Jason and Piper broke apart to a respectable distance at Percy's cough.
"Congratulations on your win, Earl Perseus." Jason said smoothly.
"Indeed." Piper was not as smooth though, with her cheeks slightly pink.
But Annabeth's eyes were flitting all over him, almost as if checking his armor. Then a slow hand extended and accepted the rose he held out. Lady Annabeth sniffed the sweet perfume of the rose. "Thank you for the rose, Your Grace. It smells lovely."
"Not as fragrant as you." And he truly meant that, not like the first time had complimented her at the ball.
Now it was Jason's and Piper's turn to make annoyed and disgusted expressions. Thalia rolled her eyes. Payback time.
"Is that the last round you're going to do, Your Grace?" Duchess Piper asked.
"Yes, one round is enough."
Originally, he had not planned on participating in the jousting tournament. But Percy had seen how a few noblemen had strode up to the Imperial tent and tried to give Lady Annabeth their roses. Tried being the key word. It gave him a petty satisfaction to see her turn them away.
But would she accept one from him?
It was easy to convince the tournament organizer to get him in the next match. Lord Beckendorf was a good man and friend, but Percy had a goal to give the lady he was favoring a rose. He would apologize to Lord Beckendorf by sending him a good barrel of Atlantis mead and his lover some fine wine-filled chocolates.
"Drat. The wind is picking up again." Jason frowned as attendants swarmed to the Imperial tent's poles to steady them from the wind.
The rainy season was beginning to take firmer hold in the Olympus Kingdom, as dark clouds began rolling in. "Well, the tournament will be cancelled soon if this weather keeps up. Shall we head inside, love?" Jason asked.
"All right. Then we'll head back inside first, Your Grace, Lady Annabeth."
The Duchess mouthed something to Lady Annabeth, something that seemed suspiciously like good luck. "I'm taking the Imperial carriage with His Highness for a dinner with the Emperor, and my carriage was unfortunately sent back to my estate. Your Grace, you wouldn't mind taking Lady Annabeth back to her home, would you?" The brunette beauty smiled innocently. "Lady Annabeth took my carriage earlier so she has no ride home."
"I would be honored to, so long as Lady Annabeth agrees."
The interesting lady only mouthed something like I'll get you back to her friend. "If the Earl does not mind, then I have no qualms."
"Allow me to escort you then, my lady."
Lady Annabeth tucked her gloved hand into his arm. She was wearing a emerald green dress today, a color similar to the hue of his eyes. Had she noticed that or done that on purpose? Whatever the reasoning, the green was a nice backdrop for the red rose she held in her other hand.
They were soon bundled into his carriage. Not a moment too soon as the clouds unleashed their bounty.
"Your skills on the field were really commendable. I didn't expect you to move so fast. Not to mention you were up against Lord Beckendorf as well." She looked nervously at his chest again.
He could see the slight furrows in her forehead. So she was looking for injuries. That was why she had been staring at him intensely when he was offering her the rose. "Oh my, were you worried about me?"
Lady Annabeth scowled. Usually ladies didn't express such emotions outright. "Don't make me regret expressing my concern. I was really worried you might have been hurt. Last time some punk insulted Lord Beckendorf's lover and that idiot was instantly pummeled to the ground by Lord Beckendorf at jousting."
"Ah, I heard of that scandal. I don't have a bad relationship with Lord Charles though, and I'd never be stupid enough to insult his fiancee. She's a very kind woman. Besides, Charles and I fought alongside in the war."
"You call him by his first name," she noted. "Well, that's good then." Lady Annabeth sighed in relief before shivering a little.
Percy pulled the curtains over the windows as best as he could to shut off any cold wind that could come in.
"Are you cold? I'm sorry, I don't have a blanket."
He threw his cloak around her shoulders. Alone in the carriage and unseen by anyone else, Percy could take some liberty by leaving his arm curled around her shoulders. If she disliked it or showed any signs of being uncomfortable, he would immediately stop.
"It's no matter. This is just as warm, Your Grace." Annabeth threw him an impertinent smile as she snuggled closer. His hand around her began tapping a rhythm on her upper arm.
"Annabeth."
Her eyes widened. "Why the sudden first name?"
"I assumed we were close enough to call each other by our first names now. Am I wrong?"
"No. You're not wrong...Percy." Her lips curled up. "Percy," she said again.
"Hmm?"
"Ah, just testing it out. I don't think I've ever called any other man by his first name besides my relatives. It's not something that I'm used to."
"I suppose you'll have to get used to calling your husband's first name one day."
Annabeth's grey eyes turned dark and stormy. "Husband..." She pursed her lips.
"Is everything alright?"
She slumped against his arm. "My parent received a marriage proposal for me. From Baron Rodrick."
"Oh." His fingers stilled their tapping for a second. "And did you accept?"
Annabeth gave him a wry smile. "What do you think? Do I seem even remotely inclined to the idea of having Baron Rodrick as my husband?"
That was true. A beautiful, smart, and capable woman like her standing next to that slob? Don't make him laugh. Percy pulled her towards him instinctively.
"Not at all. He's not even on your level. Far beneath it, actually."
"Thank you for your kind words. Luckily, my parents agree so they've declined it. But Baron Rodrick has the financial backing to push the Emperor into accepting."
"Your talent and personality would certainly be wasted under him."
She made a strange face. "Ugh, I don't even want to think about being under him."
His lips quirked up in one of those smiles that used to get him in trouble all the time. "Underneath him, you say?"
Annabeth gave him a mixed look of exasperation and amusement, but she took him by surprise by her next actions. Percy's breath hitched as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "That's because I prefer being on top."
Her face was achingly close. Lips just a few inches away. And her eyes sparkled with self-satisfaction. Well, two can play this game.
Percy leaned forward towards her as well. His arm was around her shoulders, preventing her from leaning back too much. "And I favor both."
Run away. Run away, my lady. Before you get caught, he thought.
But Annabeth didn't pull back. Perhaps he should have expected that, since she didn't seem like someone who would back down from a challenge.
She scooted forward until she was sitting practically on his lap. "Then you'll just have to get used to me being on top."
He wasn't sure what expression he had on his face, but whatever it was, Lady Annabeth laughed out loud.
"You should have seen your expression! You looked like-" Her words were cut off as she caught Percy staring at her. "What are you staring at?"
"I'm thinking," he said slowly. "That I would really like to kiss you."
"Oh." Her voice quieted.
The arm around her shoulders slid down to the small of her back. "Push me away if you don't like it."
She smiled a beautiful, dazzling smile. "I wouldn't dislike it."
That was the consent he wanted. Annabeth's eyes fluttered close as his free hand moved to cup her chin. Her hands flew up to his chest, not to push him away, but to pull him closer. Gods, her smaller form felt right against his larger frame as her soft breath brushed against his skin. They were both anticipating a kiss. But Percy couldn't resist teasing her just once more.
Instead of meeting her lips with his, he took the forgotten rose on the seat beside her and brushed its soft petals against her lips.
Her eyes flew wide open. "You!"
"Oh, were you expecting something? I didn't say I was going to kiss you right then." And then he tapped the rose again on her forehead.
If looks could kill. As if her patience had snapped, Annabeth took matters into her own hands.
Soft, almost insistent, lips pressed against his. Percy dropped the inconsequential rose somewhere unknown so he could cup her chin again. This time, he tilted his head so their lips could fit perfectly like a lock and key. Her hands curled themselves into the lapel of his overcoat, pulling him even closer. A happy rumble appeared in the back of his throat.
A sweet and simple kiss.
Annabeth pulled back and pouted. Her lips were slightly plumper than usual. "You should have just kissed me like that in the first place."
"Now, where's the fun in that?"
She looked down at the carriage ground where her rose remained unforgotten. "You dropped my rose on the ground," she said playfully. "I demand some compensation."
"If that's what my lady desires, I'll get you another bouquet of roses, each more beautiful than that one."
Annabeth smiled like a Cheshire cat. Percy was beginning to think that he should get used to those saucy smiles. Really, he never knew what to predict next from her.
"Now, where's the fun in that?" She threw his words back at him. And then proceeded to kiss him again.
This time, Percy deepened the kiss, cautiously though, in case she wanted to back out. But Annabeth returned the kiss with just as much fervor. She might not have much experience in kissing, but she was a fast learner. There was this small business of teaching her the many ways of using one's tongue, for example.
Percy delicately nipped her bottom lip, causing her to gasp. He used the opportunity to delve a little deeper until she let out a little sigh.
Mmm. She smelled like the tea she was drinking earlier and a sprinkling of fresh rain. He almost felt drunk on her lips with his mind turning fuzzy. Could kissing equate to drinking wine? If so, she was like a cask of fine aged wine, deep yet somehow floral.
He felt her reluctance when he pulled away, but she was soon soothed by his lips gently grazing the sides of her jawline.
Annabeth whimpered when his lips descended upon her neck. It seemed to be an especially sensitive spot for her as her head lolled back. The skin there was even more tender than her jawline.
Her hands reached up, curling into his hair and pressing his head where she wanted most to be kissed. There was a particular soft area of her neck that made her make an incredibly erotic moan when he licked it. That sound traveled all the way to his loins. Immediately, Percy knew he wanted to elicit those same sounds from her again.
Somehow Annabeth had shifted on his lap until she was straddling him. Her dress had rucked up to an indecently high amount, exposing her thigh-high stockings. Her heat was placed directly on him. If Percy just shifted his arm, he could easily slide underneath the skirt of the dress and feel her slim thighs.
The carriage wheels hit a rock causing Annabeth to rock onto his lap. Percy hissed as she rubbed against his growing bulge. Fuck.
The road seemed to be bumpier now, with the rain making the cobblestone path slippery. With every movement of the carriage, he could feel her body unconsciously rock on top of his.
That was not good. As much as he wanted to lay her down on the carriage seats and let such primal urges take over, it was not the right time nor the right situation. Percy kissed her one last time, just a small peck.
"I think," he said, pulling himself back from her. "We should stop here."
Annabeth's eyes returned from their glassy state. "That...would probably be a good idea." Both of them were slightly panting, the heat from their bodies fogging up the carriage's glass windows.
He brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead. Her pretty hairstyle was slightly mussed from their actions, but she could easily use the excuse that the weather did it.
She disentangled herself from him and smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress as though she had done nothing improper in it. As she hauled the low collar of her dress from her shoulders, he caught a glimpse of her lacy corset.
Damn.
There was delicate embroidery on that corset. Pink roses and green vines. He wondered if she would be wearing it the next time they were to be so intimate with each other.
And whether he would be able to unlace her corset like a flower unfurling its petals.
It was both a relief and a pain for the carriage to arrive at her family's estate. Annabeth descended the carriage as primly as a lady should while Percy was nothing but a gentleman as he kissed the back of her hand.
But as their eyes connected for the last time, she sent him a look of nothing but desire.