11. Eve #2
The steamy room makes my dress cling to my skin. A large pool sits at the center. Crystal-blue water bubbles in the golden room. The tiles glitter, slick with moisture. Across from us, another large window reveals the ocean.
A silver shark swims close, then turns its nose and floats away.
In the distance, I can see the outlines of buildings etched in faint light. The varying sizes and quantities steal my breath. It’s a sprawling sea city.
“Wow,” I breathe. “How has no one ever discovered this place?”
Harven chuckles. The sound teases my nerve endings and makes my heart race.
“My magic keeps us hidden. It’s only recently that your human technology has posed a threat.” He sets me on my feet, but keeps his hands on my hips. “We have been here for longer than you surface dwellers. The stories you are told about us aren’t very accurate.”
“I’ll say.” My hands splay across his abs. “No one ever mentioned a kraken could be so handsome.”
Harven sucks in a breath, his fingers pressing harder. Teasing the harsh contours of his stomach, I give them a fleeting stroke before turning towards the pool. I dip my foot in and moan at how hot the water is.
Salt and musk float on the steamy breeze. More water pumps in from the flowing fountain in the corner.
“What is this place?”
Harven prowls to my side, his tentacles tickling my leg.
“My personal bathing chamber.”
I wrinkle my nose.
“Is this your way of telling me I smell?”
His eyes go wide.
“No! No, I—”
I laugh, tossing my head back. Tracing a glittering conch shell along his belt, I look up at him from beneath my lashes.
“I was teasing you, Harven.” I gesture towards my dress. “I didn’t know I’d need a swimsuit for this date.”
“I can have it fetched for you.”
I merely smile up at him.
“There’s no need since you’re going to behave yourself.”
My hands fall to the top of my dress. Balmy air teases my bare skin. Curls stick to my dewy shoulders.
“Seeing your date naked is less likely than crawling into his lap.” I undo the pin and let the material gape. “But never impossible.”
Harven swallows several times before shaking himself. With a sharp turn, he gives me his back. Laughing quietly, I shrug off my dress and jump in the pool. Warm water envelops me like a hug.
I pick out the pins from my hair and set them on the edge.
“You can turn around.”
He does so immediately. Looking between me in the pool and my pile of clothes, he seems conflicted. I tread water. It’s deeper than any normal bathing pool, clearly built for a seven-foot kraken.
I dip my hair into the water to slick it back.
“Aren’t you going to join me?” I ask.
He solemnly shakes his head.
“I can’t. Not if you want me to behave.”
The sentence ends in a growl. I giggle, then slip deeper into the water.
“Suit yourself, I won’t be long.”
The water is cloudy enough to keep me concealed. I float through the bath in measured strokes. My muscles relax the longer I soak. Harven watches my every movement. The bulge at the front of his skirt rises.
I have to look away from the impressive length before I do something even more reckless.
“You’re a very graceful swimmer, Eve,” he compliments.
“It’s like I knew I’d be spending the rest of my life surrounded by it.”
Tenderness floods Harven’s gaze.
I’ve said too much. I've bared a part of my soul I’d rather keep hidden a little longer. Today has been good. I don’t want to ruin things by rushing them. Harven and I will need to come to an understanding.
If he wants us to be together in any capacity, then some things will need to change.
I float to the edge where there is a variety of different soaps. They smell strongly of Harven. Lathering a teal colored bar in my hand, I wash my chest and underarms. I feel Harven’s eyes on me.
The ache between my thighs deepens.
Once I am clean and have had my fill of the bath, I float back towards him. The king’s eyes are half-lidded. His tentacles drag on the tiles as if searching for me.
“This has been wonderful, Harven. But I think I’m ready to go back to my room.” My hands grip the side. “Could you get me a towel, please?”
With a nod, he retrieves a fluffy white one and leaves it beside the pool before turning around. I blot my hair, then secure the fabric snugly around my body. Picking up my dress, I stare at this muscular back.
Faint scars mar his blue-green skin. Some are old and faded, while others are puckered and fresh. A true warrior king.
He has behaved perfectly tonight. Every time I’ve pushed him, he’s done exactly as I’ve asked. Harven hasn’t once taken it further than I wanted.
Will he remain accommodating of my orders after we fuck?
I don’t have an iron will. The longer he’s around me with those rippling muscles and desperate eyes, I’ll cave. Everyone longs to be wanted in the way Harven desires me. It's as if I’m the only thing in the world to him.
Right now, that might be the case, but once he has me, will things change?
It’s too dangerous to give in just yet. Besides, I’m having my fun tempting him. I want to see how far I can push this before he breaks and makes the decision for both of us. When that happens, I just pray he cares for me enough to want me once I’m no longer something new.
I touch his back. He jumps slightly, taking in the sight of me dressed only in a towel. My wet hair drips onto the floor.
“Can you take me back to my room?” I ask, clutching my dress to my chest.
“Is our date over?”
Harven lifts me, holding me tight to his chest. His racing heart echoes mine. I sling one arm over his shoulder while keeping my towel closed with the other hand.
The sadness in his voice brings a smile to my mouth.