Chapter 16 #2
His deep, rich laughter rolls through the kitchen, and damn him, it’s contagious. I try to pivot and regain some ground, but it’s too late. He catches my wrist, holding the sprayer with ridiculous ease. When he presses into me, his body is solid as he traps me against the counter.
His chest is hot against my soaked shirt and I can feel his hard muscle effortlessly caging me in place.
“Let go, Princess,” he purrs. His voice drips with a lethal mix of playfulness and something darker. His breath fans over my skin, trailing down the back of my neck like a slow burn, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
I should tell him to back off, or at the very least push him away.
Instead, I do neither.
His grip tightens and it’s enough to remind me how easily he could turn things if he wanted. I can feel every inch of him. Every. Single. Inch.
Well, if I wasn’t wet before, I sure as hell am now. In every possible way.
“No way,” I manage, though my voice comes out breathier than I’d like.
Kane’s lips graze the shell of my ear. His voice is rougher this time. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”
It sends a jolt of heat right to my core. I swear the air around us shifts once again, like something is building beneath the surface, pressing against the edges of reality, waiting to snap.
I push the thought aside, but the words are falling out of my mouth before I can stop them.
“Maybe I like danger,” I whisper, betraying the calm I’m so desperately clinging to. “And I'm not scared of you.”
A bold-faced lie.
The scary truth is, I have no idea what I’d let him do.
His low chuckle rumbles through me, sending another shiver coursing through my body.
“You have no idea what you’re getting into.” His voice is thick with warning.
I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. Because he’s right. I don’t.
The air presses in around me, and the warmth in my fingertips flares to life without warning.
Kane’s grip stiffens slightly, but it's gone so fast I almost think I imagined it.
“Raven.” His lips brush my ear, “you’re making it really hard to be a gentleman.”
I swear the temperature spikes. Heat pulses through my body and I can’t tell anymore if it’s from him or… something else. My hands flex involuntarily and I can feel the warmth coiling through my veins, pressing against my skin like static.
I need to walk away before he swallows me whole. But I can't move.
I suddenly remember we’re in someone else’s house. Someone’s castle, no less. And we’ve just made an epic disaster. That thought hits me like a cold splash of water, and just like that, the spell shatters.
I exhale slowly, forcing myself to raise both hands. “Okay, okay, you win.”
He stays pressed against me for a second longer, and it's just long enough to drive me absolutely insane. Then, he finally steps back.
The second he does, the absence of his warmth feels like stepping into a snow storm. And now, I'm questioning everything. Why was I saying no, again?
I clear my throat, hoping it snaps me back to the reality where this isn't happening.
I steal a glance at Kane, catching the way he drags a hand through his hair, looking just as shaken as I feel.
His jaw ticks and his expression goes right back to his usual unreadable mask.
I would be annoyed if I wasn't busy trying to do the same.
Clearly, he's also trying to shake off whatever the hell just happened.
“Smart choice,” he tries to hide the smile creeping onto his face. “I’ll clean this up after I show you to your room. Come on."
“Um, no. I helped make the mess, so I'll help clean it up.” I cross my arms, giving him a look.
He hesitates like he’s considering arguing, but just gives a small shrug instead.
“Alright.”
We move around the kitchen, silently drying our mess. Neither of us acknowledge the tension that seems to pull tighter with every accidental brush of our shoulders.
“Thanks.”
It catches me off guard. I'm a little surprised by the unexpected softness in his voice.
“Why wouldn’t I help?”
His lips twitch, like he’s about to say something but thinks better of it. Instead, he just nods, tossing the damn towel in the sink.
I need to get to my room and deal with everything that just happened. My heart’s still racing, and my body… Well, let’s just say relief isn’t anywhere in sight unless I decide to take matters into my own hands.
Kane’s voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. “Alright, let's get you to your room. The host says to make yourself at home, and I happen to know there’s a bathtub in there.”
His gaze lingers a second too long on my lips, causing a shiver to run through me and my skin prickles with awareness.
A hot bath sounds tempting, especially since my clothes are still damp, but my body is still on fire. What I need is an ice bath.
I don’t trust myself to respond. So instead, I grab my bag from the corner and sling it over my shoulder, needing the distance.
We move through the castle's dimly lit hallways, while the storm still rages outside. Rain pounds against the windows and the occasional rumble of thunder rolls through the stone walls like a distant heartbeat. The candlelight makes everything feel impossibly cozy.
My body still feels a little off, or hyperaware, whatever you want to call it. I keep my eyes ahead, but my mind is still spiraling with mixed emotions. Attraction, frustration, and that damn heat I can’t seem to shake. My panties are soaked and I didn’t even bring a change of clothes.
I barely pay attention to where we’re going, which is probably stupid. I should at least know where my room is in case I need to bolt later.
Kane walks quietly next to me and I steal a glance at him out of the corner of my eye. He looks relaxed, but I can feel the undercurrent of something there.
I wish I knew what the hell he was thinking right now.
I clutch the strap of my bag tighter, trying to shake the thought. I don’t need to be wondering about what Kane is doing.
He stops in front of a large wooden door, pushing it open to reveal a room bathed in the soft glow of firelight. The warmth hits me first, then the smell of aged wood and something faintly spiced. A fireplace crackles in the corner and it's all so beautiful, I could cry.
There's a massive bed that sits against the far wall, layered with plush blankets that look almost too perfect to disturb. It’s the kind of bed you could sink into and never leave.
Another door on the other end of the room is open, giving me a glimpse of what I can only assume is the bathroom and the infamous tub waiting to erase the entire night from my memory.
I step inside slowly, letting the warmth settle into my bones, and just letting myself breathe. Then, I make the mistake of looking at Kane.
I was going to say something…A thank you, maybe. Goodnight? Some type of acknowledgement. But the second my eyes land on him, the words vanish like smoke.
I’m no stranger to the male body, but Kane? He’s another beast entirely. He's all sculpted muscle and raw power. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he spent every spare moment chiseling himself into perfection at some exclusive, underground, Greek-gods-only gym.
His muscles have muscles.
It would be so much easier if that was all it was. Just a ridiculously unfair body, attached to another frustratingly attractive man with nothing else to offer. But no.
It can't be that easy.
It’s everything else that’s throwing me off balance.
I really hoped drenching him would make him look like a wet dog so I could use it to fight off whatever this is. But no, that would be too convenient. He somehow pulls off drenched and disheveled like it’s a damn fashion statement.
And because luck is not on my side, he catches my lingering stare, and a slow, knowing smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. Kill me.
I snap right out of my trance so fast, I'm surprised I don't get whiplash.
“You sure you don't need anything?”
“Nope, totally fine. Thanks.” My voice comes out too forced and I can only hope he missed how breathless it sounded. Judging by his smile, he didn't.
I wonder if he has any idea what’s running through my head right now.
“Thanks for the experience.”
Before I can muster a single response, he’s already disappearing through the door.
My mouth opens, but nothing comes out, again. I stand there for a second while heat creeps back into my cheeks and my brain tries to catch up. It's not until I hear the door click that I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Stellar performance. Maybe next time try using actual words.
I roll my eyes at myself.
The warmth from the fire wraps around me, but it does nothing to settle the restlessness thrumming under my skin.
If there’s one thing I know I can do for myself right now, it’s sink into the scalding hot water and pretend I don’t exist for at least an hour.
While I'm waiting for the tub to fill, steam curls into the air, making it nice and cozy.
I snoop through all the neatly arranged salts on the shelf, picking out a few.
I don't know why I'm surprised this place has every luxury bath essential a girl could ask for. It's stocked like a damn five-star spa.
I sprinkle a generous handful into the water, watching the colors swirl around each other. The smell wraps around me in a soothing, floral warmth that feels like slipping into a dream.
The second I step into the tub and sink down, I let out a slow exhale.
I can feel the heat working its way into my muscles, unwinding knots I didn’t realize I had, and for a moment, I let myself get lost in the flickering candlelight, watching the way the flames dance on the walls. Their rhythm is slow and hypnotic.
There's an undercurrent of something that hums in the water. It’s subtle at first, like a whisper just out of reach. But the longer I sit there, the stronger it gets. My fingers start to tingle again, and the feeling crawls up my arms in slow, pulsing waves.
Not again.