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But his touch, the warmth of his fingers on my face, the tips brushing back the wet strands of my hair, all of it. A spark flickered deep down, it called to him. And he was standing dangerously close.
This close though, this close to him I could see a shadow of darkness that circled in his irises. I swear. . . they had not been there before. My smile faltered as I reached up, but he stepped away from me, ready to leave. My skin flushed and chilly where his hand had been. I could not contain myself as I reached out and grabbed his arm instead. “Wait.”
He paused, glancing down at my hand. “Yes, Princess?”
“Don’t call me that.”
The gleam in his eyes made my toes curl. Even soaking wet he was handsome. His skin was hot under my palm, despite the frigid waters. His hair was slick, dripping water on his chest. It had been pulled back, half up. The remaining length of it was still hanging down around his shoulders. My fingers flexed on his arm, I noticed then that he only wore trousers. His chiseled chest exposed to the air. Beads of water dripped down his physique.
He looked just as I imagined.
My core heated as indecent thoughts plagued my mind. The dream I had while in the Caves of Desire rushed itself to the front of my thoughts. His toned thighs, his arms ripped with muscle, glistening from the water. It took every ounce I had not to act on my thoughts, to see the dream come to life. I felt my chest tighten as I remembered what it felt like to have his lips on mine. How soft and tender they had been, how demanding they could be as well.
I was vaguely aware that I had been staring. The compulsion to run my hands across his chest and down had my cheeks heating. I’d forgotten what it was I wanted to say. Thank you would have been the right choice. But the distraction prevented words from forming, from escaping past my lips. My tongue was utterly tied. The sound of my heart pounding in my ears, the rush of my blood as the butterflies in my stomach flipped.
A soft growl vibrated through his chest. The sound caused my body to react, to step closer to him. But his demeanor had changed. His body tensed under my hand, surely he could sense my arousal. My eyes flicked to his, but his face was unreadable. His emotions masked as his eyes lacked any kind of feeling, guarded. His breath escaped in a rush; as if he had been holding it, as his nostrils flared. Anything I]d felt left me as he stepped away from my touch.
“Stayalive, Serra.” The Goblin King turned away from me, his eyes cold and distant once more. The warmth that had been there only moments before was gone, replaced by a sharp edge. I could feel the tension between us, the regret of pushing too far. But I had to know, and had to ask him the question burning in my mind.
“Why do you keep saving me?” I asked, my voice barely audible.
He hesitated but didn’t answer right away, instead choosing to stare at me with a piercing gaze over his shoulder. I could see the inner conflict within him, the struggle between duty and desire. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and rough.
“I have my reasons.”
“That’s not an answer,” I replied.
“I don’t owe you an answer,” he snapped, stepping away from me once more. “You should be grateful that I saved your life.”
“I am,” I replied, my voice rising. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop asking questions.”
He whirled on me giving me a long, hard look before speaking again. “Fine. If you must know, it’s because I need you.”
“Need me?” I repeated, confused.
“Yes,” he said, his voice softening slightly. “You have something that I want. Something that I need.”
“What is it?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.
“That’s not something I can tell you,” he replied, his eyes locking onto mine. “All you need to know is that you’re safer with me around than without me.”
I didn’t know what to make of his words, but I knew one thing for sure. The Goblin King was not someone to be trifled with. He was dangerous and unpredictable, but there was also something alluring about him. Something that drew me to him despite my better judgment. As he turned to leave again, I watched him go, wondering what secrets he was keeping.
A rush of air left my lungs as I stared after him.
It felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over me. Washing away the heat and feelings that had a firm grip on my senses. He was an odd character. Why was he so concerned about me staying alive? What role did I play in his plans? One would think he’d want me to fail, so he could keep what he’d taken. My touch had caused him to pause, to stop though.
I glanced down at my fingers, before looking up again. Searching for him in the sky above. It had never done so before. Something had changed this time. The Goblin King was a puzzling being, and he had me utterly perplexed. Far more perplexed than the voice in the grove. What did it mean it was waiting?
It was slumbering, what was it?
What balance was it speaking of?
Rememberwhat?
What was it talking about?
There were just so many questions that formed in my head, so manyunansweredquestions that forced me to consider that not all was as it seemed here.
