He chuckles softly, as he unties the laces of his vest, then disappears behind the screen next to him. A moment later, the sound of running water fills the room, and panic fills my chest.
Oh gods. He’s filling the damn tub.
I sit up a little straighter and clear my throat so my voice doesn’t come out the same way my insides feel.
“What are you doing?” I ask, raising my voice so he can hear me over the sound of the rushing water.
“Taking a bath.”
“Why?” I shriek, cringing at how I must sound and praying the water covers it up even just slightly.
He steps just beyond the edge of the screen at the end closest to the bed, his hands at his hips, slowly undoing the buckle of his belt. He’s still completely clothed, but the motion still feels indecent.
I swallow hard.
“Do I really need to explain why people take baths, princess?” he says with a smirk.
I keep my gaze trained on his face, trying to keep my expression as neutral as possible. “You know that’s not what I meant. I mean, why do you have to right now?”
“I’m not getting into bed sweaty and dirty.” The buckle on his belt clinks before the leather strap falls away. He tosses it on the floor before disappearing behind the screen again. The running water stops abruptly, followed by the rustle of fabric and the familiar sound of clothing hitting the floor.
Oh my gods.
Weston is naked. In this room. And I’m in this room.
Before coming to Dawnlin, I’d spent plenty of time around dirty and sweaty men in the training rings, but never in a way that required anyone to remove clothing. The showers in camp were combined, just like on the ship, but I did a good job ofavoiding being in there at the same time as any of the other men in either crew.
But this, this is unavoidable.
My eyes dart to the door, only to find he shut it behind him. I couldn’t get out even if I tried.
“You can’t take a bath with me in here!”
“Then close your eyes, princess. You were supposed to be asleep, remember?”
Water sloshes and hits the floor, followed by a low groan that resonates through the room. Indecent images flash through my mind, and heat pools between my thighs. I’ve never been in a room with a naked man before, let alone one who looks like Weston. My pulse is hammering again, my body affected the same as before, and I squeeze my thighs together at the way his groan hits me.
Stupid book. Stupid tub.
From where I sit in bed, he’s completely hidden behind the screen, but I know what he looks like beneath his shirt, which makes it easy for my mind to conjure up the images.
Water darkened hair, tousled with droplets falling down onto his skin. The long column of his neck leading right into round, muscular shoulders. The muscles in his back rippling as he reaches up to rest his bulging arms on the rim of the porcelain. His powerful hands massaging suds into his glistening skin.
“Ugh!” I grunt to myself, pulling the pillow out from behind my back and fluffing it with my pent up aggression. Leaning over, I blow out the candle, and slide farther down into the sheets, pulling the bedding up to my shoulder and curving in on myself, as if I’ve transported back in time to my first night being forced to sleep in this bed.
This is wrong. I should not be thinking about him this way. I blame Dawnlin for sending me one of Tila’s books and Weston for provoking me all night.
Please, don’t let me have another dream for him to overhear.
Squeezing my eyes shut tight, I try to focus on taking deep breaths, but I barely get through a few when the water sloshes again, bringing me right back into the room.
“Is this us being friends?” Weston says, taking me completely off guard.
“We’re not friends,” I answer automatically.
He chuckles but doesn’t argue.
Befriending him was my new strategy to get him to trust me, and after tonight it seems like it is working, but my answer was for me, to remind myself that I shouldn’t be friends with him, not truly, despite how normal and comfortable this feels. No matter how much he jokes with me and provokes me.
