Chapter 16

Giselle's POV

I tried to pretend to be asleep when Cole stepped out of the bathroom. I didn't want him to see my embarrassed face when he stepped out of the room and smelled my arousal. I heard him stop walking and I could feel his eyes on me. What was he thinking about? I was sure he had picked up on my arousal and I shuddered in embarrassment.

I heard his footsteps after a while as he moved to take a pillow from the other side of the bed beside me and I couldn't resist it. I brushed my fingertips on his hands and a low moan escaped from my mouth before I could stop myself. My body went hot as soon as his hands touched my skin and I couldn't hold it in any longer.

I opened my eyes and looked at him intently, no longer pretending to be asleep and I was shocked at the desire in his eyes for me. He wanted me just as much as I did. He waited for me to give him the go-ahead and I pulled him towards him and buried my neck in the crook of his neck as he showered little kisses all over my face and neck.

Pushing the covers of the bed he pulled away his towel that was tied around me and climbed into bed next to me. He hesitated before running a hand through my leg and kissing it.

I sank my fingers into his shoulders as he held me down pushing my night dress away. He caressed me slowly and gently as he savored every inch of my body. My eyes glazed over with desire as he pulled me closer and was about to pull in when suddenly my thoughts of reasoning came to me and I pulled away.

Overcome with desire Cole hadn't noticed my change in mood and tried to kiss me again. This time I pulled my face away and he frowned.

"What's wrong??. I thought you wanted this. Why are you suddenly pushing me away?" he questioned, perplexed at my sudden refusal.

I didn't know what to say to him because I didn't even know how I felt about him but what I do know was that sleeping with him with no strings attached wouldn't work in my favor at all. He had clearly said there would be no future between us so it didn't make any sense to continue to sleep together no matter how much I wanted him.

"This is wrong. You already made it clear we would divorce after the child is born. This is only an arrangement and I can't keep on sleeping with you when we would both go our separate ways when all this is over," I countered him lifting my chip in defiance daring him to disagree with my words but he didn't.

His face suddenly darkened with an odd expression on it and he stood up to leave. He quickly dressed and stormed out of the bedroom leaving me staring at his retreating in confusion. Why was he angry? Wasn't he the one that suggested the divorce so why take that out on me when I only repeated what he said? This was after all only a matter of time.

I collapsed back on my bed in exhaustion. The day hadn't gone how I'd expected at all, I reasoned as I sighed in exasperation. My body was still tingling from the way he touched it only minutes ago. Only I know how much effort it took me to stop him from going any further.

I wasn't usually this impulsive and I know it was wrong of me to have started something I couldn't finish but ever since meeting Cole I have just been seeing a new side of me I had never experienced before. I checked the alarm clock on the bedside table and set the alarm to five am. Tomorrow is a new day and I will show everyone that I'm here to stay.

I drifted off to sleep with thoughts of an angry Cole trailing kisses all over my skin.

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I woke up the next day after a restless sleep. I noticed Cole hadn't bothered to come back to our bedroom and wondered if he was still angry with me. After showering I decided to go through the proposal plan that Cole had invested in previously. It made me happy I could finally devote my time to projects that I love without my father hovering over me and ruining them. After about an hour and a half of looking through the business research plans, I heard a knock on the door before Cynthia entered holding a tray in her hands.

My stomach rumbled as I smelled the distinct fresh smell of breakfast and coffee. I ushered her inside and couldn't wait to eat the food. I sat down to eat but noticed she was still standing by the door and I looked up in surprise.

"Is there anything else you want to say, Cynthia?"

"Luna Tiffany has requested that you start your etiquette training today in the palace"

"Etiquette training?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Cole hadn't mentioned that to me at all.

"Everyone knew Luna that arrives at the royal court must undergo the training," Cynthia said matter-of-factly avoiding my eyes and I instantly became suspicious. She adjusted her weight from foot and foot and I noticed she was nervous.

"What's wrong?"

"Well I don't want to alarm you but Tiffany has assigned the butler to be in charge of your etiquette classes," she said finally.

I looked at her in confusion for a second not understanding what she meant until I remembered the lanky-looking pompous man we ran into yesterday on our way to the room.

"By the butler do you mean the man we ran into yesterday?" I asked for clarification.

"Yes, he is the one. It's quite obvious he's going to give you a tough time just like what Luna Tiffany wants"

I had heard a lot and so little about Cole's stepmother just in the few days I'd arrived and I still don't know about the animosity between them. I might as well just ask Cynthia about it.

"Why do you think Luna Tiffany will want to make things hard for me?"

"It's common knowledge that Luna Tiffany hates Cole and wants her son to be king instead and that's why she sent him away at such a young age"

So that was the reason he was sent away and according to Cole my dad also had a hand in it. My heart suddenly reached to the young boy who was sent away so harshly at such a young age.

"What about the King, Cole's father?"

"The King doesn't help much. He does anything Tiffany says"

He must have been very lonely. I sympathized with Cole. We both had fathers who didn't care much about us and it hurt.

"Thanks Cynthia for telling me and don't worry I'll be prepared," I said, dismissing Cynthia.

I quickly ate the food and got dressed. I wasn't looking forward to being the snarky butler for the next few hours but the last thing I wanted was for me to be the reason Cole's stepmother had leverage against Cole. I walked out of the room and followed Cynthia's directions to the hall room but I didn't envisage how enormous the palace was and I ended up a few minutes late to the class.