priya is at a loss, she doesn't understand how the girl beside her, laid in the grass at her feet, can be so relaxed, being back in the ton made her nervous, and very aware of being last years failure. ❝ i wish i could say much of the same. ❞

ocean blue hues glanced over at the beautiful woman with a raised eyebrow , " what is on your mind , belle ? " her tone curious as odette remained in her position .

his fingers tap a unknown rhythm against the swell of her hips, his brow raised and head tilted at her question, enough to be intrigued by the french woman. he takes a step back until his legs his the ledge of the desk behind him. ❝ how about using that mouth for something other than talking. ❞

if sebastian knew what she was about to do , he would have marched his way into this room and dragged her out kicking and screaming . but who was she to deny the request of a king ? a wicked gleamed danced in her darkened hues as she reached forwarded , " i have one idea where i would like to use my mouth , " odette purred , accent thick as she pressed soft kisses along the side of his neck . " i do need your breeches off , your highness . "

without hesitation, colby finds himself on his knees peering upwards at the woman, a wicked grin stretching over his mouth, brow raised awaiting her next move. ❝ anything you want, my darling. ❞

an almost wicked grin graced her lips as she reached down to run her right hand through his dark locks before she gained her grip on the strands , pulling her head back slightly , " such a good boy , following my instructions . now , how should i reward you ? " a soft hum left her lips as dark hues gazed downwards at the male .

andrew couldn't stop his chuckle as he nodded in agreement, "ahh yes miss cowper can be pretty aggravating when she wants to be can't she?" he didn't seek an actual answer but he knew how maddening the woman could be some times. "i was just simply seeking some air, wanted a bit of space i suppose."

" i found that i prefer to remove myself from the situation before it is too late , " she jested lightly and despite it being dark outside , odette knew he would be able to see the teasing gleam in her eyes . " shall i leave you or ... ? "

there's a feral glint in blue eyes as brows quirk slightly. ❝ do you promise ? ❞

" why don't you find out , my lord ? " odette challenged the male standing before her , a single raised eyebrow to see if colby would make a move . " be a good boy and on your knees . "

"what brings you out here all alone?"

" i was enjoying the night air and avoiding having to converse with miss cowper . her voice is quite grating on one's nerves , " a slight smirk pulled at the corners of odette's lips . " what brings you out here ? "

❝ so . . . my darling, are you to devour or are you to starve ? ❞

he chuckles against the bare skin of her thigh. ❝ if you are mine, why are there whispers of others around the ton. ❞ he teases darkly, he knows, knows well enough that the pair are free to do as they please, but her words are true, in this moment she is his, and she will remain his until he says otherwise. ❝ now say please. ❞

❝ as long as you keep this up. ❞ he chuckles, hands moving to her hips, pulling her close. ❝ you might just get to see more of it. ❞

a smirk graced odette's lips as the foreign king brought her closer to him by her hips , " and what else should i expect from you , votre altesse ? " her accent thick as an almost dangerous gleam danced in her ocean blue hues . " what do you want me to do to you ? " she trailed her fingers up both of his arms teasingly .

the girl takes a deep breath in, eyes fluttering closed for a moment before they are once again gazing out to the fields below. ❝ i do believe this is my favourite place. ❞

a soft hum left her lips as she laid her back against the soft grass of the field . " there is something so calming about being here . as though , nothing truly matters . " odette had never found a place quite like this before , a place that made her feel such a way .

"perhaps i just might..", he trailed off shortly before bringing his lips down having theirs almost touch but slowly pull away with a smug grin on his features, "however, would that ruin or make this moment better"

a pout found its way onto the french lady's lips as simon teased her , " céder, beau . " she spoke her native language as she trailed a finger across his broad chest . " just a small taste for little me ? " her finger found its way to his mouth and traced the outline of his lips .

He felt he had stepped out of line, perhaps tried too hard to pursue something that was not there. He knew to be gentlemanly, but he had done a poor job at respecting her boundary. Despite her response, he knew he owed her an apology. “I appreciate your kindness, but I do owe you an apology.” He responded, a small smile on his lips. In honesty, he felt embarrassed of his actions. “I stepped out of line – pushed things, which I should have not.” He rubbed his hands together in an uncomfortable manner before meeting her gaze. “I am truly sorry for not respecting your boundaries.”

" you pushed nothing , mr bridgerton . in fact , as i recall of the evening , you were the one to pull away . i would have happily allowed you to have your wicked ways with me for however long you wanted , " odette had no shame in speaking about such things especially since she embraced her sexuality to the full . she found it awfully boring playing by the rules set by the english ton . " however , if it makes you feel better , i accept your apology . "

daphne took in a deep breath and nodded, shifting her position until she felt comfortable. “i must admit,” she began with a gentle smile. “i have never thought of myself as a muse. i do hope that i am able to inspire you.” her question caused daphne’s mind to race as it conjured a great number of answers. none of which felt entirely right — she could simply focus on the facts or she could describe herself in the abstract. she could not decide. “—it is my first season out in society,” she began tentatively, “i am hoping to find a love like my mother and father.”

" that is quite a shame . you have a beauty that would cause countries to fight wars over . you have a beauty that could also stop such wars , " odette complimented the lady before her as she moved about sketching daphne onto the canvas before she was to begging her painting process . " what kind of love did your parents experience ? " the french woman found people were more comfortable posing when they had things to distract them .

"dislike or not they do not get to say a word against my sister, they can talk about me all they like but not you," pausing he flinched slightly as she inspected his hand, "never you." for the years he had lived here alone things had been calm and there were never a need to raise a fist, but with his sister now being here it seemed to raise interest good and bad all the same. "but of course, his nose will never be straight again and his jaw will be black and blue for the next few days."

" bastian , " she let out a soft sigh as she finished cleaning his wound and begun to place bandages around it to ensure infection did not set in . " you do not have to injury yourself in my honour . it is not worth it . however , thank you . " odette hummed before a laugh left her lips , " i do suppose i quite enjoy hearing that you did some damage to him . "