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“I guess you won’t be coming back to Maximo’s, huh?” Tristiana commented flippantly.
The question hit me like a ton of bricks, although I wasn’t sure why it affected me so intensely.
“Why not?” I asked indignantly, a mild panic setting in. “I can still work. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“Oh… I just thought… well, with the baby on the way… and you’re probably going to be the queen…”
My blush ran deeper with the mention of queenhood, but I didn’t focus on it.
“I’m barely showing at all,” I reminded her quickly. “I can probably still work for a few more weeks.”
“Will the king allow that?”
The question irritated me. “He met me at Maximo’s,” I reminded her.
“Yeah, but you weren’t pregnant with the prince or princess back then.”
I gritted my teeth, suddenly wishing I hadn’t called. I should have known better. All I ever got with Tristiana was a healthy dose of reality.
“I’m still the same fae I was before I got pregnant,” I growled. I’d hoped for some absolution or a pep talk. Instead, Tristiana was making me second guess my move to the castle. Again. And she had been right the first time, too.
“I know that,” she replied. “But does he?”
The query lingered between us like stale air, but before I could respond, a rough knock on the door startled me.
“What is it?” I demanded, my annoyance mounting.
“Just checking to make sure you’re all right, miss. Do you need anything?” the female guard asked.
“I have to go,” I told Tristiana.
“Who is that?” she asked, but I didn’t bother explaining as I rose from the side of the tub and made my way across the spacious, six-piece bath.
“I’ll call you later,” I promised, hanging up before I could confront the guard. I threw open the door and scowled angrily. “Look,” I told her, barely containing my aggravation. “I know you have orders to be here, and nothing I can say will make you leave my bedroom, but I don’t appreciate being interrupted when I’m in the bathroom. That’s really humiliating.”
Without a hint of shame, she nodded. “I understand, miss, but I do have instructions to keep a close watch on you.”
Heat rushed up my neck and through my face.
What does Nyx think is going to happen here?
“Don’t knock on the door when I’m in here again.”
I closed the door before she could respond, my blood boiling at the indignity of it all, but this time, I did start the steam shower, determined to calm down before I did or said something I regretted.
Is this the way it’s going to be now?I wondered, stripping off my clothes. The incident had scared me, too, but that was no reason to rob me of my basic privacy.
The hot water fogged up the bathroom, and I stepped into the glass-encased interior, allowing the streams of water to fall over my naked form. As soon as the heat hit my flesh, I immediately felt the stress ease off me, the six separate shower heads caressing me from all angles.
I was so lost in the warmth, I didn’t notice Nyx had entered the bathroom until he was inside the shower with me, naked as I was. I spun around, almost slipping in surprise. His strong arms caught me easily as he pulled me toward him.
“Easy,” he chuckled lightly. “I thought you saw me.”
I drew back, biting on my lower lip. His nudeness instantly aroused me, but the sight of him aroused all my previous misgivings about the guards.
“I was calling you,” I told him with a sigh. “Your phone was off.”
He appeared confused, but the shadow lifted as he nodded his head. “Ah. There’s poor reception in the labs. You must have called when I was down there.”
