Chapter 7 #2
“Did you sleep well?” he asks, his voice a deep murmur that thrums through me in a way that causes the aching in my core to deepen.
“Yes. Never better.” It’s the truth. I glance briefly behind me at the sunlight streaming through the windows. “I can’t believe I slept this late. I’m usually up before sunrise.”
I swallow hard and abruptly disentangle myself from his arms to sit upright against the pillows. The sudden movement causes the robe to slip off one shoulder, exposing the swell of my breasts. Before I manage to cover myself, Merak sucks in a sharp breath.
My face flames as I look away from him and feign interest in the mountains.
Gods.
I’m fairly certain he just glimpsed my right nipple.
Though I suppose I can’t fault him for looking. Last night, I practically ogled him as he removed his clothing. The memory of a shirtless Merak takes my breath away. His broad shoulders and those perfectly sculpted muscles…
While I didn’t watch him remove his pants, as I’d closed my eyes by that point, that hasn’t prevented me from imagining what he looks like fully naked. Is his ass as firm as I think it is? Are his thighs as solid as tree trunks? And his male appendage… is it as large and formidable as I suspect?
I force in another deep breath, but it does nothing to calm the heat spreading through me.
Honestly, I almost feel feverish. The aching in my core won’t abate, and I’m starting to worry I might have to take matters into my own hands, so to speak, just so I won’t constantly be lusting after the huge fae male.
Of course, I would need a few moments of privacy to accomplish that task.
Merak scoots to the edge of the bed, preparing to stand up.
I shouldn’t look. I shouldn’t.
But… I do.
When he strides toward his clothing, I watch with bated breath as he bends over slightly to pick up his leather pants. My mouth goes dry. My imagination didn’t do his backside justice. In reality, his ass is so much firmer, even more impossibly muscular, than I imagined, and I cannot look away.
And he seems utterly unbothered by his nudity.
With casual movements, he starts getting dressed, though he does keep his back to me, so I’m not able to glimpse the front of him.
He turns around and meets my gaze with a knowing look as he finishes fastening his pants. My cheeks grow hotter at the glimmer in his eyes. He knows I was just admiring his body. He caught me in the act, and he finds it amusing. Or perhaps he’s simply pleased that I liked what I saw.
My thoughts are so scattered that I’m having difficulty sensing his emotions clearly, but I see the satisfaction flickering in his eyes well enough, and he would have to be an idiot not to understand why I’m blushing so fervently.
He stands there staring at me and makes no move to put his shirt on. My heart races faster, and beneath the covers, I finally press my thighs tightly together, though I resist the urge to squirm.
“I am going to see if your clothing has been delivered yet,” he says, turning toward the hallway. “I instructed the proprietor to leave it at the door.”
I try to respond, but my mouth is still too dry to speak.
I notice a glass of water on the nightstand and eagerly reach for it, wondering when Merak placed it there.
There’s a half-full glass on his nightstand as well.
Hmm. He must have grown thirsty in the middle of the night and briefly left the bedroom for a drink.
Why do I feel oddly touched that he also brought me water?
Well, I suppose it was a thoughtful gesture. One of many he’s shown me since buying me from the auction platform.
I resolve that I must keep reminding myself how I came to be in his custody. He saved me, that much is true, but he also took possession of me. I’m his slave, perhaps only in name, but a slave nonetheless, and he has no intention of letting me go. He informed me that he plans to keep me forever.
He departs the bedroom and quickly returns carrying a stack of colorful boxes.
I lift my brows in surprise as he places everything carefully atop the bed near my feet.
I’m shocked by the number of boxes. There’s nearly a dozen of them, each tied with a satin ribbon.
Surely this can’t all be for me. Perhaps he asked the proprietor to find clothing for him too or other supplies for our upcoming journey.
“What is all this?” I ask, still doubting this is all for me.
“Your clothing,” Merak replies. “I thought you might appreciate having choices.”
He unties the ribbon on the largest box and lifts the lid.
A gasp escapes me before I can prevent it.
Inside lies a gown the color of midnight blue, fashioned from a fabric so smooth that I instinctively reach out to touch it.
My fingertips sink into the soft but thick material.
I’ve never felt anything like it before.
As I stoke my fingers over the unusual fabric, the sunlight catches on the faint silver embroidery that decorates the bodice of the dress.
“Gods,” I whisper.
Merak’s expression softens as he watches me admire the fabric. “Do you like it?”
Like it? I can scarcely comprehend wearing something so beautiful.
“I…” My voice trails off. I seem to be at a loss for words.
He opens another box, revealing a dark green gown trimmed in white fur. Then another containing thick but soft stockings, delicate undergarments edged with lace, and fur-lined slippers.
My chest tightens.
There are sturdy leather boots as well, polished to a shine, and a thick hooded winter cloak so luxurious I stare at it in disbelief. The cloak is a rich midnight blue that matches the first dress he showed me, the inner lining impossibly smooth beneath my fingertips. It looks fit for royalty.
Until now, nearly every dress I’ve owned has been threadbare and patched at the elbows.
I think of the way the children at school used to tease me.
Some of the crueler boys even delighted in yanking on a loose thread as I walked by, or poking their fingers through a hole that hadn’t been patched yet.
Thankfully, until the Winter Court army’s arrival in Braemar, it never really got that cold in my home city, so I didn’t suffer physically from the cold and my lack of sturdy clothing, but the teasing left a mark on me.
It made me reluctant to make friends. It’s why I pushed Helena away even when she was kind to me. I was afraid of getting hurt.
Surely I can’t accept all this.
Not from Merak.
Not from the fae lord who purchased me off the auction platform.
If I accept these extravagant items, will he expect something in return? Worse, will he take them away if I displease him? It feels too risky, too dangerous, to accept even one of the gowns.
And if he’s being genuinely kind?
Well, that also feels dangerous… and overwhelming.
“Merak…” My voice cracks. “This is too much.” I let go of the dress I was just admiring, sit back, and fold my hands in my lap.
“These items are yours, and I will provide more gowns for you, tailor-made to fit you perfectly, once we rejoin the Winter Court army,” he says, and the sincerity in his voice steals the breath from my lungs.
Before I can think of a response, he gestures toward the boxes.
“You should try everything on and see what fits best. I’ll wait outside.”
My eyes widen slightly. “Outside?”
A faint smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Yes, my dearest. Unless you would like me to stay and watch. Or perhaps you would like my help? I would be happy to offer my opinion on the undergarments.”
Heat rushes into my cheeks again. “You may leave.”
He rises to his feet, walks around the bed, and approaches me with slow steps that almost feel predatory.
His gaze is heated, and I can’t be certain, but I think his leather pants are tighter at the front than usual.
He comes to stand before me, and my heart skips a beat at the waves of longing that keep coming from him.
Longing for me. I struggle to take my next breath.
He reaches for my face, and despite myself, I lean into his touch. My throat burns, and I’m not certain whether I’m feeling emotional because of his kindness or because he’s staring at me as though I truly matter to him. Perhaps it’s both.
I’ve never meant much to anyone outside my family. Not only was I afraid to get close to others, but my peers and even my neighbors found me odd. The strange, quiet girl who likes to collect maps and unusual trinkets and sit on the walls of Braemar and stare at the road leading away from the city.
I won’t lie. It’s nice to feel wanted. Even if it’s also scary. Even if the person who wants me is a powerful, highborn fae lord who owns me.
His visage softens before he leans down to place a kiss on my forehead. Gods help me, but I melt a thousand times over. A quiet sigh slips from my lips.
He straightens and retrieves his shirt at last. As he pulls it over his head, careful not to let his horns catch on the fabric, I notice the lingering reluctance in his movements.
He wants to remain here with me. Not merely because he wants to watch me undress, but because he simply wants to stay close to me. My heart flutters at the realization.
Goodness. It’s becoming far too easy to sense his emotions and even fragments of specific thoughts. Not for the first time, I suspect that it isn’t just a result of the winter magic he used to heal me, but something more. Something I’m not yet brave enough to name.
As my thoughts whirl, I instinctively reach for the key hanging from my necklace, clutching it as though it will provide some measure of reassurance. Strangely, just touching the tarnished pendant helps steady my thoughts, even if only a little.
Merak studies me for a moment, his eyes following my hand. He draws in a quick breath, and I think he’s about to ask about the key, but then he hesitates and exhales slowly.