Page 68

“Lucien?” I called, hearing the water running in the bathroom.Hm, round of shower sex sounds like a good idea.

I sat up, expecting to feel some soreness from our night, but I didn’t have even the slightest bit of discomfort. Well, that just meant we would have to put more effort into it. I was nothing if not persistent.

Without bothering to cover up, I strutted naked into the bathroom. Lucien was in the shower, and I stopped to admire him unobserved for a couple of seconds. The water was sluicing over his muscles, playing with his gorgeous physique. His midnight hair was slicked back from his face, his hands rubbing along his tan skin.

Mine.

Every inch of him belonged to me. I was falling hard for him. Not that I would ever admit to it unless he did. I had some standards, after all. A lady never saidI love youfirst. I was pretty sure it was in the rules of etiquette somewhere.

I pulled the glass shower door open, and Lucien whipped toward me, surprise and something that looked like trepidation flashing in his eyes. I blinked for a moment, trying to decipher the reason, then he noticed I was naked. Desire muted all his other emotions, his eyes quickly turning red.

“Phoebe,” he growled, reaching for me. I dodged him, a teasing smile lighting my face.

“You weren’t planning to hog all the hot water, were you?” I smirked at his groan when I made a big show of bending over to pick up my shampoo. He grabbed my hips, and I swatted at his hands. “No touchy.”

Lucien leaned forward to whisper huskily in my ear, “Tease.”

I shivered at his voice and smiled guilelessly over my shoulder. His eyes still glowed red with desire, and his cock was hard. I bit my lip to keep from reaching for it.

I began massaging my scalp with the rose-scented shampoo, but this time he swatted at my hands, taking over lathering my hair.

“You don’t have to…” I started, but broke off on a moan. His fingers were firm as he kneaded my scalp, and my eyes drifted closed. This man was too good to be true.

“Believe me. I want to.”

He took his task seriously, continuing until I stepped under the spray to rinse the soap from my hair. He looked hard to the point of pain, and I heard the click of his fangs when he spoke, but he was resisting. This mundane task was important to him. He reached down to grab my conditioner, pouring some into his hands.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Have you done this before?”

He shook his head. “Never. There are certain things I’ve only ever done with you.”

“Like what?” I liked Lucien sharing a part of himself with me and no other. I had never considered myself a jealous person, but he wasmine. I didn’t like sharing him with anyone, even those from his past.

“Like slept.” He lathered the conditioner into my hair, focusing intently on his task.

“You’ve never slept with a lover?” I asked, shocked. “Not even once?”

He grabbed the loofah, squeezing some of my body wash onto it. He knew my shower ritual a little too closely, knowing I loofah before rinsing the conditioner from my hair. How long had he been studying my habits? “Not even once, not until you.”

His hands traced my curves as he gently scrubbed the loofah over my back. “What else have you never done?” I asked with a sigh of pleasure.

“Thought about children,” he admitted, though his voice was a little unsure. My heart stopped in my chest.

“Y-you want kids? Withme?” I stuttered. I’d never thought of myself asmaternalbefore. My past had demanded I become a kickass, name-taking fugitive. But I had never dared dream I would be amom.

“Do you not?” Again, his voice was cautious, gauging my reaction.

“I did, but with everything with the Council, I haven’t thought about it in years.” Those dreams died that day, alongside the witches I’d killed.

I was a little happy that I was facing away from him, so I could struggle through my own thoughts. Did I want kids? My heart lurched as I imagined little fanged boys with a mop of dark hair running amok through Întuneric and tiny witch girls to teach.

“I think I want kids. With you.”

I heard his intake of breath at my response. “I don’t mean right away,” he rushed to say.

I smiled at that. “I’m on witchy birth control.” There was a tattoo on the back of my neck, laden with magic. “But if you want to, I’m game.”

“When I can share you, we’ll talk about it. I want you all to myself for a while.”