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Gold robes clung to his tall, lean-muscled frame. They did very little to hide the masculine form that dwelled beneath. His hair was unbound, the long, wintery strands spun of fine silk and woven with thin, gold chains that were connected to a finely crafted crown. The crown was not boasting in riches, even though it was undoubtedly a priceless piece. It was the careful detailing, the delicate architecture, the slender, steady arches that made it seem—
Ethereal.
A crown befitting its owner.
Surely, on the day of his creation, the Creator had decided to take their time, to ensure every line, every contour, and every dip was painstakingly carved to perfection. He rivaled the sun.
No. Hewasthe sun.
From the way he held himself to the way he looked—my body could not help but grow weak in the knees. Like it was begging me to bow tomy king.
Who was he? And why did he possess the same rare hair color as my own? Were we related somehow?
No, we were not kin.Thatwas a truth I could feel in my soul.
“Leave us,” he commanded the other three, his voice severing me from my private thoughts.
Without so much as another word, they hurried quickly out of the room, their departure leaving me alone with the angelic, beautiful man—if he could even be called a man. The word felt too lackluster to describe him.
I had no doubt that he was royalty—the crown he wore, the title the guard addressed him with, and the way he held himself stated as much. But I knew he wasn’t the king because the king was in his sixties—unlike the male standing before me, who appeared to be around my age, perhaps a bit older.
“What happened?” the golden-eyed male asked in that enchanting voice, the type that poets wrote sonnets about. Even though his words were posed as a question, it didn’t really feel like one—it felt like a soft demand—an escapable one at that.
“I asked the guard to bring me for a bath, but he refused to let me do so without him watching,” I answered as politely as I could, all things considered—a piggish guard being theall things consideredpart.
“Ah,” the male replied softly, regally, his gaze shifting briefly to the bathing pool. “And that is why you threw his helmet in the water?”
. . . I didn’t realize he saw that.
My throat suddenly felt like a barb of foxtail was stuck in it. I cleared it, then said, “Things sort of escalated between the two of us.”
His long, white lashes lowered, his gaze dipping to the collar wrapped around my throat. The hairs on the back of my neck raised as he surveyed it with knowing eyes. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run—to dosomething—but my useless feet were locked in place. So, I waited on bated breath, waited to see what he would say.
His golden eyes shifted to the sword still laying on the floor and a smile touched the corners of his lips. “Well then, I am happy I could de-escalate the matter before one of you got hurt.”
His smile. His voice. It was an intoxicating combination, one I could drown in. It felt like this male was to me what bourbon was to Von—my own personal brand of alcohol. And if the past had taught me anything at all, there was probably a reason for my body’s response to him.
The question now being . . .whatwas it?
“I have to confess, I was also coming down to bathe,” he said, as he gracefully walked away from me, towards the benches. “Would you care to join me?”
Despite how enchanting he made that offer sound, I bristled. “Oh no, Your Royal Highness, I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“You would refuse me your company?” he asked softly, long, adept fingers loosening his golden robes.
Yes—
“No,” I lied cautiously. “I presumed since you came to bathe at such a late hour, you must wish to be alone.”
“I was looking forward to being alone, but—” The robes fell to the ground, a puddle of gold pooling at his feet, rendering himnaked. His skin was immaculate—there were no scars, no markings, only smooth silk wrapped around steely muscle. He glanced over his broad shoulder, that illustrious smile adorning his lips once more, the chains of his crown shimmering. “—that was, until I saw you.”
Heat blossomed across my cheeks, licking down my neck. I looked away, silently cursing the traitorous response of my body.
“It is not a sin to look at me,” he teased, a soft laugh following after. I heard the gentle splashing of water, a beckoning call to me, as he walked down a set of stairs and into the bathing pool. “You came here to bathe, yes?”
I glanced his way, thanking the Creator that his lower half was now hidden beneath the dancing, twinkling waters.
“I did,” I replied.
