Seleste, Then

SELESTE

F inally, she looked like herself. The chiffon dress Seleste wore, the colour of Blue Pansy Butterfly wings, wasn't exactly Seagovian fashion, nor was it Coronoccan. It flitted somewhere between the two with its soft, delicate lines, but tight waist and just enough decolletage visible.

She'd been careful not to select anything too extravagant, or too homely. Without any idea what Cal had in mind for the evening, she also didn't want to appear to have made any assumptions after their kiss. Settling for no more cosmetic adornment than a gentle brush of iridescent powder on her cheeks and chest, she was ready. Slowly swaying back and forth, she watched how the lamplight caught the illuminating powder—of her own design—making her brown skin glow.

She felt lovely.

Opting to leave her countless braids down, Seleste tied a yellow band around her wrist, in case she needed to tame them. She was just putting on all of her bracelets, relishing their tinkling together, when the steady tap, tap, tap came of three pebbles hitting her window.

Excitement shot through her like lightning as she dashed to look through the glass, anticipating Cal looking up at her. But a dribble of trepidation snuck its way in as she lifted her hand to move the curtains aside.

Winnie's voice came first in her mind. What if he's only trying to qualify his feelings for you by making you more than a maid?

Followed by Sorscha's scoff. If he's embarrassed you're a maid, wait until he discovers you're a witch, too.

And Aggie's bitter snap at their Sisters. Let her see for her own damned self.

A small knot formed in Seleste's stomach next to the butterflies. Instead of pulling the curtains all the way open, she peeked through a small slit, peering down at Cal. As soon as he saw her, his face broke into a grin that made her knees a bit weak. Despite the low light, she could still make out something there in his eyes. Was it uncertainty?

She had a love/hate relationship with her inability to use her cunning on him to its full extent. Her growing feelings for him were constantly in the way.

Still, she blew him a little kiss and caught the line between his brows smoothing out as she darted from the window and into the hall to meet him outside.

Nothing could beat Summer nights. When the heat of the sun finally relents, and the breeze is enough to cool but not chill, and the fireflies come to dance amongst the flowers as the butterflies and bees have all begun to slumber. She inhaled the scent of grass and blossoms, listening to the music of crickets and cicadas.

Cal was waiting for her near the back kitchen door, just inside the garden. He was so handsome in a carefree way, dressed in pants and a white shirt, sans waistcoat and sleeves rolled up. As soon as he saw her, his face broke into a smile again, and he walked to meet her as if he couldn't stand the wait of the last few steps it would take for her to reach him.

"You look beautiful," he murmured as he kissed both her cheeks. Without waiting for a response, he took her hand and led her through the grounds. "It's a bit of a walk. Is that all right?"

"What is a Summer night without a walk?" She beamed at him and he squeezed her hand.

They didn't speak on their trek, which turned out not to be all that long anyway. Though the silence between them was comfortable, there was something tangled in it, too, and Seleste couldn't quite discern what. Cal still seemed uneasy, his shoulders stiffer than usual. A small hill rose before them and Cal stopped at its base. "It's on the other side of this hill—what I want to show you."

"Then climb, we shall."

He didn't return her smile this time and it caused the knot in her stomach to tighten. Instead, he silently led her up the hill, stopping at the top.

Seleste gasped.

Noir Bay stretched out in the distance, far enough away that the crashing of waves was a gentle murmur. Below them, a lush field of sunflowers swayed in the moonlight.

"My heart," Seleste whispered.

Cal seemed to take that as a good sign, as he tugged her along down the hill toward a blanket spread out amongst the sunflowers. She caught sight of a picnic basket and a bottle of wine before she pulled him to a stop and faced him.

"Before we continue, tell me what is bothering you."

It was hard to tell in the milky, pink light of the moon, but she thought he blushed. He sighed and looked adorably bashful. "I'm worried you're angry with me."

"Angry with you?" she couldn't help but smile for how sweet this man was, even if she had worries of her own.

"Yes. For speaking to my father about becoming the girls' governess without asking you first." He ran a hand down his freshly shaven jaw. "I thought if I asked you first you would have tried to talk me out of it.

"I would have," she said softly, and he looked down. Seleste gestured to the blanket. "You have a lovely set-up here. Let's sit."

"Uh oh," he grumbled, and she laughed, hoping it would dispel some of their trepidation.

Together, they sat on the white blanket embroidered with poppies. "I'm not angry with you." His face brightened, so open compared to when she'd first met him over a moon ago. "But I don't understand why you did it." She twirled a few strands of her braids around and around her finger. "I feared it was due to embarrassment."

Cal looked completely confounded, his face twisting into confusion with squinted eyes and his brows drawn together. "Embarrassment? I don't understand."

"Of me."

The colour drained from his face. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out as he leaned closer. "Is that what you think?" he finally said. "That I'm embarrassed of you, so I wanted to ensure you weren't a maid any longer?" He took both of her hands in hers. "Seleste, that is the furthest thing from the truth. I love my sisters, and I believe my mother is doing them a great disservice by limiting their education. Hades , it's the only thing my father and I can agree upon."

He kept eye contact with her, his gaze imploring her to believe him. "When I saw you with them this afternoon... You are so good with them." A smile curved his lips. "And they actually listen to you. Not to mention, you seemed happy." A brief pause, punctuated by his adoring smile.

"In fact, aside from when you're with me"—he puffed up his chest in exaggerated pride, deflating with a huff when she laughed—"you seem the happiest with the girls. You are brilliant, and kind, and everything I wish for them to be when they grow up."

Cal leaned in and kissed her cheek, pulling back to look at her again. "But if this isn't something you want to do, I can retract it. No one has told the girls yet. I wanted to ensure you were pleased with the arrangement before we did so."

A sweet peace filled Seleste, dispelling the knot of worry with finality. She reached up to cup his cheek in her hand. "I'm delighted to be the young ladies' governess. Thank you, Cal."

A wide grin spread across his face. "Rest assured that I do not care if you are a maid. Or a princess. Or a witch. Or a peddler."

He leaned in close and brushed his lips lightly to hers. When he pulled back, his eyes remained fixed on her mouth. He kissed her again, then moved in to gently press his lips against her neck, his next words, a breath against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. "I think you're incredible. "

Cal pulled back, his gaze fiery and intense.

Seleste smiled, this thing between them heady and intoxicating to the point she didn't think they needed any of the wine he'd brought.

His voice was husky as he said, "I'd do anything for that smile."

He closed the space between them again with a kiss so passionate that it rivalled the brilliance of a star shooting across the night sky. The dam between them broke, and Cal's hands found her waist, pulling her close. Breathing ragged, her head swimming, Seleste climbed onto his lap, settling right where his want for her met hers for him.

Her dress, pulled tight against her thighs, was so thin that she could feel every bit of him, a sensation she assumed was echoed for him, by the way his grip on her hips tightened. Sliding one hand down to cup her backside, his other went out behind him to steady them as her knees dug into the blanketed grass.

Cal pulled away, breathless. "Can I take off your dress?" The heady rasp in his voice made her toes curl. Not trusting her own voice, she only smiled and nodded.

With careful tenderness, as if he was afraid he'd break her, break their moment, Cal moved that hand from her backside, up her arm. She shivered beneath his touch, and he looked into her eyes. His fingers slid beneath the strap of her sleeveless dress, pulling it down her shoulder. He paused to kiss along her collarbone, and she tipped her head back, looking up at the moon.

So slowly that Seleste thought she would scream, he moved his lips lower, until he was at the curve of her breasts. Tugging at the straps of her gown again, the bodice slipped free, bunching at her waist. Cal sat back, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he took her in beneath the moonlight. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Before she could respond, Cal shifted, laying her down on the blanket. With one more look in her eyes, she watched his patience falter. He wanted her, but he was a gentleman. It wasn't a time for words, nor for waiting. Silently, Seleste kept eye contact with him as she unbuttoned his pants, and then shimmied out of her dress.

Cal's eyes fluttered shut for just a moment as he held himself over her, naked below him. The hunger in his eyes turned feral, just before he kissed her again, his hands exploring every inch of her until her back arched, a moan escaping when he found the slickness between her thighs.

"Seleste?" he breathed hard against her neck, his hips grinding into hers, a question deep within that one uttered name.

"Please," she whispered in his ear.

It was all he needed. Cal slipped into her, the pleasure already so intense that Seleste gasped, eternally grateful they were alone in the wilderness. His lips moved all along her mouth, her neck, her breasts, as he plunged in and out of her. Seleste's hands came up to his back, pulling him closer, their chests flush. Her nails scraped his shoulders, his breath hot against her ear.

" Gods ," he groaned as she watched their rhythm. The contrast of their skin a beautiful thing as they moved together beneath the moon.

Seleste writhed beneath him, constricting around him, moaning as she found her pleasure. Immediately, Cal found his as well, exploding within her in tandem .

Slick with sweat, they lay tangled in each other's arms, half on the grass and half on the crumpled blanket, surrounded by tall sunflowers and myriad stars. Seleste looked up at the moon, but Cal's eyes hardly strayed from her.

They lay that way until the sky turned from black to grey to pink at the edges, talking, nibbling, drinking, making love.

"I have to go," she whispered to Cal when the sun was almost awake.

"Please," he murmured sleepily, reaching up to hold her chin gently in his fingers, "never go."

She kissed his wine-stained lips, his perfect chest, and rose to don her dress.