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My short hair was much easier to deal with than it had been when it was long—I just rubbed it with the arm of my robe, and then it was very nearly dry.
After tugging the robe shut so it hid my body, I padded out to the living area of Espen’s rooms. He wasn’t in there, but I was well-acquainted with the space, and even the bathroom connected to it. The only part of his living place I hadn’t been in was his actual bedroom—that had felt like more-than-friend territory, even though the door to the room was left open almost constantly.
I’d wondered if he was trying to show me that I could go inside at any time, but hadn’t asked as I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
The tile felt cold beneath my feet as I walked to the door, hearing men’s voices outside. I pressed my ear to the wood, and immediately caught Espen’s words.
“Find out who paid him, and that will lead us to who ran the prison,” my king growled.
“Are you going to raise the moon again before tonight?” Another male voice asked. The man didn’t sound angry, but was curious. I was fairly sure the voice belonged to Namir, but not positive.
“No. The rest of the court deserves to feel the consequences of sending someone after my mate.” Espen’s voice was low and gravelly, and damn, it made my body warmer.
No one had ever stood up for me like that.
My family had loved me, and done all they could for me, but Espen’s anger was something else entirely. Something bigger, brighter, and hotter.
“Diora and I will spread the news around the city after the moon rises again. Her pregnancy makes its absence hit harder, but as always, she insists she’s invulnerable to it.”
“Lav and I will start looking into this bastard’s connections. I’ve got family in town, and they’ll probably have some idea where we should start,” another man said.
I was fairly confident that Jesh had night magic like Espen and I did, which made it no surprise that he had family in Espen’s town.
So, I decided that was logically Jesh.
“Thank you.” Espen’s voice was still gruff.
“Of course. Take care of your mate, brother.” I heard what sounded like some kind of hug, and stepped away from the door so the damn thing wouldn’t hit me when Espen stepped back through it.
I moved back and to the side, so I’d be out of sight when the door opened again.
Espen stepped inside, halting for a moment just inside the doorway.
His eyes dragged slowly from my head to my toes, his expression smoldering.
The door shut behind him, slowly.
“What are you doing out of the bath?” His gaze slid back up to my face, and our eyes locked.
I opened my mouth to say something seductive, but instead managed, “I couldn’t stop remembering what he did to me a long time ago. I need a distraction.”
There was a pause, and his expression darkened.
Okay, that hadn’t come out the way I expected it to.
“I want you to distract me. With your body. With—Fuck this,” I hissed the words, wrapping my arms tightly around my abdomen. “I want to have sex. With you. As a distraction, and in an attempt to make better memories than the ones replaying in my mind every night.”
He stared at me for a long moment.
Not having anything else to say in my favor, I stared back.
He finally lifted a hand to his buzzed head, and ran it over the short strands that I imagined were spiky against his palm.
Self-consciousness churned my stomach when he didn’t say anything for one long minute.
And then another.
And another.
