His grin was shameless, but only for a moment as he took in her expression. “Nix,luxiva. I brought you a fresh tunic and furs,” he jerked his chin to the hovercraft,“if you wished to go in in your dress.”
Oh.
He’d really thought of everything.
“You did?” she asked softly.
“Tev.”
Then he promptly stripped off his own shirt, the heavy, thick material dropping to the sand.
She’d seen him bare-chested more often than not, but still…Crystal didn’t think she’d ever get used to the sight. Because Cruxan drenched in moonlight was absolutely devastating. Her heart actuallyhurtlooking at him.
He also didn’t have a shy bone in his body because once he stripped off his shirt, his pants followed. And since Luxirians didn’t exactly wear underwear…he was standing completely nude in front of her.
Crystal’s breathing went a little shallow.
She’d seen his cock once before, the night of thetevvax, when she’d reached for it shamelessly, half out of her mind with desire.
But she didn’t think she’d actuallycomprehendedthe sheer size of him, his length and thickness. Because Cruxan was a large male. And his cock wasdefinitelyproportional to the rest of him.
And those ridges and knobs, she thought, remembering them. She knew they would probably feel amazing inside her, rubbing against all her sensitive bits.
Crystal swallowed, her breathing coming out in little gasps.
His growl alerted her to the fact that he could scent her arousal, but quickly, he turned away, his perfectly sculpted backside coming into view…and it only turned her on more.
Now she understood why all the great artists had had muses. Not that she was a great artist by any means, but she’d never felt thisneedto draw anyone before. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. He made her want tocreate. He made her want to try and capture his beauty, his masculinity, his sensuality with ink and color…but Crystal feared she’d never be able to.
He was best experienced in the flesh, she knew. Alive and animate and grinning.
That was when she feared Beks might’ve been right. That shewasa little in love with the guy. That knowledge glued her to the spot, made her freeze, even as her chest warmed.
The gentle splashing of water met her ears and she watched him wade into the hot spring, the black water swallowing his feet, his strong calves, his thick thighs, his backside.
When the water came up to his abdomen, he turned around and watched her, waiting.
He expected her to come in clothed in her dress and a large, frightened part of her wanted to.
The other part told her not to be a coward. The other part wanted to let the tight reins loose, to befree.
She was young. She had a mesmerizing male waiting for her, in a magical hot spring bathed in moonlight. She was falling in love.
And she didn’t want to run anymore. She didn’t want to be afraid.
She told herself she would give this a chance until he left forOtala.
Crystal took a step forward and then raised her fingertips to the clasps over her shoulders that held her dress up, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. Her fingers shook as she undid them and she let the straps fall, let the dress pool down her breasts, her waist, her hips, and puddle at her feet, next to his own clothes.
She looked at Cruxan, but it was difficult to make out his expression in the darkness. But she knew he could see her. All of her. What she did sense was that he had completely stilled.
Crystal didn’t wait. It was cold and she was as naked as the day she was born. She took another step towards the hot spring, towards Cruxan, and then she felt the wonderful heat rise up to meet her.
She waded in. The steam was thick, but it felt wonderful. Through it she saw him, waiting for her, just a short distance away. The ends of her hair grew damp, sticking to her breasts, until they too were submerged. The water came up to her shoulders by the time she reached him.
It didn’t make sense what she was feeling, but she saw whatever it was reflected on Cruxan’s face. His jaw was set, his eyes were dark, and he looked…struck.
“Vellixa,” he rasped, his chest heaving above the water, making ripples in the hot spring that lapped at her collarbone.
