Chapter Ten #2
Of the fact that he wasn't even pretending not to watch.
In a way, that made it easier to turn around. At least he was being honest in his intentions and not trying to hide covert glances.
Drawing a steadying breath, I walked into the water. Warmth surrounded my feet and ankles, moving up my calves as I kept striding forward.
A sigh escaped before I could stop it as relief swept through my aching muscles. The river wasn't hot, just comfortably warm. Warm enough to ease the stiffness and chase away lingering exhaustion.
I sank deeper and closed my eyes. For several precious moments I simply existed, floating in the comfort of something familiar. There were no thoughts of politics, or plans, or the future, only the joy of feeling the dirt and grime wash away in the current.
When I opened my eyes again, Drazien stood nearby. He was still watching, but the expression on his face had changed. A hint of teasing remained, but something else lingered beneath it.
Something almost thoughtful.
For some reason my pulse quickened, and I ducked my head to hide my confusion. Unfortunately, my kethra were pulsing in time with my heartbeat, betraying my state.
It had to be the lingering effects of the serum, and I could only hope it would fade the way the fever had.
Silence stretched between us, but I chose to ignore it. I reached for the floating basket he said contained cleanser and found that it was anchored in place with a powdery substance inside that foamed when I dipped a wet finger into it.
Unbraiding my hair and dunking it, I drew a deep breath and scooped out a handful. I usually used all sorts of products in my hair to keep it from being frizzy, but if this was all they had, I could deal with it for the week or two until I had to leave.
Drazien settled onto a nearby stone outcropping, lounging nude as if he had no reason to cover himself, his grin spreading each time he caught me looking.
He was close enough that I remained constantly aware of him, yet far enough away I could pretend he was giving me space.
He didn’t look away, but at least there was distance between us.
It made me curious over whether he had done it as a compromise. I was starting to suspect there was more to him than sharp teeth and irritating confidence, but he certainly didn’t seem like the type that worried about personal boundaries.
Which made me wonder how sleeping next to him was going to go. It would be the first time I was conscious of the fact we were sharing a bed, and I wasn't prepared to examine how I felt about it.
Not yet.
So instead, I scrubbed myself and then leaned back against the smooth stone and watched the glowing river flow past. For the first time since receiving the orders to attend the gala, I let myself relax and stop thinking about what came next, and just absorbed the moment.
I ignored all the lurking worries and appreciated where I was, taking advantage of a place most Humans weren’t aware existed.
And then I turned to the male behind me whose eyes were still glued to my body as if I were the only thing worth watching.
For a heartbeat I considered what it would be like, to let myself be that.
To let him quench that hunger I saw peeking through his grin.
It would be risky. He thought I was there because I’d agreed to forever. The fine print said I had a choice, but reality had shown me that was less than true. By accepting the injection, he thought I’d accepted him, and I didn’t know how he’d take the news that I still had reservations.
But the way he looked at me made me doubt I’d make it off Morrakan without him getting a lot closer.
My skin prickled with awareness every time I caught him staring, the place between my thighs warming as if my fever had simply compressed to that area.
Each time I caught his scent it made my mouth water, and the almost purring sound he made caused me to forget the rest of the universe existed, but this was bigger than either of us.
I had to remember I’d given myself a purpose, and that was to educate my people on his language and culture in exchange for getting my place back.
I wasn’t sure I could get away with having sex with him for educational purposes, but then again, who said I needed a reason?
Humans hooked up all the time, and nothing we had learned of the Morrak made me think they reserved themselves until they mated.
They had been clear they only bonded with one person, and that was done while being physically intimate, but nothing said they were chaste until then.
Shoving those thoughts away, I gathered my courage and left the water. I’d aimed for the cubby containing my clothing, a safe distance from Drazien, but he was at my side the moment I left the river, a towel dangling from his claws.
He kept his eyes locked on mine, a slight smirk to his lips, as I froze and swallowed before reaching out to take the cloth. It wasn’t the same material as the towels I was familiar with, but it seemed to wick the water from my skin the moment I wrapped it around me.
“You can use this until we reach our meyr’kal.”
He brought his other hand forward, a second piece of fabric hanging from his fingertips. Narrowing my eyes, I took it from him and found that it was a plain, deep-burgundy colored robe. It wasn’t as soft as the towel, but it would envelop me from shoulders to knees.
Ducking my head, I swung it around me and slipped my arms in, tying it shut at my waist before shimmying the towel out from beneath.
“Thank you.”
The words were quiet, spoken to the floor. I didn’t want Drazien to think I was ungrateful, but part of me was suspicious of the nice gesture.
Especially when he kept standing beside me, not even a towel covering his nakedness.
“Are you satisfied that neither of us stink any longer?”
I had to suppress a groan before meeting his gaze with a glare, but it was a fight to keep a smile off my lips. He was exasperating, and for some reason, it made me more comfortable with him than if he’d been charming.
“Yes.”
“And do you like what you see?”
Heat flooded my cheeks, spreading all the way to the tips of my ears and down to my chest. The space between us brightened with a silver light, and I knew I was glowing like one of the flowers.
“What—”
I couldn’t finish the question. He knew I’d looked at him just as well as I knew he’d looked at me, and I couldn’t pretend otherwise.
“I—”
I was usually good with words, but they failed me, and the grin on his face told me that had been his goal.
Leaning close, his next words had me shivering even as an unexpected growl vibrated through my chest.
“I certainly do.”
For a heartbeat, everything disappeared.
The cavern, the candles and glowing flowers, and even the distant murmur from others bathing in the river.
The plan to play along to learn what I could, then leave before I was trapped permanently, faded beneath the weight of his stare, the scent of him, and the warmth radiating from his form.
The most dangerous part was that I believed him, and I liked hearing it. Far more than I should have, considering he was a strange male from another species.
Which was why I turned away and stepped around him before I could do something stupid, tossing, “I guess,” over my shoulder as if my core wasn’t throbbing and what the pamphlet had called slick wasn’t running down my thighs.