He rested his chin on her head and locked her tightly in his embrace. "Look at how you are resting against my chest."

She tried to sit straight immediately but his vise-like grip around her prevented her to do so.

"Stop feigning Anastasia," he whispered in her ear and then rested his chin back on her head.

Her skin became heated like a thousand suns. This man was so brazen. "You are shameless!" she muttered.

"That I am."

They moved to plains of Sgiath Biò. It was dotted with a lot of pine, spruce and aspen trees. The group took a winding path circling a hill that sat on the verge of a valley, forcing them all to fall in a single line. Cool gusts of wind blew against them but because it was sunny, it was bearable.

Anastasia noticed the light, which glimmered off the snow, slowly illuminating the trees along the path on the hill and the valley. Their boughs, heavily laden with crystals, looked like shadows against the soft blue of the sky. The entire world felt covered in quiet solitude, the soft crunch of the horses as they trod, was the only sound occasionally breaking the silence. The sharp scent of fresh snow felt invigorating as she tried not to shiver. Huddling further into his chest, she watched the world as it unveiled itself, feeling something akin to awe settle in her bones at the magnificence around her. Its beauty felt ageless, as if eons would pass by and the place would remain as it was, untouched by time.

"I didn't know Sgiath Biò is so beautiful," she sighed. She had slipped the hood off her head to feel the clean fresh air.

"Yes, it is as beautiful as those who own it." His breath fanned her cheeks as he tiled and said that.

"You mean I am this beautiful and frigid?" she teased him.

"You are sharp for your age, Anastasia. You do understand me well," he replied in a provoking tone.

"I am not frigid," she countered immediately. "But obviously I am not going to melt for a man I saw only a few days back."

"Correction. You saw me several months back."

Anastasia bit her lip. Yes, she saw him many months back. "But you were Kaizan then."

"Do you see Kaizan the way you used to see me, princess?"

She got a fluttery feeling in her stomach. She never realized that before.

He had tilted his head and was now looking at her from the side where a pale blush was forming again. He had an urge to trace the blush. The girl was like an open book to him.

Anastasia was thrown off the balance. She shifted in her place and in order to counter him said, "Anyone would have noticed Maple swooning over you when you were Kaizan. She really flirted with you. In fact everyone in the palace knew about her intentions towards you. So how could I see you as anything?" Which was a lie.

Ileus laughed. "That brings me back to the same thing-I saw you looking at me with interest a number of times."

"Now if you happen to come in my line of vision, it's not like I can ignore you. Also you've been my guard for the past two months. What do you expect?"

"I expected a lot of things Anastasia, but you never encouraged me."

Oh god! Did that mean he was attracted to her? He was sounding so... sexy. She wanted to clench her thighs, but if she did that he would tease her again that he could smell her arousal. The thing was that she was beginning to feel wetness somewhere down there, and she wanted to be tended to.

His hand came down and brushed her hips. He leaned over to her ear and said, "Do you want to know what all did I expect from you?"

She shook her head, "Yes!" She shook her head harder to tell that she wasn't interested. "Yes, I would like to!" Her hand flung to catch his. She just agreed to him. Her thoughts were all scattered. She whimpered.

Ileus laughed aloud. He held the rein with one hand and took his free hand to her belly inside the cloak. He made lazy circles over the sweater on her tummy. "This was one thing I expected from you," he whispered. He brushed his hands over her breasts. "To suckle these while kneading the other one."

"This is getting out of control," she rasped. Her breath came in and out too fast. His dirty talk was affecting her?

He circled the contours of her breasts lightly and then took his hand down, brushing her belly with his fingers all the way. He dug his hand inside the sweater and touched her belly. He placed his hand flat on it.

Anastasia bucked. How could like his touch so much? His hand was like a brand on her skin. It was hot and she shifted. He pulled her closer to him. "I haven't even started Anastasia and you are saying this is out of control?"

Her body started quivering under his touch. Her toes curled up inside her boots and her hands went to hold his arms. "Th- there is no need to start."

"Stop feigning," he said. "And your body says something else," he dipped his head and kissed the back of her neck. Slowly he brought his hands to one of her breasts and cupped them. He squeezed them lightly and she felt her panties becoming wetter. Her spine arched as if wanting to give it to him. He pulled his hand out and she didn't like it. He brought his fingers to the region between her thighs and brushed her lightly over there. She was tight as a bow string and his fingers stroking her.

"Gods!" she rasped. She didn't know what it was but she pressed herself against his finger. "Oh god!" she said as the feeling affected her like a strong wave. "I need to-"