Taming of the Shrew

Back in his college days, he recalled being forced to read “The Taming of the Shrew.”

Now since he was living his own fantasy, he’d title his novel “The Taming of Sophie Hatter,” and then marry the wench to change her last name to Jenkins so no bloody fool would come looking for her like the fools tended to do.

One in particular was fashioned out of a turnip for the longest time.

So when Sophie was invited to the castle in Kingsbury for a luncheon, Howl went with her.

Even though the invitation was written specifically to his dear shrew and Prince Justin even had the propriety to write “Please leave Howl at his castle” near the bottom of the scroll.

Silly git, thinking that he’d honestly leave Sophie alone for any amount of time without being in the general vicinity. And he didn’t disguise himself as he normally would when it was Sophie at the castle, because they knew her as his mother.

She most definitely wasn’t his mother at the moment, because what self-respecting son would leave kiss marks littering his mother’s chest if she were to unbutton that collar just a little bit more?

This time however, Calcipher was most gracious enough to fly in through a window and tell him that not only was said prince standing outside, he had an armed battalion about 3 meters behind him ready to take Sophie with force if necessary.

The git never learned, did he? Howl shook his head before stepping behind a massive curtain. He had no idea where the curtain came from, it just showed up in his room one day. But after deciding that it was a terrific hiding place when Sophie came a-callin’, he let it stay.

Just like today, as his lovely mouse poked her head into his room, called for him in about four different ways, because she was used to things like that and then decided that no, he wasn’t in his bedroom after all.

Of course not, because he was standing behind her and answered to her question of “where have you been?”

“In bed,” was his response before kissing her on her forehead. “Good morning, Sophie.”

“Morning Howl, do you realize just how long I’ve been looking for you?”

Howl sighed. She was always straight to business and desperately needed to loosen up and not care for once. Especially since she had no idea who was standing outside to yet knock on the door.

Not that anyone would be sweet or free enough to answer. “Forty-five minutes at my last count,” he replied just as he started kissing her jaw line, his lips working their way down the soft line as Sophie loudly protested.

When no one was looking, he cast an amplifying spell to make sure that everyone heard the fuss outside the castle.

“Howl Jenkins, just what the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?” She screeched as he bit and nibbled on her ear and neck.

“Having lunch,” he murmured as he pushed her against the hallway wall and kissed her as lovers should.

Meanwhile, as the ruckus died down outside because the spell wore off right after Howl and Sophie apparently fell to the floor in a fit of ecstasy…

…Justin was standing there with the battalion feeling rather scandalized.