“Trust me, Lumi.”
She letsthe towel fall and steps into the water with a sharp gasp. Her whole body shudders as the cold hits her.
I step in after her—stillwearing my loose pants, because if I’m naked in this tub with her, I will give in.
The water risesas I lower myself in, spilling over the sides.
“Come here.”I rasp as I reach for her.
She doesn't resistas I pull her against my chest. My skin is freezing, hers is flaming, and the collision of the two creates a thick, white mist that swallows us both.
In the fog,the rest of the world—the cabin, the forest, the threat—all falls away. There is only her heart hammering against my ribs and the water churning between us.
Minutes of silencepass before her breathing gradually slows.
“Better?”I rumble against her hair.
She nods.
I letmy hands drift to her shoulders, kneading gently. She’s so tense—every muscle locked tight from fighting the heat, from holding herself together.
“I’m goingto fix this. I promise,” I whisper.
My hands slide lower,down her arms, across her back in slow, relaxing circles. Her head falls back to rest on my shoulder, and a soft sound escapes her lips.
I should stop,but her body is finally responding, melting into my touch.
Her hips shiftslightly under the water.
My hands driftfrom her waist, palms molding to the curve of her hips. My fingers curl around that soft crease where her thigh meets her hip, and something in my blood snaps into place. It isn’t just desire. It’s a blueprint.
Rhûven is no longer snarlingfor her; he’s focused on the exact points where my claws lightly press into her skin—four marks on each side. Crushing pressure spreads from my jaw down my spine, demanding I stop being a savior and start being a mate.
My claws extend slightly,scraping against her skin. This spot. Mark her here. Now. The thought is so loud it’s the only thing I can hear over the running water. Every inch of me is rigid, straining from the effort it takes not to let him force the shift.
“Andrik...”her voice breaks on my name.
It’s not a question.It’s complete and utter surrender, and that’s the most dangerous thing she could give me right now. My grip on her hips tightens while my thumbs trace the dip of her waist. I can feel the exact moment the ice water stops being enough to keep the fire at bay.
“Lumi,”I rasp, my forehead dropping to the crook of her neck. “If you don’t tell me to stop... if you stay exactly where you are... I’m going to lose this fight.”
“Don’t stop,”she whispers. Her head slides down my shoulder until it’s resting against the hard curve of my bicep. Themovement exposes the long, elegant line of her throat, and my vision swims.
How could I stop?
My hands slidefrom her hips, moving under the water to the tops of her thighs. I feel the hitch in her breath more than I hear it. Delicate fingers dig into my forearms as I pull her closer, until there isn’t a single millimeter of space between us.
“Andrik... more.”
“I’ve got you,”I growl, the sound vibrating through the water and straight into her. “I’m going to take it all. Give the ache to me, lûnveshka.”
I letRhûven take the lead, just enough to find the center of her pain. My hands move in a slow, agonizing rhythm, working through the knots in her muscles and the tension in her core. Every touch is an invocation; every moan she lets out is a command I’m helpless to ignore.
I finda spot at the small of her back where the bond’s energy is coiled like a spring. I press my palm flat against it, sending a pulse of cooling waves deep into her.
She gasps,her body arching, hips tilting into mine.
“Yes... right there... oh God, Andrik.”
