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“Funny how you never accuse any of your other guests of taking over.”
Instead of responding, he said, “Do you often feign drowning?”
“I wasn’t feigning anything. I was just diving under the water.”
He sniffed. “When you didn’t come up, I feared I might have to come in there and rescue you, which would have been a disaster, as I’ve never learned to swim. Although,” his gaze dipped and she was sure a blush raced through her entire body, “You could easily tempt a man to his doom.”
Her cheeks grew burning hot. “Turn around so I can retrieve my dress.”
“You mean this dress?” He picked it up with a sly grin.
She eyed him suspiciously. “Put that down this instant.”
“You deign to command a prince?” He said haughtily, then smirked. “Come and get it.”
He didn’t think she would do it. She could sift to where he was, grab her gown, and be gone before he even realized what had happened, but that mocking expression on his face provoked her like nothing else ever had and made herneedto do something downright bold just to shock him.
Swimming toward shore, she found the bottom of the lake with her feet, and then sauntered out with her chin up.
His jaw slackened. She was surprised by the amount of pleasure she took in wiping that smirk from his face.
She snatched her gown from his grasp before he could regain his composure and used it to cover her front. “Satisfied?” she asked, barely recognizing her own sensual voice. Marching out naked before his riveted gaze was unexpectedly arousing.
He blinked as though coming out of a trance, “No’ nearly enough.”
“Indeed, you’re looking a little hot and bothered.” She circled him, being sure to keep her exposed backside out of his line of sight. “Perhaps there’s something I can do to help with that.”
Turning with her, his eyes lit with curiosity. “Oh?”
She stopped circling him. “How about a warm bath, Your Majesty?” She could see his imagination racing. Reaching out with her free hand, she walked her fingers up his chest, but couldn’t hide the mischief from her expression. She glanced over his shoulder. Sudden realization hit him, but it was too late. “Don’t you dar—”
Ever so lightly, she flicked him in the chest with her forefinger, but she put a fraction of power behind the action.
“Whoa!” It was as if a gale wind knocked him off his feet, sending him reeling into the lake’s shallows, ass first.
Sputtering and dripping wet, he snapped, “Do you realize you just assaulted royalty?”
She laughed at his furious expression. “That’ll teach you to hold a lady’s dress hostage.”
His features slowly softened and then turned amused. “Well, itisa lovely dress. Give us a spin, why don’t you.”
If she did, he’d have full view of her naked backside. Still in a teasing mood, she shocked herself with a salacious whirl.
Hunger filled his gaze, and the roughened noise he made in the back of his throat seemed to ripple through her core like a caress. He looked ready to pounce.
She considered returning to the lake to see how shocking she could be. Before she succumbed to more recklessness, she sifted away, feeling more alive than she ever had.
8
With the seductive sound of water sloshing over Celeste’s bare skin, Khalstorm paced from one wall of the bunker to the other as he tried not to fixate on her delicate silhouette behind the makeshift shower curtain she’d finagled from the threadbare sheets yanked from the bed, almost too thin to provide adequate privacy.
“So,” she called from under the spray as she folded her fingers through her hair, “What does my jailer have planned for today?”
She was surprisingly upbeat for a captive. He recalled her being cheery on most occasions, which was one of the things he found most attractive about her.Before she destroyed my world.
She shifted position under the spray and his gaze clocked the movement. The sheet was growing wet . . . becoming more transparent by the second. He recalled the feel of her soft flesh . . . the taste of her on his tongue. The memory tormented him constantly.
He growled and turned away before the temptation to shred that sheet to ribbons grew unbearable. “Just hurry it up, will you? We have several miles to travel yet.”
