I think my motivation has been revenge, and my guilt, but now…now it’s about Katarina.
I want her to live in a world where she never has to look over her shoulder.
Where her dragon has been slayed.
Finally, I slide out of the bed, crossing the room where I press the call button for breakfast to be brought up.
We ought to start sleeping in my room.
Not only do I have a massive bed, but I’ve also got sweeping views of the sea.
But this room is the birth of the romance that is going to shape the rest of my life.
Katarina lifts her head, pushing her hair from her eyes.
Her back arches as she pushes up on her elbows, giving me a sleepy frown. “Morning already?”
I smile, the tension disappearing for a moment, I cross back to the bed and tuck her hair behind her ear before I lean down and sweep a kiss across her forehead. “I am afraid so.”
She wraps a hand around my neck, and I sit on the edge of the bed, pulling her body out from under the covers, and into my lap.
If I didn’t need to go, and I wasn’t worried about the toll on her body, I’d make love to her again.
She settles in my embrace, her body fitting into mine, as she tilts her chin up to look in my eyes. “You have your meeting today.”
I can hear the change in her tone, the way it flattens.
I harden in response. “Yes.”
She gives a quick nod and then slides from my lap, heading for the bathroom. I watch her go, admiring the view of her body before I follow.
I enter the bathroom to find her stepping into the shower.
I quickly glance at my back in the bathroom mirror. It reveals deep marks all down my skin. I don’t care about the sting, in fact, they’re a reminder of what we did and how amazing it felt.
Which is why I follow her into the shower.
She looks back over her shoulder. “Don’t you have your own shower?”
She’s irritated, though I’m not sure why. “I’ll use any shower I like.”
And then I close the door behind me, stalking toward her.
“That’s right. This is your house, your life, your rules.”
I keep moving toward her, not stopping. She takes a step back, which allows me to cage her against the shower wall. “If you’re trying to tempt me into another round of hard sex, it’s working.”
Her eyes widen and then the sexiest smile curves her lips. “Like it when I’m sassy and difficult?”
“You know I do.” I press my chest to hers, the warm spray washing down on both of us.
Her hands thread into my hair, her body arching into mine. “I thought last night might be a one-off.”
My brow furrows. I’ve promised to protect her. To make her a priority. “It was not a one-off.”
“Oh,” she sighs out as her hands slide down my scraped back, the cuts stinging. “Good.”
Katarina and I are due for a long talk. One where we lay some cards on the table. But right now, I need to focus on her father. So, I give her a long, slow kiss and then I lift my head. “Tomorrow, I’m going to show you the finer points of shower sex.”
