CHAPTER TWENTY
HAVEN
Once Haven lifted the next stone wall, and he and Rozlyn left the skeleton dust behind, the spicy scent of the caverns dissipated. He concentrated on the magic of his ring, his shadows, attempting to see if he could locate any more hidden sorcery. It seemed to be gone, but he could’ve been wrong. Fucking again.
No shadows stirred, nor did traps appear as they traveled further down a stone staircase. Haven glanced at Rozlyn, and he could see she was exhausted. It was obvious in the way her lips were parted, her eyelids drooped, her shoulders sagged. He wouldn’t overwork her. She’d kept the skeletons away while he’d concentrated, and dare he admit it, he was impressed. She hadn’t even complained—not even now when she looked as though she could collapse at any moment.
They approached a small nook on his left, and it was the perfect place to rest for the night.
“We should get some sleep,” he suggested, grasping her arm and pulling her to a stop.
“Wonderful.” She sighed with a tired smile.
While he thought they were free from danger now, there was no being too careful. “My shadows will keep watch.”
“Perfect.” Rozlyn sank down on one side of the nook and Haven rested across from her. He should’ve found somewhere with less space so she would have to nestle against him like before, but she could fully stretch her muscles in here. She deserved that.
After Rozlyn removed her satchel, she leaned over on her knees and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. “Goodnight.”
Haven’s breath hitched, caught off guard. “Night,” he said. Rozlyn showed affection quite easily—likely from her profession—but even if she wasn’t a courtesan, she seemed like the kind of person who would anyway. Haven released two of his shadows to keep watch, another as a barrier across the opening, warding the area from danger.
Then he studied Rozlyn’s delicate features as if he hadn’t already memorized them. She wasn’t quite as beautiful as Vivienne, but she was special. There was something about her… He didn’t know what to do with that thought.
The next day, after Haven collected another lock of Rozlyn’s hair, they continued on in comfortable silence. They passed glistening limestone and walked uneven paths. No sorcery woke to harm them, though he kept a keen eye open in case that changed.
“Today has been rather uneventful,” Rozlyn said, breaking the quiet as she adjusted a loose pin in her hair.
“Do you want more skeletons to rise?” Haven drawled. “Because I can make that happen, only mine wouldn’t fall to pieces with a kick to the ribs.”
She waggled her brows. “Iseult might be envious if you did.”
“He wouldn’t know what to do with himself if I brought another assistant home.” Haven chuckled, then tightened his jaw, realizing his mistake. She’d made him laugh . A laugh he hadn’t released since … he didn’t even fucking know. Perhaps when he’d been younger with Vivienne, before they’d taken their match to the next level. Once she moved into his tower with him, they’d both changed. The sex had always been euphoric, but had he ever smiled when she was there? Had Vivienne?
The soft trickling of water filled the air. Blue luminescence glowed ahead, and as they drew closer, wispy smoke wafted off a large lagoon at the far side of the grotto. In the corner, a small waterfall poured against glistening limestone.
“Something wonderful at last!” Rozlyn squealed and fumbled to remove her boots.
“What are you doing?” Haven asked when she dipped her toes into the water.
“A bath would be magical. It’s been days .” Rozlyn pulled her toes out. “Unless you count the lake when I was hauled in by the dead souls. Which I do not.” She drew her foot back. “Perhaps you should see if anything is lurking in the water first.”
Haven knelt by the lagoon, finding himself hopeful that it was safe. He desperately needed a bath too. Sex, dirt, and grime all lingered on him. The water was warm and silky-smooth when he lowered his hand into it. He released his shadows, allowing them to glide through the water’s depths, searching for anything deadly, but they found nothing.
“It’s fine,” he said as he stood and wiped the water droplets against his trousers. The grotto was small enough to defend if things changed but large enough that they could get comfortable. “We can rest here tonight.”
“I agree. But a bath first.” Rozlyn loosened the buttons of her dress and a smile spread across her lips. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her … giddiness over something so simple as a bath. She peeled the fabric from her body, revealing her large breasts. He’d touched them, tasted them, but hadn’t truly appreciated them. So even though he should’ve averted his gaze, it remained trained on her as the dress pooled to the ground.
He wondered if she’d ever been shy about her body. The first time she’d performed as a courtesan had she blushed, or was she already used to naked bodies parading around the brothel? He liked that she was comfortable in her own skin, wasn’t bashful around him.
Haven watched the curve of her backside as Rozlyn pranced into the lagoon. She walked a few more steps, her hands caressing the top of the water, drifting through the smoke, before she dipped below the surface and came up again near the cave wall. Her fingers combed back her hair, and she turned to face him, hiding all but the swells of her breasts. He wanted to see them fully again, wanted to feel the weight of them in his palms, yearned to fuck them with his cock.
“Are you coming? It’s big enough that you don’t have to bathe near me.” As her eyes met his, they lit up in a way that Vivienne’s never had. He ran a finger along his jaw. It was clear that Rozlyn didn’t think of him as just a patron.
The more he studied her, washing her creamy skin, he itched to go in, to taste her, but a new and unexpected emotion washed over him. Haven didn’t want to hurt her. He might not have cared before, but as he’d spent more time with her, gotten to know her, he found that had slowly changed.
Still, his revenge plan remained. Kill Adham, become Lord of Souldark, and take Vivienne as his lady. The match had always been a necessity, their fate. But in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in pleasure with Rozlyn.
Haven stood, his body moving on instinct as he gave himself over to temptation. He snapped his fingers and his clothing disappeared. Without removing his heated gaze from Rozlyn, her pouty mouth, he slipped into the water and crept closer to her, his length hardening. “I think I’d prefer to bathe very close to you.” He wound her hair around his hand, then tugged it back, his other arm circling her waist. Her body pressed to his as he trailed kisses up the curve of her neck.
“I would like that very much,” she breathed.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he backed her against the wall. One of her hands skated down his chest, her digits curling around his cock. She stroked him and he groaned while nipping at her ear. But, as good as it felt, he had other plans in mind.
“I want to taste you now.” Haven grasped her wrist and pulled her hand away, his cock instantly missing the touch.
Rozlyn gasped when he lifted her above him, her legs coming down over his shoulders. He took in her beauty, the scarlet curls, then licked up her warm cunt. She was as sweet as honey, and his cock twitched, precum leaking from the tip.
She twined her fingers in his hair and gripped it as he dipped his tongue inside her heat, plunging and devouring, circling and consuming. He liked the way she writhed against his face, and even more so when he slid his shadow hands up to her breasts, their thumbs stroking her nipples. A few more skimmed up her neck, tangling their inky fingers into her hair, her back arching in pure bliss until her body trembled while she moaned. She released one last quake. “Haven,” she whispered as though he were her savior.
Vivienne had never once called his name when she climaxed. There’d been times with his match where he’d only cared about getting himself off, leaving her unsatisfied. But she never wanted him to continue touching her after he came either.
He gently brought Rozlyn down into his arms, cradling her close as he carried her through the water to the ledge beside the lagoon, where the steam from the water danced.
As he pulled himself from the water and aligned his body with hers, her doe eyes stared up at him. He stilled, realizing that he didn’t want to fuck her roughly this time. This time he wanted to have her in a way she deserved, a way that she probably never had from any other patron. He yearned to capture those lush lips with his, kiss them thoroughly. Not knowing what that would mean for him, he brushed his lips against her neck once more instead, his shadow gliding its fingertips between the valley of her breasts.
The tip of his cock teased her entrance before he buried himself in her. He groaned at how her walls clenched around him, and she moaned exquisitely when he thrust inside her, slow and deep. He would make certain she was taken care of, that she would feel every inch of his cock.
Haven rolled his hips and she dug her nails into his skin. Rozlyn’s body trembled and her center tightened around his length as she gasped. Her fingers slipped down to his buttocks, and he picked up his pace. Their bodies slapped together with each thrust until a guttural roar escaped him.
He pulled out of her and attempted to calm his breathing. After a long moment, he rolled to his back, dragging her with him. He held her against his chest as the gentle steam from the water skimmed across their bodies.
And he didn’t want to release her.