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Willing herself to act unaffected, Amelie removed her shoes and crossed to the tub, which was nearly full. She couldn’t decide whether to undress with her back to him, or her front. After a moment’s hesitation, she turned to the side.
If she had to watch him as he watched her undress, she wouldn’t be able to go through with it. Not because she didn’t want him to see her. But because, more and more, she was confused by what she felt for him.
To stall, she untied the ribbons of her dress with deliberate slowness. She thought about what the Dark One had said about him—it implied that he loved Amelie. How could that be possible? Love surely did not bloom in such conditions; a deal struck by her brothers, a decade-long curse. The day she first arrived, Davron had seemed outright disappointed with her. Of course, he did not love her.
And she did not love him. The thought had not even crossed her mind. She was having enough difficulty deciphering the feelings and sensations that had arisen in her during those mesmerizing minutes in the library, when she’d held his hand and he’d spoken with such rawness. Her heart was drawn to him, that much she conceded.
The rest of her body was drawn to him, too. His transformation into a beast had ultimately dominated the experience for both of them, but privately, she knew that in the moments leading up to his switch, she had become aroused by him. Touching him aroused her. Proximity to him aroused her. His deep voice rumbling through her core made her breath catch. Most of all, she’d enjoyed glimpsing the heart of the man who’d been closed off from the world for so long.
There was a part of her that had not wanted him to stop, even when he’d become a beast, growling and wild. For a moment, she’d thought letting him ravage her would be worth it. Part of her wanted to be as close as two people could be, even if it doomed her.
None of it made sense.
But what did Amelie know about love? Or sex? She’d never known either of those things, let alone in concert. Coming to Castle Grange, she’d been as closed off as Davron, except without the castle and the curse as an excuse.
And now, how should she behave? How should she proceed? Were they still pretending she was a guest and nothing more?
Well, she had almost died that afternoon. Tomorrow, she might be in peril once more. The death of her parents had taught her that another day was never promised.
Therefore, today, in this very moment, she wanted to live, even if it made her pulse race.
Especially if it made her pulse race.
Amelie paused. The ribbons and buttons on her dress were undone. The only thing left to do was to remove the garment. Did she dare?
She eased one hand under the collar and pushed the fabric over her ivory shoulder. Without looking in Davron’s direction, she did the same on the other side. Wriggling her hips, she tugged the fabric down over her chest, exposing her pert breasts and petal-pink nipples.
Davron was silent and still. She felt his intense gaze on her. A thrill of excitement shivered down her back, urging her to continue.
In one movement, she pulled the dress over her stomach and hips, revealing the curve of her behind. The fabric of the dress pooled around her feet and she stepped out of it, naked. The silver rose was in the pocket and she left the dress nearby, in case Davron was overcome by his beast. It seemed unlikely, but then, she did not presume to know all of the Dark One’s tricks.
She lifted one leg into the bath, plunging her foot into the water. The heat made her gasp, alongside the fact she knew Davron would right now be glimpsing the private pink essence between her legs. The part where she’d grown slick and warm with desire when he pinned her to the lounge in the library, despite her shock and fear. Was he able to sense it, then and now? That for all his roughness and scars and secrets and gloom, he had caught her attention like no man before?
While adjusting to the scalding water, she tidied her hair, lifting her arms to remove the hairpin. She swept her hair up and secured it, a few locks curling around her face from the steam. Her smooth skin flushed with heat.
Once her leg was used to the heat, she stepped into the bath and lowered her slender form into the water, making her sigh with pleasure. The water absorbed more than the grit and dirt of the day. It also relaxed her muscles and slowed her thoughts.
Only then did she look up, directly into Davron’s eyes. He was in control of himself, she noted with relief. No claws, nor bared teeth.
His utter stillness made him appear like a statue of a mythic being. His heavy brow and square jaw, bisected by the harsh scar, cast craggy shadows. It was like he’d been carved from stone by a mad yet brilliant artist. His thick dark hair hung to his broad shoulders, and the low light obscured the garish details of his forbidding tattoos.
His long, muscular limbs stretched out in front of him, his incredible hands resting on top of his thighs. The only indication of tension was in his fingers, which he flexed occasionally, the veins under the spiderweb tattoos bulging. He wore a loose linen shirt and dark trews.
“You are the most spectacular thing to ever exist,” he said to her.
The resonating depth of his voice made Amelie feel like he spoke directly into her body—like she heard him with more than her ears and mind. She felt him on another level, and she wanted to find out what else lay beneath his rough exterior.
Gathering her courage, she replied. “Davron, may I sleep in your bed tonight? For safety?”
His lips curved into a smile. “Yes, Amelie. You may.”
CHAPTER 16
Wrapped in nothing but a light silk robe, her skin still flushed from the bath, Amelie stood opposite Davron at the foot of his bed. The clock chimed and the windows were dark.
He reached out to touch her, only to pull up short, leaving his hand suspended just shy of her cheek.
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “You won’t break me.”
