked back to her work, putting several books back into place as she dusted off the wooden surface slowly.

"I've decided on a sunset ceremony on the beach." She said gently as she glanced back up to him. She had shared very few of the details of their wedding with him since the announcement that they would be married by spring. She tried to show him the cake she wanted and the flower arrangements, but he had only shown her minimal interest in the details. He showed so little interest that she was starting to give up even bothering to show him. She saw that he was interested, but he pretended not to be more and more and it was disheartening. Especially considering up until this point she had been trying to make the best of the situation while Henry had only tried to push her away and irritate her. She hoped that now that he admitted his feelings and they would be sharing their bed that he might be more willing to participate in some of the plans.

[henry]

Henry wondered if it was possible to die of frustration, but he doubted it. He watched and Elina got a rag for him to use and sprayed wood polish on it. He took it from her and folded it in his hand as she spoke. "Why don't you work on the desk? I wouldn't want to get dust all over myself when we break it in." Then she turned around and walked away. Henry muttered under his breath as he turned toward the desk. "Mother fu--......" He cut the rude comment off before it had a chance to fully form, but what he did get out was heartfelt. He tried to take a steadying breath which didn't help as he looked over his shoulder at her. It was those shorts. Her in those shorts. He knew she didn't intend to break the desk in this very minute, but he wondered long it would take him to get it cleared off.

He forced himself to stop staring at her long enough to go to the other side of the desk so he could watch her while he worked. Absolutely beautiful. Her hair swayed over her shoulder as she moved, stretching out to reach a bookshelf. There was a slight twist to her hips as she wiped the shelf and he unconsciously licked his lips. However long she made him wait, it would be the longest wait of his life, no matter how long he lived. He pried his eyes away from her long enough to move a small stack of files so he could dust where they'd been. "I've decided on a sunset ceremony on the beach." Henry stopped dusting and looked up at her, not wanting to admit that he loved the idea.

He'd come to realize that their wedding was inevitable. He was going to marry her, and he just had to make the best of it. Part of that would be the actual wedding itself. He was touched that she thought to have a sunset wedding, and the beach sounded like a perfect place. He'd been raised on this island and getting married on his homeland would be a nice touch. He fiddled with the rag a moment before he spoke. "It sounds perfect." He meant it, too. It was easy to imagine it. Too easy. He cleared his throat and went back to dusting, thinking about the upcoming wedding. Without looking up, he said, "I suppose there will be orchids everywhere, too." He smiled at the thought. He knew Elina was crazy about the flowers and his... their suite was already adorned with them. A marriage to her wouldn't be complete without orchids.

Henry moved to dust off the actual files he'd moved, thinking about his past and his future while trying to decipher his present. Somewhere deep inside himself, he knew he was changing, but he didn't know what the outcome would be. Somewhere along the way, he'd forgotten who he really was. In hiding who he really was from people, he'd inadvertently hidden from himself, too. Damn, he was a fool. That much was still clear to him, at least. He shook his head ruefully and set the files aside. "Barefoot. Maybe an archway covered in orchids that overlooks the water. Close friends and family. Candles." He stared at the desk in front of him, barely aware that he was speaking out loud. "You with your hair down, the breeze swirling your dress around you ankles..." His heart clenched at the thought. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. Fear started to gnaw at him. I can't love her. I can't! But Luna above, I don't know how to stop.

[Baroness Elina Cali]

Her ears perked a little as she heard him hiss something under his breath. She thought she might have picked up on a cuss word, but he managed to cut it off. She stifled a chuckle as she lightly dusted off a large volume of what looked like encyclopedia collection. She couldn't deny she had enjoyed all the teasing and torture she caused him, but she had needs as much as he did and she needed those needs to be fulfilled. She was about to die with how long he was holding out. She had actually expected him to fold sooner, but he held out much longer than she bet. With the knowledge that he pledged his fidelity to her, she felt more at ease, and now she really needed those needs fulfilled, which was part of why she wasn't going to make hi wait too long. Because she herself couldn't wait too long.

She smiled faintly and her head nodded softly in answer. "Yes. I found some that go perfectly with the color scheme." She looked up to Henry. She had a bit of an obsession with orchids. They were such exotically beautiful flowers though. They were her favorite. She had at least one of every variety and color imaginable. She wasn't entirely sure how Henry felt about her collection of orchid's taking over his decor, but most of them fit into the color scheme of the suite somehow, and Henry had yet to make any sort of objection to them yet. Until he did make some sort of objection, they would stay where the servants moved them when she was moved into the suite.

Elina looked up in surprise as he began talking about the ceremony. She studied him for a very long time in silence. That much detail was not something she'd been expecting from him. She simply nodded her head for a moment, a little shocked at his suggestion. "Actually, I was thinking of just doing some orange and yellow tulle on an archway and along the seating. A few bundles of flowers will be spritzed about, but I don't want too much. It could take away from the sunset" She said as she turned her attention back to her dusting. She was surprised to say the least that he was actually talking about this. She never thought she'd have an in depth conversation about the wedding with Henry. With Vaan and Rachel and her mother, yes, but never with Henry.

She blushed a little as he spoke about her hair and dress. She hadn't even found her dress yet. She was starting to think she wouldn't either. She had looked through at least a hundred bridal gowns so far and nothing she saw really jumped out at her. She knew she had three months, but it was discouraging to see so many different gowns and not find what you were looking for. As for her hair... well, she had decided she would wear a viel and tiara, but she hadn't decided if she would wear her hair up or down. Maybe half and half since it would be on the beach.

[henry]

Henry snapped his teeth shut with an audible click as soon as he realized he'd been talking out loud. Elina was looking at him, but she didn't say anything for a long time. It seemed like forever. It had to be the moon. He'd blame it on that. What other reason would he have for entertaining wedding ideas? Elina had tried to ask his opinion about it before, and he'd managed to listen without interfering. What was different now? He shook his head at himself and looked down at the partially clean desk. So far today he'd confessed his feelings, promised fidelity, and talked about wedding plans... all while his future wife cleaned his office like he had to be in it tomorrow. It had to be the moon. Elina finally spoke, telling him about putting tulle on the archway and not using as many flowers so it didn't detract from the sunset. Henry managed a noncommittal grunt which he hoped sufficed as an answer.

He should have just stuck with his original plan before he even walked into the room, which was to keep his mouth shut. He was far too inexperienced at having his thoughts and feelings exposed, and he found that he didn't like the way it left him feeling vulnerable. His walls were crumbling and he knew it. The problem was every time he tried to build it back up, Elina would say something that turned his work into sand that simply flowed through his fingers. No matter how hard he tried, he had no defense against her. He'd tried being an ass, and she just threw it back in his face. He tried being nice, but then she would be the one to make some snarky comment that would set him on edge. It just seemed like she wouldn't settle for anything less than the real him. No games, no facades, no faking it.

Henry didn't want to admit it, but part of him wanted that too. He just didn't like change, and she was turning his world upside down. Whenever he thought about going back to work, he nearly had a panic attack. There was no reason for it, other than that it would be a change. When he thought about his impending marriage, the same thing happened. It was even worse when he examined the feelings he had for Elina. Everything was spinning out of control, and he was grasping at anything that would slow it down. If he really examined his fear of change, it was only because of people's opinions of him. How stupid was that? People had a certain impression of who he was. Most of them were wrong about him, but it was his mask. It was his way of protecting himself. If he changed, if he went back to work and got married like a good little prince, people would look at him differently. If he was being honest with himself, he feared their reaction. It would be exposing his true self to the absolute maximum.

Henry let out a breath as he worked his way across the desk. It didn't matter if people hated him now, because it wasn't who he really was. Deep down, he wasn't an ass. He was only like that to keep people away. He thought he'd forgotten who he was, but at the heart of it, he knew. He knew what it took to be the Prince of the Lycans. He'd just screwed it up royally. It had been on purpose, but that hardly mattered to the people around him. He knew he'd hurt people and made people hate him. For a long time, he thought he was alright with that. With Elina, though, it was different. She didn't accept him at face value. She wanted more. She wanted to get to the deepest part of him and pull it out to the surface. Being that exposed and that vulnerable to people's opinions terrified him. They couldn't hate him if it wasn't really him they hated. But what if he dropped the act and they still did? As long as he was with Baroness Elina Cali, he didn't think he had a choice.

Henry's circular movements with the rag slowed as he thought. He'd been honest with her about his feelings and he'd stay true to his promise. It felt like he'd been cut open so that she could examine his insides, but instead of ridiculing him or making him feel bad, she was on the other side of the office dusting off encyclopedias like nothing was out of the ordinary. Henry scowled at himself as he finished the top surface of the desk and placed the old files in a cabinet. Then he tossed the rag onto the desk and stood with his hands on his hips. "I talk in my sleep. I don't snore, but I have a tendency to throw the covers off in the middle of the night so if you feel the need to steal them, it won't bother me." He looked at her, his brow still wrinkled. "I keep a stock pile of bacon for breakfast and I'll occasionally throw in pancakes."

He walked around the desk casually, wondering what in the hell he was doing. "I hate gummi worms and I'm rather fond of chocolate even though it sometimes makes me sick to my stomach. Yes, I like to cook and no, nobody ever taught me. When I was four, I tried to use my father's razor to shave and I nearly cut my own head off. My first battle scar was to keep this idiot who called himself Thor from raping one of the noble women when he clawed me across the back. My first kiss was the former cook's daughter, Isabelle. Sometimes I sing in the shower and I absolutely adore the smell of lavender." He continued walking at a leisurely pace, his heart beating ninety miles an hour. "I genuinely dislike being drunk, especially when I'm alone, and I keep my childhood teddy bear in the bottom drawer of my nightstand." He stopped and leaned against the bookcase Elina was dusting, wondering if he was making the right choice. "It doesn't matter to me whether we break in that desk now or a year from now, because I've never in my life told anyone the things that I've just told you." He let a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "Be warned, though. I'm going to kiss you in about three seconds unless you stop me."

[Baroness Elina Cali]

He fell silent and so did she. She looked to the dirty rag in her hand she carefully wiped down a few volumes of books. She was surprised at his willingness to speak about the wedding and then when she told him about her plans he just gave her a noncommental grunt. A noise he made on a regular basis. A noise she was growing increasingly irritated with. She was trying and it was so frustrated. It was obvious he was interested in the plans, but he continued to pretend he didn't care. It made everything so much more frustrating to Elina because she didn't know what to do. She wanted him to show interest in the wedding. She wasn't the only one getting married. He would be too. She wanted his opinion on stuff. As much as this wedding would be hers she wanted his opinions of it too. She might as well just give up. Just... take care of all the wedding plans herself since he obviously didn't care.

She looked up from the books as she placed the last one away. She was just a little confused by this influx of information. This rather random and unsolicited influx of information. Brown eyes watched him. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to it to be honest. Then he just continued to spurt out the unsolicited, random information. She quickly realized he was slowly moving closer to her, which made her a little jittery. He looked a bit like a wolf on the hunt at the moment, and the prey in question was Elina. She slowly put the final book away and laid her rag and polish down as he got closer and closer, revealing more and more about him. She could feel and hear her heart pounding as she pressed her back into the shelving unit she stood in front of as he moved closer and closer.

The small smile that formed over his lips tugged at her heartstrings. Luna the man knew how to get to her too well. Did he ever realize what he did to her!? She wasn't sure he did. Or maybe he did and he was using it against her. Well it was certainly working! And that's what was annoying to Elina. The man understood her all too well and he tried to use his knowledge of her against herself. It was annoying and frightening. She didn't like this power the man had over her. The way those blue eyes bore into hers just made her want to go weak in the knees and she stubbornly wanted to stay up right.

She met his gaze as he warned her he was going to kiss her. She just barely gave him time to finish. She reached up and pulled him down to her, allowing her lips to collide with his as they did once before. She couldn't help it. This sudden influx of emotions and feelings just spurred her on. She would have rather she not touch him at all at the moment because she was fairly certain she wouldn't be able to stop him like she did that first time they kissed. She let out a soft little growling noise as her hand gripped at his shirt, just over his heart.