“You’re right. He’s too honorable to–”
The clock in the bedroom chimed.
One.
Twice.
It took three full rings for us to disentangle, groaning from loss.
I ran my hand through his hair once more.
I’d been greedy enough with Ryker’s time, it was time for Geryll and Nadya to indulge in his presence.
“Time for tea,” I sighed.
“And questions.”
“They’ll want to know everything about theoutsider,” I said as he reluctantly rose from the water.
I barely managed to get a glimpse of his glistening body before he rushed once more. I blinked and he was already pulling his pants on.
“That’s just mean,” I pouted. I didn’t care what he said, the man had been carved by the gods themselves.
He laughed. “You started it.”
“Fine.” I crossed my hands on the rim of the bath. “I’ll only walk out once you’re gone.”
His fingers froze on his belt as he cursed under his breath. “I miscalculated.”
“Yes,” I said primly, before turning serious. “I don’t think Nadya and Geryll need to know about you and Dax almost dying. At least not yet.”
He shook his head. “They’re already worried enough.”
“Especially Nadya.”
“Yes. I don’t know if she got her suspicious ways from me or if she was born like that. I give her two days before she finds out everything about Dax, down to the socks he prefers.”
“He might not even know that.”
“Then he’ll be able to ask Nadya.” He pulled on his tunic, sealing his glorious form from me. “See you in an hour?”
I rested my cheek on my arm. “Don’t hold it against me if I’m already asleep.”
“As long as you’re in my arms, I don’t care.” He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on my forehead that made my stomach clench. “I’ll be right back.”
I let myself bask in the warmth for a few moments after he left, listening to his footsteps. One day, perhaps I would be going down to tea with them.
I allowed that thought to make me as giddy as it could after days of unrest and fear.
The quiet had felt too good. Like the rest of the world, violent and chaotic, had stepped back for a reason and was waiting to snap around me once more.
With a reluctant huff, I finally left the washroom, hurrying to my own bedroom for another slip. I planned on spending the night between his sheets, with his arms coiled around me, and his room was a fair bit colder than mine.
The moment I was alone in the darkness of my room, I knew something was wrong.
Muscles tense and heartbeat in my ears, my gaze swept over every still shadow in front of me.
My trained eyes honed in on my duvet.
