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He shrugs like he doesn’t care. “They were thrill seekers. The ones who wanted to be able to say they were with a hardened warrior. The women who thought I was rough or dangerous because of how I look. Though, I suspect they were disappointed when they found out I’m not.”
“You’re not what? Rough or dangerous?”
“Not in bed,” he states bluntly. “I’m a gentle lover, and I believe that’s a letdown.”
A gentle lover. I don’t even know the definition of that term, and I can’t imagine what it would be like to experience it. What would a soft caress feel like? A feather-light kiss? A slow rhythm?
“I meant it when I said I would let you touch me, though,” Kai adds sincerely. “If you want to, you’re allowed. Any time.”
“Why? Because I’m a queen?”
His eyes bore into mine. “Because you’reyou.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Do you need me to say it?” Kai asks, but it’s not in a combative or reluctant way. When he tips his head and gazes tenderly at me, it’s like he’s realizing how much his words affect me, and I see nothing but willingness to give me what I desire.
“Yes,” I answer with a whisper. I want him to spell it out. I can’t go off mixed signals anymore. I have to know if Kai’s feeling what I’m feeling. “Tell me.”
As if it’s difficult for him to explain it, his lips twitch with a thoughtful frown as he considers his reply. “You, Sunny, are the exception to my every rule. Everything that I am—my life, my heartbeat, my very soul if I had one right now—is yours. You became my purpose the instant I heard your voice. Every breath I take is for you, and I don’t know how or why this is. I just know it to be true. Just like the Day Realm has two suns or the Night Realm has three moons,youhaveme.”
His honesty steals my breath because now I know his attraction to me is personal. It’s not just because I’m a woman and I’m here.
For a lot of fae, that’s all it takes. Convenience and opportunity.
But what Kai and I have isn’t casual.
It’s big. Important. Life-changing.
I’ve sensed it, and he just confirmed it.
As awesome as that is, I’m right to be afraid. We’re in so much fucking trouble. Armand is going to have a heyday with this. We just made this game way more interesting for that sick asshole because he would take absolute delight in watching two people fall for each other, just to rip them apart.
Maybe staying in the present is the best idea. Because the likelihood that we’ll get to be together in the long term is slim, and if I think about what it will be like if either of us die in this game, it’s too painful.
Kai bends over to turn on the water. The spray becomes hot almost immediately, and warm humidity fills the air.
“I’m going to stay in here with you,” he informs me with an uncompromising tone. “I promise to keep my back turned so you can have your privacy.”
After the harassment from Armand’s cronies, Kai’s plan to keep me company should have me melting down with panic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Even if he wanted to leave me alone, I’d beg him not to.
“Okay,” I simply agree, trying to keep my heart reined in.
Kai gives me one of his almost smiles. “Paradise awaits you, my queen. Nothing bothers Armand more than someone else’s joy and nothing could make me happier than yours. So enjoy the fuck out of this shower.”
Kai
Enjoy ourselves? I’m not sure if the suggestion is genius or totally irresponsible. Perhaps it’s both, but it doesn’t matter because I’m committed to it now. Consequences be damned, I’m going to show Ro a good time, even if it’s to my own detriment.
My senses are highly reactive, but not for the reason they should be.
If I were a better warrior, I’d be listening for the footsteps of incoming enemies. Instead, all I hear is the splatter of water as it sluices over Ro’s skin and her occasional content sigh.
Rather than sniffing the air for the scent of someone else, my nose is focused on the floral soap and the sweetness Ro carries with her.
And I should be watching under the door for moving shadows, but I’m too busy picturing Ro’s glistening silhouette through the fogged-up glass. Mere feet away, she might be massaging her perky breasts with suds. Her fingers could be slipping over every curve, dipping into each crevice.
I told her I wouldn’t turn around, and I won’t, but that doesn’t mean I’m not battling with a level of temptation I’ve never encountered before.
