Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
ALINA
Tynan ordered a bath and a change of clothes when we passed the older woman in the hall.
He did not like the long haired boy who manned the desk downstairs, I could see it in his face.
I frowned, looking at his strong profile.
The more time we spent together, the more I started to understand his complicated nature.
I could sense the way he was feeling at any given moment and it puzzled me beyond anything.
When both of us returned to the room, I was the one to close the door and fasten the lock.
“We have to make it work,” Tynan grumbled, stretching on top of the covers.
He was in a bad mood and did not hide it very well.
I meditated on the fact that I felt similar emotions coming from him on a regular basis.
He was not a ray of sunshine. And yet, there was something about him I desperately wanted to know.
He often surprised me, and I felt that, in the way he put himself last, and took care of his group, there was more to him than what he showed to the world.
The only thing that made my heart ache was that I was not his friend, I was not a person he would risk his life for. I bit my lip, remembering that at the well, he did exactly that. I lifted my eyes, watching the light brushing the lines of his strong shoulders and back.
Then what was it that I wanted from him? Was it the fact that he treated me like a prisoner?
But he really did not. I never felt like I was restricted in any way. Except when he would follow me to the bathroom. My cheeks flushed when I remembered the humiliation of relieving myself separated from Tynan by a thin wall.
“Listen, you have nothing to be worried about.” He turned to face me.
“I know,” I said, moving away from the door.
My cheeks flamed hotter when I thought about the way I behaved last time we shared a room together. I remembered his quickened breaths and the way his eyes roamed over my body. I pursed my lips and sat on the edge of the bed, not looking at him.
I felt so incredibly tired that I could not make another move. With a sigh I stretched out on top of the cover. As soon as I laid on the soft mattress my muscles tensed. I adjusted the pillow and closed my eyes.
“Wake up. Alina?” the voice spoke from somewhere close by.
My eyes flew open and I saw Tynan leaning over me.
“Wh . . .What happened?” I sat up.
“Your bath is ready. Better use it while it’s hot,” he said.
I rubbed my eyes, focusing on the slightly bent copper bath that was placed by the window.
“I’m going to wait for you in the hall.” Tynan left the room.
I stood up, making my way to the tub by the window.
My hand reached down and I tried the water.
Without wasting any more time, I stripped off my flying suit and undergarments and stepped into the water.
The delightful warmth of the bath made my toes curl.
I sighed and closed my eyes. After a long moment, I reached out to get the lemon-scented soap and started to rake my long hair with my fingers.
My body felt so light and relaxed, the warm current rolled over my skin and I arched my back. It was strange to bathe with Tynan just outside the door. My thoughts immediately returned to him, and this time something shifted inside of my head. Everything became painfully clear all at once.
I never wanted to be his friend and I never wanted to be a part of his group.
I wanted him. I wanted to be the only person he cared about.
I wanted to be the only person he would look at.
I wanted to be touched by his rough hands, the way he touched me in the pool.
I wanted to feel his body in every possible way, and I wanted him to be as desperate for me as I was for him.
Equally astonished and mortified I sat up, staring at the bland wallpaper. Hardly realizing what I was doing, I reached up and traced my mouth with my fingertips.
I wanted to be with another man, who was nothing like my fiance.
Not like Petro, who was kind and safe, who made me laugh and soothed my anxieties, who treated me like I was his best friend.
I wanted to be with someone unfamiliar, the person I had only met a couple of days ago, a person I barely knew.
With those thoughts, I finished up and dressed in a simple shirt and a pair of pants that were left on my side of the bed. The shirt was two sizes too big and the pants needed a belt, but I made it work. After making sure I looked decent, I opened the door.
My stupid heart made a leap in my chest when I saw Tynan sitting on the floor, his back pressed against the wall, playing with the blade of his long knife. He looked so incredibly handsome, that I felt my pale skin immediately betray all of my feelings.
“I’m done,” I said and forced myself to look away.
“Thanks. You have to stay in the room.” He got up and walked past me through the doorway.
“What?” I almost tripped over my wide pants.
“I can’t have you running away again. I haven’t recovered after your last attempt,” he said, taking off his boots.
“But . . . it’s not . . . appropriate.”
“You don’t have to watch,” he said and I stilled, concentrating on his fingers unbuttoning the high collar of his shirt.
Immediately, I turned away and picked up a wooden hairbrush. Then I heard splashing, and a moment later a long sigh.
“Are you . . . using my water?” I asked, not able to keep that thought to myself.
“Yeah. Why?”
“But, that’s . . . gross,” I said.
“I don’t think you’re that gross,” he said after a short pause.
I was ready to throw something at him.
“I’m not saying that I’m gross, I’m saying that you could have asked for another bath.” I sat on the bed, making sure to keep my back toward him.
“It would take forever and I don’t mind.”
“That’s not how things are done.”
Tynan did not say anything. All I could hear were the sounds of dripping water. The silence made me feel really uncomfortable.
“Maybe I should give you some privacy.” I stood up.
“I’m almost done,” he said and a moment later I could hear him getting out and using a towel.
“What are you planning to do?” I asked.
The brush in my hand found a tangle and I pulled it a little harder.
Suddenly, two feet stopped right in front of me. I lifted my gaze to find Tynan wearing an unbuttoned brown shirt and a pair of loose pants that sat low on his hips. He was towering over me. His eyes searched my face with calm concentration.
“What?” I looked up, losing myself in his dark eyes all over again.
“Let me.” He took the brush from my hand.
Pleasure mixed with embarrassment eclipsed all other concerns when his fingers brushed through the strands of my still damp hair. His touches were gentle and soothing. There was nothing inappropriate in them, but my face was instantly ablaze.
“I love the way you blush,” he said quietly.
My eyes found his heavy stare and I lost myself in it for a long while.
His hand raked through my hair with incredible precision.
Every time his fingertips gently brushed against my scalp or neck, my skin burned with fire.
I had never felt so desperate to be touched by anyone in my life.
It was almost as if I have never been with a man before, it was almost as if I craved him all along, without acknowledging it.
As these agonizingly sweet moments passed, I closed my eyes, no longer able to hide the way I felt.
“Damn it,” he muttered.
Tynan moved away, his hand still gripping the brush.
I was just going to say something, but when I caught a glimpse of his tight pants, all the words left me. My hands clenched the cover of the bed so hard that I felt a sharp pain in my joints.
He wanted me just the way I wanted him, but he did not want to admit it.
He was unable to hide the evidence of that.
That revelation did something to me. To my surprise, I did not feel threatened or even alarmed.
Instead, a wild euphoria quickened my breath and made my head spin.
A vision of us together made my core throb with treacherous anticipation.
In the meantime, Tynan approached the window and placed his hands on the wooden frame above his head.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
I looked at his muscular back and the narrow waist. He was so breathtaking.
He looked amazing in his flying suit, but with his hair still wet, his feet bare, and wearing regular clothes, he looked unbelievably, shockingly handsome.
Out of nowhere, another vision of me running my hands under his shirt filled my head. I swallowed and looked away.
Gods! What is happening to me!
“It’s alright,” I said without fully realizing what just came out of my mouth.
No. It was not alright. It was alarming, terrifying. It would be a terrible mistake, something that could never be undone.
When my fiance died, I promised myself that I would never be with another man. That promise soothed my pain and helped me find peace, at least for some time. I swore I would remember him forever. My vow was not a big sacrifice back then, but now it was being tested and I was not ready for it.
Without saying anything, Tynan finished getting dressed, before leaving the room.