Chapter 166: Tonight's Requirement

Cecilia

My heart started hammering, my body responding to the promise in his voice even as my muscles protested the very idea of more physical activity.

But before I could formulate a response, Arthur was already moving, his hands going to the buttons of his shirt—no, wait, my shirt. The one he'd dressed me in last night after the bath.

He undid them slowly, deliberately, his eyes locked on mine as each button revealed more skin, and I felt my breath catch in my throat at the intensity of his gaze.

When the shirt finally fell open, exposing me completely to his view, Arthur made a low sound of appreciation that sent heat flooding through me.

His hands came up to cup my breasts, his thumbs brushing over my nipples with just enough pressure to make me gasp.

Then his mouth was on me, hot and wet and perfect, and I couldn't stop the small moan that escaped as he sucked and licked and teased until I was trembling against him.

My hands moved of their own accord, sliding up to tangle in his hair, holding him against me as he continued that exquisite torture. I could feel myself getting wet, could feel the familiar ache building between my thighs despite the soreness that still lingered from yesterday.

My legs parted automatically, an invitation I didn't consciously make but couldn't take back, my body overriding my brain's feeble protests about rest and recovery.

And then Arthur stopped.

Just—stopped, pulling back and leaving me bereft and confused, my body still singing with need that he'd deliberately stoked and then abandoned.

"Arthur?" My voice came out small and uncertain, my hands reaching for him instinctively.

He caught my wrists gently, bringing them to his lips and pressing a kiss to each palm before releasing them. "Baby, you're still sore. Your body needs rest."

Shame flooded through me, hot and immediate, at being so transparent, at having my neediness so obvious that he felt compelled to stop. "I promised you," I said, my voice coming out thick with embarrassment. "Yesterday, I promised. I can do this, Arthur, I can—"

He silenced me with a kiss that was completely different from what we'd been doing—soft and tender and achingly sweet, his tongue sliding against mine with practiced ease but without the urgency of arousal. When he finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard, but from emotion rather than desire.

"Tonight's requirement," he said, his forehead resting against mine, his voice rough with barely controlled want, "is that you don't think about anything except resting. That's all I need from you, baby. Just rest."

The tenderness in his voice made my throat tight, made me feel simultaneously cherished and guilty for having pushed my body beyond what it could handle. "Okay," I managed, the word coming out as barely more than a whisper. "Okay, Arthur."

He scooped me up into his arms with the same careful ease he always used, like I was something precious that might break if handled roughly. "Let's go have dinner," he said, already moving toward the door. "I'll feed you."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting myself relax into his strength, into the security of knowing he'd take care of me even when I couldn't take care of myself. "You'll feed me?" I asked, a small smile tugging at my lips despite everything.

"Every bite," he promised, and I felt his lips brush against my temple. "Now stop thinking about detective work and promises and anything except letting me spoil you."

"Okay," I said again, and this time I meant it completely.

The warmth of Arthur's lap beneath me felt like the safest place in the world as I settled against his chest, letting him guide another forkful of food to my lips with the kind of patient care that made my heart squeeze.

"Open," he murmured, his free hand resting possessively on my hip, and I obeyed automatically, tasting the perfectly seasoned chicken and vegetables.

Between bites, Arthur would lean down to press soft kisses to my temple, my cheek, the corner of my mouth—casual displays of affection that felt more intimate than anything we'd done yesterday, somehow. Like this quiet domesticity was its own kind of promise.

I was just starting to relax completely into the rhythm of it when my phone buzzed on the table beside us.

Alice's name flashed on the screen, and I reached for it instinctively, my curiosity overriding the comfortable haze Arthur had wrapped me in.

You free tomorrow? Want to hang out?

I shifted slightly in Arthur's lap, angling the phone so he could see if he wanted to, and typed back: Where?

Her response came almost immediately: It's a secret 😏 I'll pick you up tomorrow morning!

I glanced up at Arthur, silently asking for permission even though I knew I didn't technically need it. His eyes had already moved to my screen, reading Alice's messages with that particular expression that meant he was weighing whether to approve or object.

"You can go," he said finally, his voice taking on that firm quality that meant conditions were coming. "But you need to be home by six. No later."

Relief and affection flooded through me in equal measure, and I pressed a quick kiss to his jaw before turning back to my phone. Okay! See you tomorrow morning!

Arthur made a sound that was somewhere between amusement and exasperation as I tucked my phone away and settled back against him. "You know what's weird?" he said, his hand resuming its idle stroking along my side. "Max had been acting strange lately."

That got my attention. I tilted my head back to look at him properly, curiosity sparking. "Strange how?"

"Max used to invite Carter and me out constantly—drinks, dinner, whatever excuse he could find to get us together." Arthur's brow furrowed slightly, like he was trying to puzzle out something that didn't quite make sense. "But the past few days? Nothing. Radio silence. And when I do see him, he's... distracted. Like his mind is somewhere else entirely."

I felt my own curiosity deepen, mixing with a hint of concern. "That is weird. Alice seemed a little odd too when I went to see her last time—she keeps smiling at her phone and getting this dreamy look. Maybe I should ask her tomorrow. See if she'll tell me what they're up to."

"Mm." Arthur's hand tightened fractionally on my hip, possessive even in this casual moment.

Then I found myself looking up at him through my lashes, a different kind of curiosity making my voice drop lower. "But Arthur... if I'm going out all day tomorrow, what about my promise?"

The words had barely left my mouth when his hand came down on my ass with enough force to make me yelp and nearly jump off his lap entirely.