Despite still being shirtless, Ty instantly began to sweat again, reminding him of the reason he didn’t usually come here—it was too damn hot for him. But seeing the wonder in her reaction made it well worth it. And he wasn’t done yet.
“You know, I was thinking,” Ty began, leading her closer to the wide, beautifully carved staircase that led down into the lake. “I know you struggled to swim in the River Wry because of your Knowing, and the water’s intentions feeling so overwhelming, but I thought, maybe, this would feel different.”
Ena was quiet for a minute as she watched the water, her eyes skimming over it.
“Can you feel it with your Knowing?” he asked. There was something about her magic that had always fascinated him, from the very first day they met. Being half-witch hadn’t given him a Knowing, and part of him had always been curious about it. It was always impressive what she Knew.
“I can,” she said, a smile gracing her beautiful face. “And you’re right, it’s so different from the River Wry. It’s not rushing towards the ocean, it’s…already achieved its purpose, rising to the surface. It’s content here. With the stone. I’ve never Known water this calm.”
“So, what do you think?” Ty asked her, holding out his hand to her in offering. “Will you swim with me again?”
She gave him a skeptical look, but the delight in her eyes was impossible to miss. “Why are you always making me swim?” she asked teasingly.
Ty shrugged. “Because you look fucking fantastic when you’re wet.”
Ena laughed, her joy bursting out of her in such a carefree expression of emotion that it made Ty laugh too.
“But who knows,” he added, stepping closer to her. “Learning to swim could save your life one day. Just like learning to fight with the daggers. It’s a necessary skill, viper.”
Ena sighed, and he knew he’d won. Her practical side always won out.
“Alright,” she said, starting to untie her leather corset.
Ty found himself watching her, unable to look away as she removed her layers of clothing. She was so absolutely intoxicating she felt almost unattainable sometimes. Maybe it was because, for the last nine years, she literally had been unattainable to him, and his mind was still trying to catch up. But either way, somehow, his entire being was drawn to her, wanting to capture her like smoke on the wind.
She caught him staring as she stood only in her shirt now, which ended at mid-thigh, covering her most intimate parts, and raised a brow. “Your turn,” she said, looking pointedly down at his pants.
Ty unbuttoned them slowly, maintaining eye contact as she watched him. He could feel his cock already half hard from the tension of the situation as he pulled them down over his hips, then he kicked them off to the side so he stood before her, fully nude.
“Now take it off,” he said, using that tone of voice he knew made her wet, nodding at the shirt she still wore.
She pulled it off over her head, dropping it to the side so she was fully nude too.
Ty sighed as his eyes roamed over her rosy nipples and full, heavy breasts, down to her soft stomach and the curve of her hips. His eyes lingered at the apex of her thighs, covered in adusting of dark hair that hid that delicious pussy he loved so fucking much.
“I thought you brought me here to swim,” Ena said, a teasing smile on her face as she glanced pointedly down at his erect cock.
“I did, and we will, but maybe if you’re a good girl for me, I’ll let you come on my cock after.”
Ena laughed again, low and sultry this time. “You’re a cocky bastard, you know that? What makes you think I want to?”
“So you’re telling me that smell I smell, that”—Ty inhaled deeply, getting a whiff of her in the air as he let out a low hum in the back of his throat—“sweet blackberry musk, is just my imagination?”
Ena blushed, and he had to actively work to calm his body and not pounce on her like a triumphant wolf claiming its prey.
“Fine,” she replied, not letting him get to her. “Then maybe ifyou’regood, I’ll let you lick my cunt, since you seem to love the smell of it so much.”
Fuck. Just when he thought he had the upper hand, she pushed him again—challenging him right back with those filthy words. Suddenly, he found it so goddamn hard to focus on swimming.
He clenched his jaw and rubbed his hand down his beard as he willed himself to calm. “Come on, viper,” he said, gesturing at the water, “before you lose your chance to swim altogether.”
She smiled, looking very pleased with herself, before turning and descending down the smooth, carved staircase that led into the water as Ty followed her.
The cave floor was rocky and sloped once they entered the pool of steaming water, and Ty reached out to steady her, taking her hand as they both stepped into the warm water.
Ena let out an audible sigh of pleasure as the warmth hit her, and Ty realized that he definitely had not thought this fully through.
Fucking Iblis, this was going to be torture.
