Chapter 195: A Day By The Sea
The smell of tea drifted through the house, warm and faintly sweet against the sea air as Rowan poured the last of the steaming water into a cup.
Rosalind carefully made her way down the stairs. She paused halfway, sniffing the air curiously, and as she reached the lower floor, the scent led her straight to the kitchen where she found Rowan standing.
"You’ve been busy" she said as she neared him.
"I made tea for you," he replied.
Rowan turned and handed her the cup. "Be careful, it’s still hot."
Rosalind’s lips curved slightly as she accepted it carefully. She blew across the surface before taking a small sip, and her lashes fluttered as she looked back at him.
"You did good, dear husband" she commented.
"Thank you, wife" Rowan said, scratching the back of his neck shyly.
Rosalind took another slow sip, letting the warmth slide down her throat before glancing back at him.
"How do I look?" she asked, because Rowan had promised to take her fishing today and that was why she had spent extra time getting ready upstairs.
She was dressed in a navy-blue silk dress that seemed to catch every bit of light in the room. The material hugged her figure comfortably, and Rowan smiled the moment he looked at her. "Words can’t describe how you look right now," he admitted.
Rosalind pressed her lips together as warmth rushed into her cheeks.
"But what’s with the hat? It isn’t sunny," he added, tilting his head slightly.
The weather had remained cool since yesterday. It wasn’t too cold and it wasn’t too hot either. Everything simply felt calm and peaceful.
"It came with the outfit," Rosalind explained. "They were displayed together when I saw them in Merovia while shopping."
To prove her point, she removed the hat and let her hair tumble down her back before standing still.
Rowan narrowed his eyes thoughtfully before she placed the hat back on. "I see," he said at last. "It does look great with the hat."
Rosalind hummed in satisfaction and finished the rest of her tea before setting the cup aside.
She turned back to him and took in his appearance. He was dressed simply in white trousers and a white shirt. He had really been listening to her advice about wearing lighter colours, she realized. In fact, Rowan listened to almost everything she said and rarely gave her any reason to complain.
A smile found its way to her lips. "Let’s go fish."
He chuckled softly as though her enthusiasm amused him. "After you."
Rosalind turned and headed for the door, her shoes clicking lightly against the floor. Behind her, Rowan’s eyes lingered with quiet admiration. She was dressed as though she were attending a grand event when they were only going out to sail and catch fish.
Just before she stepped outside, he noticed that the ties at the back of her dress had come slightly loose. "Hold on, my lady," he said suddenly.
Rosalind stopped and looked over her shoulder in surprise. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing much."
He stepped closer and loosened the ties completely before adjusting them properly. His fingers brushed lightly against her bare skin as he retied them, and Rosalind swallowed quietly while she stood there waiting.
When he finished the final knot, he stepped back."You’re all good now," he murmured, sliding a hand around her waist as he guided her forward.
Rosalind blushed furiously as they walked side by side.
"You know exactly what you’re doing," she muttered under her breath.
"What is that?" he asked, glancing at her with a raised brow.
She simply shook her head.
Together they made their way toward the boat waiting near the shore. Rowan helped Rosalind inside first and once she was seated comfortably, he untied the boat from where it had been secured. Standing in the shallow water, he gave her a playful wave.
Rosalind’s eyes widened. "Come inside!" she called immediately.
Instead, Rowan continued pushing the boat farther away from the shore while walking through the water.
"What was that wave for?" Rosalind asked as she leaned toward the edge. "Are you planning to send me off?"
After guiding the boat far enough, he grabbed the edge and climbed in with a single smooth movement. "I’d never do that," he replied as he picked up the paddles and began steering them farther into the sea.
Rosalind narrowed her eyes. "I refuse to believe you. Don’t tell me you want to get rid of me. I know I can be annoying sometimes..."
Her voice trailed away.
"That’s exactly why I keep loving you," Rowan answered. "There’s no way I’d ever want to rid myself of you. Wherever you go, I’ll go too."
[Tch]
Rosalind immediately turned her face away, although her cheeks had turned an even deeper shade of red.
How could he be this smooth with words?
He was smooth when he spoke, smooth when he touched her, smooth when he teased her, kissed her, and loved her. Sometimes he felt completely unreal, except that he was perfectly real and somehow her husband.
She wondered why he seemed so different before when, in truth, he had always been like this.
Rosalind couldn’t help feeling lucky.
The thought of spending the rest of her life with him settled warmly in her chest. Had she really stopped to think about it before now?
As she watched him paddle steadily through the water while they drifted farther away from the house and deeper into the sea, she smiled to herself.
She was really lucky.
Eventually Rowan stopped paddling once they reached a suitable spot. He placed the paddles down and allowed the boat to float naturally with the current.
"So this is where we fish?" Rosalind asked.
"Yes, wife," Rowan replied smoothly as he reached for the fishing equipment already stored inside the boat.
Rosalind watched him stand and prepare everything. She couldn’t stop staring. The breeze moved through his clothes and rustled his dark hair while the veins in his hands stood out as he worked. After a moment he cast the fishing line into the water.
Suddenly she felt hot.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she shifted slightly.
Just this morning, before they had even left the bedroom, she could still hear her own cries ringing in her ears. She remembered being pinned gently against the wall while his mouth worshipped her until she came apart beneath him. She remembered the way his grey eyes had remained locked on hers while she moaned helplessly, and that hadn’t even been all of it.
She remembered his arms around her waist while he thrust into her, her head falling back against the wall and her fingers digging into his shoulders as his pace became harder. She remembered his heavy breaths near her ear and the way his fingers tangled through her hair while he brought her to another release. She remembered tightening around him as he whispered her name against her skin.
Despite all of that, Rosalind still felt as though she wanted more.
She didn’t even understand when her desires had become this intense.
How was she supposed to tell him that she was just as addicted to him as he was to her?
"...Rosalind," Rowan called, his eyes fixed on his wife as she continued staring at him as though she were lost in thought.
His head tilted slightly as he studied her expression, then his voice came again. "Rosalind."
"W...what?" She snapped out of it abruptly, startled.
His gaze narrowed just a little. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"Uhh... nothing," she said quickly, far too quickly, and her cheeks reddened instantly as suspicion immediately rose in his eyes.
She swallowed hard, her mind racing. How was she supposed to tell him she had been thinking of something completely indecent when they were supposed to be fishing?
