HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I woke up to the warm body of Ivan pressed against my naked back. I smiled as I placed my hand on his forearm that was wrapped possessively around my waist.

"Good morning." Ivan said in a gruff voice, his hot breath tickling my ear.

I let out a giggle as I nestled against him. "Good morning indeed, sleep well?"

"With your body tucked in my arms, I'd say it's the best sleep I've had." Ivan whispered trailing out kisses around my body, causing me to sigh in contentment. "Happy birthday."

I paused at that, then shifted so I was turning to look at Ivan. "Wh..what did you say to me?" I whispered, afraid I had misheard him.

Ivan smiled then inched closer to me. "Happy birthday to you my love." Ivan said than planted a kiss on my forehead and I felt tears well up my eyes.

"How? How did you..."

"Know?" Ivan completed my statement raising his eyebrows up at me. "Did you really think I would forget my wife's birthday?" He asked looking at me in disbelief while I chuckled dryly at him.

"It's not really something everyone wish me." I sniffed at him.

Ivan smiled wryly at me. "Cruzita told me before she passed." Ivan says watching my expression and he pulled me close to him when I sobbed.

Of course it should have been Cruzita who would have told him that. She was the only one who ever remembered my birthday. Well of course I'm sure my father does too but he doesn't really talk about it since that was when my mother died. No one spoke of my birthday they pretend it doesn't exist, except Cruzita.

She would bake me a bread because there was no way she could bake a cake without my father knowing so she would bake a bread and fill it with coconut and chocolate. No one questioned why we eat that kind of bread on my birthday, they just assumed it was any normal breakfast but only Cruzita knew that. And even though it wasn't cake or gifts, I was always grateful to her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry." Ivan apologized pulling me close to him.

I shook my head and eased away from him to look at him. "No, no, this are happy tears." I sniffed at him while he arched a brow up at me, "I'm glad you remembered, it means a lot to me. I've never heard anyone wish me besides Cruzita, thank you."

"Well then get used to it, because I plan on wishing you a lot more in the future."

Ivan says with a smile and brought his head down about to kiss me when the door suddenly slammed open and Kiran, Aurora along with Yasmin entered carrying a cake!

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They chorused while I struggled to wrap myself in the satin sheet but thankfully Ivan already shielded me with his body.

"Well this is a wonderful sight to behold." I heard Kiran drawl his tone filled with amusement.

Ivan turned to look at his brother a growl already rumbling in his chest. "Have you ever heard of knocking?"

"Apologies my lord, I tried to stop them." I heard Yasmin say as I pulled my gown up to my waist.

"It's okay, I'm decent now." I told Ivan placing a hand on his chest soothingly. Ivan eased back and I turned to stare at my friends, "Hey guys!" I greeted smiling at them.

Aurora shook her head at me a look of amusement on her face. "You are so lucky we didn't call the musicians in to sing you a birthday song as part of our surprise."

"Not that they would mind the view though." Kiran commented sending a wink my way and I shook my head at him.

"Happy birthday your highness." Yasmin wished me and I grinned at her.

"Thank you Yasmin."

"Alright then, how about we leave this two so they can get dressed and join us for breakfast?" Aurora suggested looking at me and I grinned sheepishly.

Kiran scoffed at his sister. "If they can join us cause I'm sure they've got other plans, right brother?" Kiran asked Ivan who let out another growl but Kiran just waggled his brows at him, not fazed by Ivan's anger.

"Don't worry we will be there." I told them while placing a hand on Ivan's.

My friends nodded their heads at me before they left, shutting the door with Ivan giving them strict instructions not to allow anyone else in.

"Good gods, I thought they'd never leave." Ivan said with a loud sigh and I shoved him playfully.

"Be nice! They just came to greet me." I told him still smiling at the thought of people actually remembering my birthday.

Ivan noticed the smile on my face and leaned in for a kiss. I moaned when he deepened the kiss and his hands slid lower, pulling the dress away from my chest. His hand moved to palm my breast and when he tried to push me back onto the bed, I rolled away from him.

"Come on, let's go get ready." I told him laughing when he rolled his eyes.

"You really going to deny me the pleasure of seeing your beautiful body this morning huh?"

"Who says anything about denying you?" I asked arching a brow up at him as I let go of my dress, "Want to take a bath with me?" I said making my voice sultry as I looked at Ivan who was happily ogling my body on the bed, his eyes filled with desire.

I turned and headed towards the bathroom with Ivan right after me. It was a real challenge to be able to get out of the bathtub because of Ivan's wandering hands. I had told him I didn't want to be late to breakfast but Ivan said he was starving but not for food.

Ivan had fingered me inside the bathtub while I writhe in pleasure and even when I reached my climax, he didn't stop. He continued fingering me with two fingers this time till I had an orgasm for the second time. When I stepped out of the bathtub, my legs felt like jelly and Ivan had to carry me all the way to the bedroom.

He was also the one who dressed me. He picked out a gold shimmery dress for me to wear and he also placed a golden crown encrusted in diamonds on my head. When he had finished dressing and he was dressed himself we stepped out of our bedroom to head to the dining hall where our friends were waiting for us. But I noticed we weren't heading there, Ivan was taking me some place else.

"Where are we going to?" I asked looking at Ivan in confusion.

"You'll see!" Was all Ivan said as he led me towards a stairs I hadn't seen in the castle before.

Where is he taking me? I asked myself as I hiked my gown up to climb down the stairs. "It better not be a dungeon." I muttered under my breath but not surprising, Ivan heard me and he arched a brow up at me.

"Don't give me that look, you are the one leading me towards a dark stairs I haven't seen before!" I defended myself to which Ivan rolled his eyes at but he didn't say anything instead he just continued leading me till we stopped in front of a big door.

I arched a brow up at him but Ivan just pushed the door open and I could see nothing but darkness. I turned to look at him but he just nodded towards the door, encouraging me to enter. I gave Ivan a weary look before I took a deep breath and entered the dark room.

I couldn't see anything at all! The place was completely dark and I was starting to get scared. I instinctively took a step backwards but I collided against a hard chest.

"I'm right here." Ivan whispered and I could feel his hot breath on my neck which calmed me, a little.

"Ivan what's this place? Why am I here? Where..."

My words died down when suddenly bright lights filled the whole place, momentarily blinding me but when I got used to the light I let out a gasp at what I saw.

Right in front of me where tall shelves, shelves that contained books! Tons and tons of books! I left Ivan's side and walked deeper into the room, marveling at the books that were on the shelves.

"So?" Ivan asked from behind me, "Did you like it?" He asked and I could detect a note of uncertainty in his voice.

I turned to look at him feeling tears well up my eyes at the man in front of me. All my life, all my years no one had shown me this amount of love, but here I was receiving it from a man I once considered a beast, a monster!

"Arianne please say something." Ivan pleaded when I continued staring at him without saying anything, "Oh gods! Is it too much? Fuck! Cruzita mentioned you loved reading so I had this former ballroom converted into a library and filled it up with books! Gods maybe I did too much, maybe I..."

Instead of answering I ran towards Ivan and jumped into Ivan's arms, cutting off his rambling with a kiss. Ivan was stunned for a second but he wrapped his hands around me and kissed me deeply.

"I love it!" I declared easing away to look up at Ivan, "I love it so much!"

"And I love you." Ivan blurted out causing my eyes to widen, then my face morphed into a smile.

Instead of answering him, I brought Ivan's head down so I could kiss him which I did. I kissed him deeply pouring all my emotions into it and making sure he could feel the love I have for him in the kiss.