Page 100 of The Pakhan’s Accidental Bride

"Yes." She meets my eyes again. "What's done is done, Emil. There's no use thinking about changing the past or wishing things were different. We are where we are."

It's not really an answer. She's skirting around the question, avoiding it entirely. Part of me wants to push, to demand that she tell me the truth. Does she want to leave? Does she regret everything that's happened between us?

But another part of me, the part that's been growing stronger every day I spend with her, decides to leave it alone. Maybe I don't want to know how she really feels. Maybe I'm not ready to hear that she wishes she'd never met me.

"You're right," I finally say. "What's done is done."

She nods, relief flickering across her face.

I change the subject before the tension can build again. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

"Show me what?"

"My room."

Her eyebrows rise. "Your room?"

"My suite," I clarify. "You haven't seen it yet."

She hesitates, and I can see the wariness in her expression. But curiosity wins out. "Okay."

I lead her down the hallway to the opposite wing of the estate. My suite takes up the entire east corner, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the gardens and the city lights beyond. I open the double doors and gesture for her to enter.

Kiera steps inside, her eyes widening as she takes in the space. The main room is massive, with a sitting area, a fireplace, and a bar along one wall. Dark wood furniture contrasts with cream-colored walls and soft lighting that creates an intimate atmosphere.

"This is huge," she says, walking further into the room.

"It has everything I need." I close the doors behind us and watch her explore. She runs her fingers along the back of the leather sofa, examines the artwork on the walls, and peers into the walk-in closet that's bigger than her entire bedroom at her apartment.

"Where's the bed?" she asks.

I point to another set of doors. "Through there. But that's not what I wanted to show you."

I lead her to a third door, this one opening into what looks like a small spa. The room is tiled in dark slate, with soft lighting recessed into the ceiling. In the center is a rectangular pool, maybe fifteen feet long and ten feet wide. Next to it, built into the floor, is a hot tub with jets and underwater lighting that makes the water glow blue.

"You have your own pool?" Kiera stares at the water, then at me. "In your bedroom?" She shakes her head. "That's right. You told me you had three pools on the property, and one of them was in your bedroom."

"Technically, it's in my suite. But yes."

"Of course you do." She shakes her head, but she's smiling. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I like water." I move closer to her, close enough to smell the faint scent of her shampoo. "And I like privacy."

She turns to face me, and the look in her eyes makes my cock harden instantly. "Privacy for what?"

"For this." I cup her face in my hands and kiss her, slow and deep. She melts against me, her body soft and warm. When I pull back, her lips are swollen and her breathing is uneven.

"Get in the pool with me," I say.

She bites her lip, considering for just a minute. Then she reaches for the hem of her sweater and pulls it over her head. Underneath, she's wearing a simple white bra that makes her skin look even more pale and perfect. She unbuttons her jeans and slides them down her legs, revealing matching white panties.

I strip off my shirt and jeans, leaving me in just my boxer briefs. The bandage on my arm is still white and clean, the wound beneath it healing well. Kiera's eyes linger on my chest, on the tattoos that cover my skin, before dropping lower to the obvious bulge straining against the fabric.

"Like what you see?" I ask, unable to keep the smugness out of my voice.

"You know I do." She unhooks her bra and lets it fall to the floor, then slides her panties down. Completely naked, she walks to the edge of the pool and dips her toe in. "It's warm."

"Heated." I strip off my boxer briefs and join her at the edge. My cock juts out, hard and ready, and I don't bother hiding it. "Get in."