Page 68 of Bound By the Sleeper’s Harp

“Good, yes?”

I took another sip. There was no chance I’d recognize any of the flavors. I wasn’t anything close to a sommelier. But I could tell it was the best wine I’d ever had. “So freaking good. I could get in trouble with this.”

“Glad you like it. Thought the occasion called for it, after the day we’ve had.”

I nodded, setting my glass down to unzip my boots. I slipped out of them, discarded my socks, and grabbed my glass, going to sit at the side of the pool. Cool water met my skin and I sighed, swishing my legs through it, wiggling my toes. I could feel Bastian’s gaze digging into my back.

After a moment, the sound of his glass plinked on the table. I turned to regard him and caught an eyeful of skin as he slipped out of his shirt. Next came his pants.

My lips parted. Maybe I should look away, but I couldn’t. His briefs hit the ground and he straightened to his full height, eyes heatedly challenging me. I didn’t stop myself from looking my fill. My gaze lingered on his hardening length. I swallowed, mouth suddenly dry. He was…huge. His cock stood proud, curving slightly. I wasn’t close enough to make out the intimate details of it, but I saw enough.

For a brief moment, his glamor flashed, giving me an eyeful of his goblin form, which was⁠—

I ripped my gaze away, turning toward the pool. His low rumble skittered over my skin, sending goosebumps in its wake. He knew exactly where my mind was. I refused to look at him. The splash of water was my only indication that he’d jumped in.

I watched him pop up. His wet hair slicked back, unbraided now. The ends fanned out around him in the water as he treaded in place. The pool rippled, but I could still see everything below the surface in a distorted way. Heat prickled my skin, set my toes curling.

My panties were dripping wet, an ache building between my legs. I wanted him—badly. I squeezed my thighs tightly together, as if that would make a difference.

Bastian swam in my direction, stopping several feet away. He made a show of inhaling before a smug smile spread across his face, enough to form a dimple. “Love that smell on you, baby girl.”

“You’re such a prying asshole,” I muttered under my breath, positive that he’d heard my words with his goblin hearing, especially when he chuckled and ducked beneath the surface.

I took the moment of privacy to pull my hair up off my neck, to cool myself. It was no use. I was burning up, tiny beads of sweat forming at my temples. I buried my nose in my wine, taking several big gulps to distract myself. But nothing could distract me from the sight of him swimming around underwater. The tattoos that lined his body. There was one low on his hip that wrapped around to the back of his left buttock. Fucking hell, I was so, so lost.

He popped back up, grinning. “Why don’t you join me, Elle? You shy?”

My answering laugh was brittle. He wanted me in the pool with him—naked. I could keep my underclothes on. He didn’t have to see everything, which would make me look and feel like a total prude. Ugh. I knew he’d seen plenty of female bodies, possibly even males too, if he enjoyed that sort of thing. Someone as old as him probably did. But…

“Shall I turn around first, to allow you some privacy?”

I scoffed and stood, taking another gulp of wine, enjoying its warmth. Then I strode to the table and set it down before stripping. I kept my eyes locked with his as my shirt came off. Then I shimmied out of my shorts. Even at this distance, I could see his pupils dilate, swallowing up the green.

I reached for the clasp of my bra and paused, gauging his reaction. His lips were parted, breaths coming a little faster than normal. I snapped the clasp and let it fall down my arms and onto the pool deck. I was a modest B cup. I’d been a dancer much of my life, so my curves were lean. I was fine with that.

Apparently, Bastian was, too.

I knew the moment his eyes lost the battle, trailing down to my chest. His gaze was fixed there. I slipped my fingers beneath the band of my thong. As soon as it began sliding down my hips, he followed the motion downward with a muttered, “Fuck,” that pierced the tense silence building between us. I slipped it off, letting it fall beside my bra, then I walked gracefully to the deep end of the pool.

His eyes branded every inch of my exposed skin. I welcomed the heat, knowing the water would douse the flames. I’d need it, especially between my thighs, to temper the ache there.

Gently bending my knees, I sprang from the ground and executed a perfect swan dive. I heard a distant, “Fucking hell,” right before I plunged beneath the water’s surface. Cold rushed in around me, tightening my nipples. I let myself sink all the way to the bottom, then gave a powerful kick, pushing up to the surface. When I broke free, I opened my eyes and found Bastian’s hungry face, inches from mine.

23

“Ithink you delight in impressing me,” Bastian rumbled. His hands darted out, wrapping around my waist and pulling our bodies flush together. He was tall enough to touch the bottom, but I was not. I practically groaned at the feel of him against me. The contrast of heat pouring off his skin against mine, surrounded by cold water. My nipples turned to painful points.

“Is it working?” My words were breathless. “Me impressing you?”

I tried to keep the mood light, despite the sparks crackling between us.

“I’ve been impressed since the moment you sassed me in the coffee shop.”

“Oh? Not used to women mouthing off at you?”

“Depends on what you mean by mouthing off.”

I choked and made a half-hearted attempt to push him away. His hands tightened. He backed up until I could just reach the bottom if I pointed my toes. Then his knee parted my thighs, leg pressing against my pussy. I whimpered.