Chapter 6

Chase wasn't tired, so he just quietly lay there, holding Elizabeth, basking in the fact that this beautiful woman was going to be his wife. He smiled as he inhaled her scent, his nose in her hair. He tried to figure out what comprised the exotic florally scent, orchids maybe. Later, he counted the little band of freckles that ran across her nose, tallying thirty-seven. He wanted to memorize every curve and line of her face, to engrain it in his mind.

Around 10pm, his bladder took over and he needed to get up to pee. He tried to slowly and quietly get off of the bed, not wanting to wake her, but Elizabeth stirred anyway, her eyes opening as he stood.

"I was trying not to wake you; I'm just going to the bathroom."

Elizabeth stretched her arms up, not realizing she was still naked under his gaze until she shifted to her side and felt a chill hit her back. Her stomach growled loudly as well, as he stood next to the bed. She blushed, "I guess I'm hungry."

Chase smiled, "Actually, I kind of am too." He looked around the room and found his shirt on the floor. "Here, put this on and we'll go down to the kitchen and grab something," he said, handing it to her before going into the bathroom.

Elizabeth sat up and placed the shirt over her head. Her nose caught the scent of his cologne and she brought it to her face, inhaling deeply, delighting in the woody scent that seemed to carry a citrus undertone.

She stood up and stretched again. Chase came out of the bathroom and saw the grey t-shirt fall down her body, barely covering her ass cheeks as she stretched out. He stood against the doorway, "How come my t-shirts don't look that good on me?"

"Jealous?" she asked, casting him a sly look.

"Only of the t-shirt," he said smiling, as he walked toward her. He had palmed the ring box off the dresser as he walked past and slipped it into his pocket. He placed a light kiss to her lips, which lingered and turned into another. "C'mon," he said, grabbing her hand, "if we don't go downstairs, you're not going to get to eat."

They quietly headed down to the kitchen. Elizabeth went to the fridge and pulled out a container filled with turkey that Cook had made tonight. She put some gravy in a small bowl and placed it in the microwave to warm. Then, she grabbed a loaf of bread and proceeded to make them each a sandwich. Chase sat at the butcher block counter and watched her artfully put the sandwich together, adding the perfect amount of mayo to it. She retrieved the gravy from the microwave and Chase watched with skepticism as she placed gravy on the sandwich as well, mixing it with the mayo.

"That's disgusting."

Elizabeth looked up at him, "No, it's quite good. Have you ever tried it?"

Chase shook his head, his face scrunched up in disgust. "Well, you're going to," she said quickly, before dumping the gravy on the mayo.

"Uh, you just ruined it."

She placed the lid on the sandwich, "Shut up and taste it," she said, sliding the plate across the counter.

Chase looked up at her, his eyebrows raised. He looked back down at the sandwich and then back to her. Elizabeth just stood there waiting for him to taste it. Finally, he lifted it off the plate and took a bite. The gravy had a bit of a lemony taste to it and perked up his taste buds. As it mixed with the mayo, the flavor shone through more and more. He slowly chewed and swallowed.

"Well?" Elizabeth asked.

Chase hesitated, not wanting to admit that he actually really liked it, "Okay, so it's not the worst thing I've ever eaten."

"Uh-huh," she said, picking up her own sandwich and taking a bite. She moaned her approval as she walked back to the fridge and grabbed two bottles of Newcastle, sliding one across the counter to Chase. She twisted the cap off of her beer, tossing it down onto the counter, before chugging down a few mouthfuls. Chase stared at her for a moment before laughing, shaking his head, and taking another bite of his sandwich.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he murmured his mouth full.

"Something is amusing you."

Chase swallowed, "You just really surprise me sometimes, I'm just not used to it yet is all, and I would have never taken you for a beer chugger. I guess it's just that I still have a lot to learn about you, that's all."

"I told you I went to college, of course I can chug a beer. Why, what else would you like to know, ask away."

Chase was a bit surprised; Elizabeth had told him a decent amount about herself, but had not been so forthcoming with more personal issues, as evident from her not telling him she was a virgin. He grabbed his beer, opening it, before leaning back on the high backed stool. He took a swig and eyed her up. She was opening a door and he was just trying to decide how far through it he was going to walk.

"Okay, easy stuff first, when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?"

"Doctor, but I could not do the chemistry," she replied through a mouth full of sandwich.

"Why'd you go to Cambridge?"

"Cuz my mum went there. Dad and Uncle Edmund went to Oxford, that's where they met."

"What do you mean that's where they met, weren't they brothers?"

Elizabeth slowly shook her head no, "They were best friends, and they met at university. Abbey didn't tell you that."

"Uh, no, I thought they were brothers."

"No, Uncle Edmund was my father's nearest and dearest friend. He actually introduced my parents to one another. Neither of my parents had any siblings and both were very close to him. So, when they passed, it was in their will for him to raise me. That's why technically I have no claim to the estate; I'm not a royal in any way."

"So then we're not cousins or whatever?"

"No, silly, he wasn't that twisted to make me marry my cousin. This isn't the 1700s, Chase. I cannot believe Abbey failed to tell you this."

"Yeah I can't believe it either; I thought you were my cousin."

"No, that would be a tad uncomfortable."

Chase took another swig of his beer, trying to digest this new information. "So, then did he adopt you, cuz I mean you're an Ashley?"

"Uh-uh, that's just mere coincidence. Ashley is not a super uncommon last name. I mean, it's no Smith, but it's not exactly obscure." She took another bite of her sandwich, "I can't believe you thought you were here to marry your cousin and you stayed, that's a little odd."

Chase narrowed his eyes at her for that last comment and decided to turn it up a notch, changing the subject dramatically "So you're first kiss was when?" he asked, leaning back on the counter.

"College-my first year."

"Seriously?"

She slowly nodded, "I had tutors here at the castle until I went to Cambridge."

"Humph," he said taking the last bite of his sandwich.

"Why—how old were you?"

Chase finished chewing and swallowed before he answered her, "Six."

"Six!" she yelled, her voice echoing off the metal pans hanging above them. "You were six?"

Chase smiled, "Yup, Kristen Ferguson out on the playground at school. She kissed me." He tilted his head in reflection, "I wonder what she's up to these days; she was hot for six."

Elizabeth threw her napkin at him, "Pig. No more sandwiches for you," she said gathering their plates and placing them in the sink.

Chase chuckled and took another pull from his beer. "So, you rode horses and played sports and stuff, right?"

Elizabeth turned and gazed at him, wondering how he went from first kisses to horses, "Yeah..."

"Well, I thought if girls played sports and stuff, normally their hymens broke, but yours isn't broken."

Now the question made a bit more sense, "So?"

"I don't know, I guess I just thought it was weird."

"Okay, I never really thought about it or paid that much attention to it," she said, as she began to load the dishwasher.

Time to go for broke, Chase thought; he was curious to know how much experience she actually had. "So, you were in college before you got your first kiss and you are a virgin, so then what else did you do while you were in college?"

Elizabeth turned to him, her face flushed because she was beginning to feel like she was being interrogated. "You mean, did I go around just wanking people off because I was a tease?"

"That's not what I said-"

Elizabeth cut him off, anger rising in her voice, "No, but you want to know how experienced I am-if I will be able to satisfy you, right?

Chase went around the counter and grabbed her by the arms, crushing them between their chests and pressing her back into the counter, "Will you stop? It was just a question. You told me to ask away, so I was. Stop freaking out on me every time something comes up that you are insecure about. You know that I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. I'm not here for just sex."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something and then paused. She looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry, you're right," she said quietly. "I have always been insecure around men. Normally when most found out that I wasn't going to sleep with them, I never saw them again. The two boyfriends I had got tired of me closing myself off to them in that arena."

Two boyfriends, Chase thought. He began getting visions in his head of Elizabeth with these two faceless men, jerking them off or blowing them. His stomach tightened from his jealousy, jealousy which was pretty much unfounded considering the countless women Chase had been with. He suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. "Don't tell me," he blurted out.

Elizabeth looked up at him, "But, I thought-"

"No, I don't want to know, I don't want to think about you with other men. If I know details, I'll never get it out of my head. I know that's probably not fair, considering my past, but I just don't wanna know. All that matters is me and you, here and now." He leaned down and possessively took control of her mouth, proving to them both that she was his. He deepened the kiss and Elizabeth splayed her fingers against his bare chest, trying to hold onto him. He let go of her arms and she wound them around his neck. He slid his hands down her slides and around to cup her ass and pull her closer into him. The tips of his fingers brushed her bare cheeks, peeking out from under his shirt. She moaned into his mouth and he wanted nothing more at that moment than to throw her up on the counter and pound into her. He broke the kiss, using every bit of resolve that he had to keep her virtue intact. "God," he groaned, reaching up and taking one of her arms from around his neck, "Don't ever be insecure about what I feel for you, how much I want you," he said, placing his hand over hers on the bulge in his jeans.

Elizabeth jumped when she touched him, but slowly let her hand rest on the bulge. Chase leaned down, taking control of her lips again. Her thoughts clouded as their tongues battled back and forth. Elizabeth began instinctively rubbing her hand over the bulge in Chase's pants and he groaned into her mouth.