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The man was naked, save for the towel wrapped around his waist that kept him from being exposed to her entirely. But what she could see was more than enough. Tall and broad-shouldered, his muscled body was as defined as if it were carved from stone, his arms marked with old scars that were white against tanned flesh. And his face . . . Dark hair framed high cheekbones and a strong jaw, which were tempered by full lips. His eyes roved over her, making color rise to her cheeks.
“Of course of all the rooms she could’ve put you in, she chosethat one,” he said, and the familiarity of his voice was like a pail of icy water being dumped over her head as she realizedwhowas standing before her. All she saw now was that wicked mask, and all she heard wasMaridrina will starve.
Lara’s hands twitched to the knives at her waist, but she covered the motion by adjusting the waist of her dress.
He wasn’t fooled. “Do you even know how to use those?”
The thought that she could kill this arrogant, condescending man where he stood danced through her head, but Lara only gave him a sweet smile. “I’ve cut my fair share of meat.”
His eyes brightened with interest. “So the little princess has a backbone after all.” Gesturing to her knives, he said, “I meant, do you know how to fight with them?”
To say no meant she couldneverbe caught using them in any capacity without outing herself as a liar, so instead Lara cocked one bemused eyebrow. “I was raised to be your queen, not a common soldier.”
The interest in his eyes flickered out. Which would not do. She was supposed to seduce him and, in doing so, make him trust her. But for that to happen, he had to want her. The misting rain had made the silk of her dress damp, and she could feel it clinging to her breasts. She’d been trained for this. Had sat through countless lessons where she’d been taught precisely what she needed to do to catch a man’s interest. And to keep it. Arching her back, she said, “Are you here to claim what is your due?”
His expression didn’t shift. If anything, he appeared bored with her. “The only thing I’m due for is a bath before dinner. Dragging your ass back from Southwatch was sweaty business. You’re heavier than you look.”
Lara’s cheeks flamed.
“That said, if you are inclined to do the same, you are welcome to go first. Given you haven’t seen a wash in three days, you probably need it more than I do.”
She stared at him, at a loss for words.
“But, if you’re only out here to admire the . . .foliage, perhaps you might grant me a modicum of privacy.” He gave her a lazy smile. “Or not. I’m not shy.”
That was what he expected. For her to be dutiful little Maridrinian wife and attend to his needs, whether she wanted to or not.
It was what he expected, she thought, watching him watch her,but it wasn’t what he wanted.Thoughts flicked through her mind one after another. Of the clothes he wore, the colors intended to blend into jungle around them. The scars, which had clearly come from battle. The bow he’d held in his hand, ready to use at a heartbeat’s notice.This man is a hunter, she decided.And what he wants is a chase.
She was more than happy to give him one. Especially if it meant delaying a certain inevitability that she was desperate to avoid.
“Then you can wait.” She smiled inwardly at the surprise that lit up his eyes. Unbuckling her belt, she dropped the weapons next to the edge of the pool, then turned her back on the king, pushing the straps of her dress off as she did. Peeling the damp silk from her body, Lara kicked the garment aside, feeling his eyes on her as she stepped into the pool, with only her hair hanging to the small of her back to conceal her naked flesh.
It was scorching hot. A temperature that one needed to ease into, slowly, but Lara gritted her teeth and waded down the steps, only turning when the swirling water covered her breasts.
The king stared at her. She gave him a serene smile. “I’ll let you know when I’m finished.”
He opened his mouth as though to argue, then shook his head once and turned. Lara allowed him to take three steps before calling out, “Your Majesty.”
The King of Ithicana turned to regard her, not quite hiding the anticipation in his expression.
Lara let her head fall back so that the waterfall poured over her hair. “Please leave me the soap. I’m afraid I forgot to bring any out with me.” She hesitated, then added, “The towel, too.”
The bar landed in the water next to her with a splash. Lara opened her eyes in time to watch him remove the towel from his waist and toss it on a rock, his feet smacking against the path as he strode naked back to his room.
Biting the insides of her cheeks, Lara struggled to contain her grin. This man might be a hunter. But he was mistaken if he believed she was prey.
7
Lara
Lara stayedin the hot springs until her skin was pink and wrinkled, half to annoy the King of Ithicana and half because the sensation of being wholly immersed in warm water was an unfamiliar delight. In the oasis, bathing had been limited to a basin, a cloth, and lots of vigorous scrubbing.
Back in her rooms, she took care with her appearance, selecting a sky-blue gown that left her arms and most of her cleavage bare, braiding her wet hair into a coronet that revealed her neck and shoulders. In her trunk was a chest of cosmetics, the false bottom concealing tiny jars of poisons and drugs, from which she tucked a vial into her cleverly designed bracelet. She darkened her lashes and swept gold dust across her skin, staining her lips a rosy pink right as the clock on the desk struck the seventh hour. Then, taking a deep breath, she stepped out into the hallway and followed the smell of food.
The polished floor of the hall reflected the light from beautiful sconces made of Valcottan glass. The walls were covered with a latticework of thin pieces of amber-colored wood, on which several bright paintings framed with bronze were hung. The end of the hallway led to a kitchen, so she took the door leading left, and found herself in a foyer tiled with marble, a heavy exterior door framed with windows revealing nothing in the growing darkness.
“Lara.”
