I hold my breath at the sound of his voice on the other side of my bedroom door.
“Haven… It’s me, Avrum.”
But I know that. I’ve been hearing his voice echo in my head since he left me the night before.
“Haven? Are you there?”
I go over to the door and press the palm of my hand against the wood. “Yes,” I whisper back, “I’m here.”
I hear his sigh of relief. “How are you feeling?”
I feel a little foolish for speaking to him this way, but I say, “Better.” It may be the same response I gave Emma, but this time, I mean it. The hot water of the bath soothed my aching muscles and calmed me. It isn’t a lie.
Whispering comes from the other side again, and I guess he’s speaking to a guard or someone else passing by. I wait. When the murmurs stop and the sound of footsteps fade down the hall, I call out to him again, “Avrum?”
“Yes, I’m here,” he says. “Can I come in?”
I step aside and clear my throat, excitement bubbling up. “Yes, of course.”
There’s a jingle of metal and then the click of my door unlocking. Avrum walks inside and into the flickering yellow candlelight from the nightstand. The ivory shirt he wears is damp with perspiration, and because of it, I can make out every strong muscular line of his torso.
I swallow roughly.
At one point, he may have attempted to pull back his shoulder-length hair, but most of the strands hang freely at the sides of his face. His usually pale cheeks have gained some color, and on his hip hangs a sword.
I had seen him not too long ago, yet he looks so different now.
My heartbeat speeds up to an unruly pace.
His brown eyes travel up and down my body, leaving a trail of heat over my skin wherever his gaze touches. When he meets my stare again, a slight smile lifts his lips.
“I see you have taken my suggestion,” he says.
I pause, unsure by what he means, and by my body’s reaction.
“The bath?” He chuckles, and the rich, soothing sound makes my heart flutter. I touch my still-damp hair, which Emma had twisted into a loose knot at the nape of my neck, and heat rises to my cheeks.
Why am I acting this way? He’s got me jumbled up in knots.
I’ve never been such a mess.
Avrum dips his head, trying to capture my gaze again before taking a step toward me. My breath catches in my throat.
This is ridiculous.What is wrong with me?
“Why did you come?” My voice wavers, but I try to inject as much nonchalance as I can into it. I can’t have him see my uneasiness. “I am sure it wasn’t just to see whether or not I bathed.”
He clears his throat. “No, it wasn’t,” he replies.
“Why then?”
He takes another step forward, his tall frame blocking the light of the candle. I shiver as the shadows engulf me. “Henri is planning another party,” he begins as he searches my face, “and he has asked for my help.”
“And you are going to give it to him?” I ask. “After everything—”
“I am, but only to make sure he doesn’t grow suspicious.” He pauses. “Well, more suspicious than he already is.”
My stomach flips with worry. “You think he knows?”
