Page 90

Heat tightened low inside me. His warm breath against my ear. That deep rumble of his voice settled beneath my skin.

Close enough to touch you means close enough to bleed.

I pulled the sheer nightgown free. The bodice soft and delicate, the rest fell free. It was beautiful. So… very beautiful. I pulled it closer, pressed the softness against my cheek. Fear flickered through me. Pale eyes filled my mind. My body shivered.

I took the nightdress with me as I went to the bathroom.

I didn’t turn to the shower. No. I wanted to sink into the warmth. Let it soak and ease and swallow me whole. The claw-foot bath waited at the end of the bathroom. Old. Pristine. Deep. I placed my nightgown on the counter. Lights flickered overhead and a deep rumble followed.

Another storm was coming.

I pulled the thick, heavy candles down. Found matches in the drawer and lit them. Placing them on the floor. My nerves were already frayed. The last thing I needed was utter darkness.

Alaric!

My own scream came back to me.

I fitted the plug into place and hit the tap, wincing as it squealed. Water gushed hard, splashing the sides of the bath. Candlelight flickered. The soft amber glow danced off the walls in the bathroom. Some tightness loosened inside me. I rose, then switched off the lights.

It was so beautiful here.

Almost like the world out there never existed.

Look at you.

That sick, bastard’s voice invaded.

You made them hopeful.

“No.” I whispered. “You don’t get to come back for me now. Not without a fight.”

Here.

Alaric’s voice filled me, consuming the vile whisper of that man.

Here is where you end him.

I pulled off my boots, my socks, then my pants and shirt, dropping them beside the bath. Steam drifted from the water. I tested the heat, then sank my foot under the surface. Heat stung as it raced upwards. I held my breath and sank all the way in.

Slowly my body claimed the temperature and the heat worked its way into my thigh. A deep-seated sigh escaped as I leaned back against the cold iron.

That tiny bead of blood rose in my mind. Alaric’s throat exposed. His own honed knife. I could’ve cut him. He knew that. I closed my eyes as that thought settled inside me. He trusted me. But it was more than that. The book. The fruit. The training.

That’s it. You’re safe. No one touches you here.

A shiver tore through me.

I lifted my hand. My fingers brushed peaked nipples.

That was the problem, wasn’t it?

I wanted his hands on me again only this time lower.

A moan escaped. The water lapped my body. I slid my hand lower, over my belly and between my thighs.

“Alaric,” I whispered and pushed a finger inside.

Heat coiled inside me as water lapped softly against my skin. His voice still lingered beneath my ribs.