“Thank you again,” Rosalina says, taking the clothes from her.
“No, thank you, Lady Rosalina and Prince Farron.” She smiles. “Word’s spread about what you’re doing across the realmlands. We won’t let that frost win.”
I give a weak smile and thank the owner myself before following Rosalina inside the room. Outside, the shutters rattle with wind, and rain patters against the panes of glass.
The warmth of the blazing hearth washes over me as I take in the small room. There’s one bed, laid with plush pillows. But it’s the object in the middle of the space that draws my attention.
A wooden tub, wisps of steam rising in the air.
48
Rosalina
Thisroomhasonebed and one bath. I’d be lying if they both weren’t appealing to me right now.
Slowly, I place the dry clothes we’ve been given on the bed. There are clean towels on the comforter. A bright pink blush stains Farron’s cheeks as he softly closes the door behind him. “I’ll go downstairs while you bathe,” he says. “You’re shivering.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I mean, it’s not like you haven’t seen…”
And there it is spread out before us: the time in the hot springs when Dayton pleasured me while Farron watched… and refused to join.
“Just turn around,” I say. He nods, and I slowly peel off my soaking clothes, my breasts feeling extra tender from where he touched me. I live for those moments when he breaks free andacts. But I know it’s not fair of me to think like that, not when he has to find his mate.
A small gasp escapes me as I dip my toes into the clear water. Pin pricks alight over my cold skin as I slide in.
“How’s the temperature?” Farron asks.
“It’s perfect,” I sigh. “The sound of the rain, a warm bath… Give me a good book and some chocolate and it’d be a dream.”
He chuckles. “I think we left our books in Thea’s saddle. But chocolate I’ll remember for next time.”
I glide a hand through the steam. Farron shivers, dripping by the door.
Slowly, I rise out of the tub. “That felt amazing. Your turn—I don’t want the water to get cold before you have a chance.”
“Get back in, Rosie,” Farron says. “I’m fine.”
I lower myself into the water. “What if I face one way and you face the other? We won’t even touch.”
He lets out a sound part way between a growl and a moan. “That’s probably a bad idea.”
“Well, either that or I’ll get out so you can get in. I can’t just sit here, watching you shiver.”
He tilts his head, auburn hair dripping down his back. “Fine. Face the bed.”
There’s the wet slap of clothing on the ground, and I scoot myself to the edge of the tub, knees drawn to my chest.
The water rises close to the top as Farron steps in. This wooden tub is deep, but definitely not long enough for a nearly six-foot human and a six-foot-something fae prince. He slides in and his back brushes against mine, skin freezing.
I hiss in a breath, resisting the urge to lean against him.
“The water is warm,” Farron says.
“It is.”
Rain pitters against the window and in the distance, thunder rumbles. But inside, the hearth crackles comfortably.
“If it were any other night, this wouldn’t be such a bad place to stay,” Farron says.
