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I increased the weight of my steps so as not to startle her, then threw her over my shoulder and carried both her and the book into the waiting steam. “You better not drop that book into the water. It’s an original.”
She giggled as she pounded my back, reminiscent of our earlier fight but without the animosity. “I think I read my first full sentence!”
“Oh? What did it say?” Her tiny feet hit the cold tile, and I lifted the book from her hands, turning it so I could check her work.
“Angels have white hair and blue eyes.”
“Good work. You are so fucking smart, sprite.”
She had to crane her neck to look at me when I stood this close to her, her petite frame dwarfed by my own. Her aquamarine eyes glittered, accentuated by the blush across her cheeks. “Thanks for this – the bath and teaching me to read.”
“I’ll be waiting for you in the bedroom, ready with scented oils to soothe your muscles whenever you are finished in here.” I tucked a lock of her chestnut hair behind her pointed ear.
“Okay,” she said, and my breath caught as she took anotherstep in my direction, without me forcing her closer. Her hand rested on my chest, right over my thundering heart. I dared not move, for she was like a wild animal and one wrong move might spook her. Balancing on the tip of her toes, she ran delicate fingers across the stubble lining my jaw. “You take such good care of me.”
Her voice was sweet with a hint of huskiness, nearly sending me to my knees. But before I could do or say anything, she spun on her heel and pranced toward the waiting bath.
That was my cue to exit. The door shut softly behind me, but I did not retreat until water splashed and blissful sighs floated through the door. The tub was one of my favorite parts of the palace, and I hoped one day we would enjoy it together. For the moment, I would prepare to indulge my mate.
After changing into loose pants, I arranged the scented oil I’d selected for her massage – lavender with a hint of rose, reminding me so much of her floral scent. Then, I picked up a book of my own and settled on the bed, facing the mountains gilded by the late afternoon sun. My hearing was trained intently on the sounds coming from the bathroom as I waited. This was my opportunity to bring her closer; I merely had to keep my temper in check while I got her hooked on the passion we shared.
18
The bath was incredible, and I sank into the steaming water with gusto as the heat sank into my muscles. Aches abated, and the soft cloth rolled over the edge of the tub provided a welcome respite to my tense neck. I was perfectly positioned to watch the creamy golden rays disappear over the snow-capped peaks in the distance. Vanilla and burnt sugar enveloped me as I dispersed some of the bubbles, pulling the floating tray closer, and as I sipped from the wine glass, the taste of plums and chocolate washed over my tongue.
I could get used to this.
Not only the luxurious lifestyle, but being taken care of, like I hadn’t been – Ruslan hadn’t been – before. Thoughts of King Azim’s cruelty caused me to tense once again, and I took a few slow breaths to calm the adrenaline and my racing heart. Another sip of wine helped as I focused on the taste and glide of the liquid across my tongue, then listened to the slight fizz of soap against the warm water, and finally counted the sharp peaks in the distance. Once I felt centered, I surrendered to the moment of peace, appreciating the quiet space to relax – as much as I could with Ruslan waiting to massage my soreness.
Would I allow him to touch me so intimately?
We had a furious passion between us, as evidenced by the damning kiss at the top of the stairs this morning, and my core heated at the memory of him pressing me into the wall, his lips angry and desperate against my own. I would not have stopped him at that moment, of that I was certain. Weeks of banter, seductive words, and possessiveness from Ruslan had my thighs aching and breasts heavy at the slightest provocation. My body responded to his as intensely, if not more intensely, than it had to Kazimir’s, and the more I learned about the world, the more I wondered if Kazimir and my friends had kept more from me than I realized. There was simply no way the rest of the realms were totally ignorant of the inner workings in the Iron Realm, of the fact that dozens of different peoples roamed the streets of Radence.
Every day, the seed of doubt grew. If only I could speak with Kazimir, he could explain all of this, and I could forgive him if he’d kept this from me only to protect me.
But I also understood Ruslan’s tortured psyche more than before, thanks to the information Zuriel had imparted earlier. It mirrored so much of my own: the scarcity of love and nurture through childhood, the trauma of kill or be killed, the do-whatever-to-survive mentality. Yet I rose above what happened to me, though I struggled with my emotions, and I probably always would. But I tried every day to manage better, to stay open to the wonders of the world around me, and to be kinder to myself and others.
Ruslan walked the opposite path, his experiences creating a wicked male who terrorized others to get what he wanted. Perhaps it was my gifts that guided me down my path, but if I could carve it for myself, Ruslan could follow. Against everything my head screamed at me, my heart softened day by daytoward the dark male, and I wanted to see him step into the light.
As the water chilled around me, I made my choice. Downing the last of my wine for courage, I wrapped myself in a fluffy robe hanging near the edge of the tub, then checked my hair in the mirror, pulling a few pieces loose to frame my face. A pink flush dusted my cheeks, but my bright blue eyes held a serenity I hadn’t seen before.
It was time to see what happened when I surrendered.
I found Ruslan lounging on the bed, his nose buried in a book, and I paused for a moment to admire his form at ease, a slight crease in his brow as he concentrated on the lines in front of him. He was devastatingly handsome, and as he finished the page, shutting the leather cover with a light snap, I swallowed down a ball of nerves. His muscles flexed and rolled as he pushed himself to kneeling, and my breath fled. Ruslan, shirtless, was what every female dreamed of, and his wicked grin told me he knew it too. But it was the dark fire in his eyes as they locked on my shoulders, where the robe had dropped slightly, baring them and my collarbone, that scared me the most.
“I’ll take this as a yes?”
“Yes,” I breathed, then with trembling hands I unfastened the belt holding the robe together, slowly pulling the knot apart like I was unwrapping a present. My hips swayed as I walked toward him, eyes roaming over his broad chest and shoulders, following the lines of his tattoos down to the V that dipped below his waistband, where the outline of his hardness grew with each step I took. The robe fell over my shoulders as I crawled onto the bed, and he choked as I shucked it off and lay face down on the soft blankets.
“Tell me how you like it,” he croaked, and I celebrated a small victory by having shocked him with my actions.
“Start softly.”
He swept a few stray tendrils of hair off my back, then poured warm oil across my bare skin. It smelled of lavender, and the calming scent helped steady my racing heart. With bated breath, I waited for the first touch of his hands.
Rough fingers spread the oil along my spine, fire racing across my skin with each touch. His movements were gentle and slow, with a slight tremble in his hands as if he held back because he knew I would bolt if he moved too quickly.
The bed dipped under his weight as he crawled to my head, and I got a full view of his abs flexing as he stroked up and down my spine, thumbs circling at the base before returning to my neck. My lower belly heated as he worked, both the view and his oiled hands arousing me.
