Page 286 of House Ignis

“Now, let’s get you clean, you little heathen.”

He dropped his towel without a shred of modesty, and gods, he was hard and ready for me again.

I licked my lips, the sight of him stirring the fire in my blood despite the exhaustion.

I let my own coverage fall to the floor, biting my nail with a shy smile as I took his offered hand.

He guided me into the steaming water, letting out a low laugh.

“This isn’t a bath, darling. This is a fucking pool.”

The heat felt divine, instantly soothing my aching center and the sore muscles from our hunt in the gardens.

But the relaxation didn't last long. Asher reached for me, hoisting me up until my legs were locked around his waist.

The rigid length of him settled perfectly between my folds, grinding against me with a slow, agonizing friction that drew a sharp moan from my throat.

He captured the sound with his lips, kissing me deeply as he navigated us through the water toward the floor-to-ceiling window.

We stopped at the glass, the lights of Zymarra spread out beneath us like fallen stars.

“Gods, look at this city,” he admired, his voice thick with reverence. “It’s burning beautifully tonight.”

I followed his gaze, looking out over the kingdom that was my birthright.

“Yeah,” I whispered, the weight of the crown settling on my shoulders. “And one day, it will all be mine.”

Asher pulled back just enough to assess me, his silver eyes searching mine with a sudden, devastating softness.

“And I will be by your side, if you would have me,” he murmured.

To emphasize the vow, he ground himself against me again, sending a violent shiver down my spine.

His shadows began to peel away from his skin, swirling around us in the steam like silent, watchful guardians.

He reached for a nearby bar of soap, his touch surprisingly gentle as he began to wash the dirt and sweat from my arms.

“I would love to have you,” I said, my voice losing its whisper and hardening into a royal command.

I looked him dead in the eye.

“If you never leave me again.”

His eyes snapped to mine, the silver hardening into cold, unbreakable steel.

He didn't say anything at first, just stared, then a slow, lethal grin pulled at his mouth.

"Is that a command, princess?"

I didn't waver, even as he continued to wash the grime from my skin, his body still grinding against mine with a rhythmic, torturous heat.

"I don't want to command you," I said, my voice cracking despite my effort to stay cold. "But you left me."

I bit back the tears that threatened to blur my vision, but I couldn't hide them from the bond.

He sensed the fracture in my composure instantly.

He stopped washing me, his hands going still against my skin as he looked straight at me.