But I didn’t protest out loud. Instead, I swallowed the lump in my throat that had formed with his confession. Without another word, Rhodes turned and disappeared into the bathing chamber—the sound of rushing water filling the space.
All my life, I’d lived with caution. I’d taken the easy way out, followed the rules, stayed in the shadows where it was safe. But life had never cared about my safety. Time and time again, it shoved me over the line, breaking me down piece by piece. And I let it.
I was tired of fighting who I wanted to be.
My fingers found the zipper of my leather jacket, pulling it down in one fluid motion. The worn fabric slid from my shoulders, pooling at my feet. My hands moved with purpose, unfastening the buttons of my pants, peeling them away, followed by my boots. My fingers worked through my braid, loosening the strands until my waves tumbled over my shoulders, cascading down to shield my breasts.
The sound of rushing water ceased.
Rhodes turned, and the moment his eyes met my body, he froze. His gaze swept down, lingering, drinking me in before locking back onto mine. Heat simmered in the space between us, thick and unrelenting.
“Thorn in my side...” His voice was velvet, rich with something dark and wanting.
My pulse pounded in my ears as I stepped closer, throwing up my mental gates to keep Lakota out. Keeping my crimson gaze locked on his, I reached for his jacket, unzipping it with slow precision. The leather slid over his broad shoulders, falling in aquiet heap on the floor. His muscles tensed beneath my touch, but he didn’t stop me. Rhodes moved in sync with me, his fingers working at the fastenings of his leather pants. He pushed them down, stepping out of them until we were both bare—exposed in the flickering candlelight.
A slow, knowing smirk tugged at his lips as his eyes roamed my body, setting every nerve ending ablaze.
Then his lips were on mine. The kiss wasn’t gentle—it was raw, filled with every ounce of tension that had been simmering between us since the day we met. His grip was firm and possessive as he pulled me flush against him, his rough hands searing my skin.
Our tongues clashed, the heat between us sparking into something uncontrollable. A deep groan rumbled in his chest as he lifted me effortlessly into his arms. My legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, and I tilted my head to suck at the pulse point on his neck, leaving my mark on him as he carried me.
Thick steam filled the bathing chamber, curling around us like tendrils of warmth. Rhodes lowered me into the hot water with care, his hands lingering for a second longer than necessary before he climbed in on the opposite side.
Rhodes reached for the bathing oils, his gaze never once straying from mine. There was something reverent in the way he looked at me—like I was a secret he had waited a lifetime to uncover.
Without a word, he pulled me onto his lap. His strong hands were steady and sure as he poured warm water over my hair, his fingers working gently through the strands. I exhaled, melting beneath his touch, but mischief flickered in my veins. I reached between us, wrapping my fingers around his length.
His breath hitched. His hips stuttered beneath the water, but his hands never faltered. He carried on, lathering my hair, letting the moment build like a storm on the horizon. The scent of cashmere sandalwood and vanilla filled the steam-thickened air as he trailed the washcloth down my spine, his movements slow and deliberate, like we had all the time in the world.
Lifting me with effortless grace, he traced the cloth over my skin, cleansing me inch by inch, his lips finding the sensitive peaks of my breasts. He took one into his mouth, his tongue tracing delicate circles, and I gasped, my fingers digging into his shoulders.
I returned the gesture, lifting the bathing carafe and filling it with hot water. His storm-bearing eyes fluttered closed as he tilted his head back for me, offering himself to my touch. Rising onto my knees, I poured the water over his dark hair, watching as the rivulets cascaded down his sharp features. His hands never ceased their slow exploration of my skin, tracing the curves of my body with a reverence that sent warmth pooling in my core.
Rhodes—this fierce, enigmatic man, always guarded, always in control—sat utterly at ease beneath my touch. He had allowed no one to see him so unguarded, not even Noemi, his dragon. But here he was, surrendering to my touch while I cleansed his hair.
The intimacy of the moment spoke louder than any words ever could.
We quickly toweled each other off before Rhodes picked me up once again, effortlessly lifting me into his arms. He turned and sat on the bed’s edge, pulling me onto his lap as I straddled him, my body settling into the firm warmth of his.
I cradled his face in my hands, feeling the roughness of his stubble under my fingertips as I looked down at him. My heart fluttered in my chest at the sight of this beautiful man.
But then it shattered.
“I thought I lost you before I truly ever had you,” he said.
My chest swelled with something I’d never felt before. “I’m here now.”
Unexplainable fear washed over his features as his jaw tensed under my touch. I kissed him softly, trying to ease whatever storm was brewing within him. His fingers trailed up and down my spine, stirring butterflies in my chest with his gentle caress.
“I’m sorry I tried to push you away,” I whispered against his lips.
Rhodes slowly shook his head, his thumb brushing against my cheek. “You could never push me away. I am yours, Scarlet Thorne. Nothing will ever change that. You can bend me, you can break me, but you’ll never be rid of me. Even if you change your mind, I’ll change it right back.”
A grin tugged at my lips as I kissed him again, soft and teasing. “That sounds like a challenge.”
He chuckled low, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “I’d expect nothing less from the thorn in my side.”
Rhodes lifted his hips, causing delicious friction across my core. I smirked to hide my whimper and repeated the words he said to me on the rooftop, “You’re a shameless tease, Wylder. I’ll take all you’ve got.”
