Page 31 of A City of Hearts and Feathers (The Order of Anubis #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Z oe got so deeply focused on the delicate work of unbinding the codex that she completely lost track of time. The library, her thoughts and worries—all of that vanished. She didn't come back to herself until large hands gently rested on her shoulders and the smell of Kahil's aftershave hit her senses.

Zoe let out a shuddery breath and tipped her head back. "Hey. What are you doing down here?"

Kahil bent down and kissed her sweet and gentle on the mouth. "It's been hours. I was starting to worry you got lost down here." He massaged her aching neck, and she leaned into his touch.

"I got distracted," she said, pointing to the pile of red covers. She had placed the codex pieces unbound in the biggest cover.

"How about we lock the pages up in my apartment? You can leave the rest of your gear here, and then I will take you for a steam. I booked the private baths so we aren't disturbed, as you requested," he replied. His hands moved back to her shoulders. "My god, it feels like you have rocks in your shoulders."

Zoe stretched, her back popping. She took her glasses off and rubbed her tired eyes. "Okay, you've convinced me."

Zoe couldn't imagine what Kahil's apartment would look like, but it wasn't the neat space she walked into. It had wooden floors and dark gray walls. Beautiful swords and knives hung on the walls along with art from different time periods. A lot of them were portraits of him and Arslan, and then there was Kerem popping up in a few of the later photos.

"I like it," Zoe said, looking around with a wide smile. "Maybe I can get you to renovate the apartment above the shop sometime."

Kahil suddenly looked bashful at the compliment. "I'd be happy to. I'll have you know I look very good wearing a tool bag."

"You look very good all the time. It's annoying actually," she replied. It was a lie. She loved staring at him. She couldn't help it.

Kahil laughed and opened a door. "The safe is through here."

Zoe expected an office, but what she got was a war room. It was full of weapons of all kinds. Racks of blades and a wall of guns. Kahil shifted a metal toolbox out of the way to reveal a gray steel floor safe.

"If you have all of these weapons sitting out like this, I can't imagine what you keep in the safe," Zoe said, eyes wide.

"Treasure," he teased and took the codex from her. He placed it inside and locked the safe again. "There we go. Out of sight. Now, you can stop worrying about it for the night."

"I don't think that's how it works."

"I'll just have to find a way to distract you," Kahil said, rising to his feet again. He looked her over in a way that told her exactly what he was planning.

Zoe was ashamed of how quickly her lady parts were on board. She refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he affected her. He knew anyway.

"Is that so? Are you going to tell me how magical your dick is next?"

Kahil lifted her chin. "You already know how magical it is."

"You got an ego on you. I'll give you that," she scoffed.

"Stop pretending you don't like that about me," he said. He leaned in, and she rose up to meet him. He just laughed without kissing her. "Come along, balim , the steam awaits."

"Tease," she grumbled but still followed him. She didn't know why this annoying man did it for her, but damn did he know how to get her going.

"Look who's talking? I've been neglected for hours," Kahil said, leading her out of the apartment and through the gardens.

"Poor baby," she tsked.

"It's okay. I know how I want you to make it up to me."

Zoe's body went hot all over. "I'm pretty sure you promised me a shoulder massage first."

"And I intend to give it. This way," he said, opening a door for her.

The Order was such a maze. Zoe wondered if she would ever find her way around it. Majority of it was underground, and there were no helpful signs saying where things were.

The air grew warmer, and Zoe knew they had to be getting close. There was a door marked 'Private—See Booking' and Kahil opened the door with a key.

"Ladies first," he said, holding it open for her.

Zoe found herself in a small changing area with benches and hooks for clothes. Linen towels were rolled and waiting for them with bottles of water.

"I haven't been in one of these since I was a kid," Zoe said, kicking off her shoes. "The closest I've gotten is a steam room at a gym with a bunch of sweaty strangers."

"Sounds awful," Kahil replied and pulled off his shirt.

"The company is already better," Zoe said and quickly turned away before he caught her ogling him. She got rid of her clothes and wrapped one of the thin linen towels around herself. She turned as Kahil was bundling his long hair up into a knot.

"Damn," she whispered, looking at the flex of his biceps and at the towel slung around his hips.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Kahil raised a brow at her. "Zoe Kartal, are you lusting after my body?"

"I'm just eager to get in the steam."

"Of course," he said, grabbing two bottles of water and some extra towels. He locked the exterior door. "So we don't get interrupted."

Zoe's brain was too fuzzy to do anything but smile. His back was as amazing as his front, covered with tattoos and scars. It was a sight she didn't think she would ever get tired of looking at.

The next room was made of marble and stone and a walk-in aqua pool in the center under a white and gold dome.

"For when you get too hot," Kahil said with a wink.

Jesus. She was tempted to throw herself in the cold water already. She had a hard enough time believing he was interested in someone like her as it was. Her self-esteem wasn't bad, but she had a fucked-up sense of worth. She wasn't tiny and perfectly groomed in every way. Kahil didn't make her feel like she had to be, and that was what scared her. He wanted her just as she was, and it messed her up.

Zoe's tangled thoughts went quiet when Kahil opened the door to the hammam. Like the pool room, it was made of marble, with copper taps and pans for pouring out water. There were benches around the circular room with fragrant steam rising from vents in the floor.

"This is amazing," she said, looking around her. Kahil spread the towels out on one of the benches. Zoe sat and leaned her back against the hot stone behind her. "Oh, god."

Kahil went to a copper basket next to one of the sinks. Inside it were fragrant soaps and sponges. He pulled out a glass vial of an amber liquid.

"This is for those rocks in your shoulders," he said, walking up the marble bench before sitting on the one behind her.

"I take back every mean thing I've ever said about you," she replied.

He positioned her between his knees and knotted up her hair so it was off her neck. "What mean things?"

"Well, I did think you killed my father for most of my life. That was pretty mean," Zoe said.

"I'm still annoyed at your mother for that," Kahil muttered, opening the cap on the oil bottle. He tipped some into his hands before rubbing them together. Zoe melted with the first press of his thumbs into her shoulders.

"Oh, Jesus, do you have to be so good at everything?" she said with a groan.

Kahil kept massaging her as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "You're going to benefit from it. Also, I think we've established I'm bad at Coptic and playing with others."

"I noticed. I wanted to ask you about that. You're one of the easiest people to get along with that I've ever met, and everywhere we go everyone just calls you a war dog or tries to ignore you," Zoe said. She jumped when he hit a particularly tender knot.

Kahil was quiet for a long moment. "I suppose it's because I hate nearly everyone, and I don't bother to hide it. I've never played the political games. We are meant to be neutral, and I take that seriously. I've also had to kill, imprison, or maim anyone who has stepped out of line for centuries. It doesn't make you friends, no matter how necessary the task is. You're the first person I've actually liked for centuries."

Zoe couldn't imagine how lonely and how hard it must be to live with that responsibility. She kissed his knee. "I like you too, and everyone else is missing out by not knowing you."

Kahil chuckled. "You're the only one who gets to see my good side, Zoe. You bring out things in me that I thought long gone."

"Such as?" she asked, biting her bottom lip to stop from smiling.

"I'm almost mad wanting to protect you to the point I was starting to panic tonight when you still hadn't come out of the library. That's not natural for me. I want to take care of you. Make sure you're eating right and getting enough sleep." Kahil let out a frustrated sound. "That's not what the Order's toughest war dog should be feeling. I've never been soft like that for anyone."

Zoe turned about slowly so she could face him. "Come here."

Kahil leaned down to hug her, and she kissed him softly. His words made her heart crack in two, and she tried to articulate why. "Thank you for looking after me. No one has wanted to do that for a long time. I was always so capable because I didn't want to upset my mother, and she thought it was empowering for me. I'm not used to someone wanting to help me just with the everyday stuff so that I have a moment to breathe."

"It's driving me crazy because that's all I want to do," he admitted with a shy smile. "I just want to wrap you in a blanket and kill anyone who looks at you funny."

"Okay, that is a bit crazy, but I appreciate that side of you too. I wouldn't have survived this long in Istanbul without you. You know that."

Kahil kissed her forehead. "I do know. You are far too lovely for those monsters, and for this one too. Now, turn around so I can finish getting these knots out."

Zoe was too caught up in his sweet confession and the steam that was making his skin shine. "You can fix them later. Maybe you should just sit back and let me show my appreciation."

"Is that so? What do you have in mind?" he asked. She leaned forward and licked the scarab tattoo at the center of his chest. Kahil's hands tightened on her.

Zoe laughed softly before she spent some quality time getting to know every scar and muscle better. She scraped her teeth over his nipples, and he let out a low rumble in his chest. Her hands moved up his muscular thighs, massaging and stroking as they went under his towel.

"This bathhouse trip was meant to be for you," he said through gritted teeth.

"What makes you think this isn't for me?" Zoe asked and sucked a mark on his skin. His towel opened to reveal his hard dick. "Didn't you say by the time all this was done, I was going to get down on my knees and thank you?"

She licked his tip, and Kahil whimpered. It was a sound she'd never heard him make before, and it filled her with delight. She wanted to ruin him just as he had ruined her.

Zoe ran her lips and tongue up one side of his dick and then the other. Kahil's obvious enjoyment made her bolder, so she sucked him down, her hand wrapping around him.

Kahil's hands threaded into her hair. "Fuck, Zoe. That's so good."

Pride made her take him deeper, making him grip her tighter. She was so turned on that she put her hand under her towel, and touched herself. He always made her so wet. Every murmur of pleasure and praise made her crazy with desire.

"Those lips of yours. I've fantasized them around my cock from the moment you first swore at me. Such a gorgeous, filthy mouth," Kahil said, guiding her head up and down. "Are you touching that delicious pussy of yours? Good. Get it nice and wet to take me."

Zoe was going to come if he kept talking like that. She never thought that she'd be into dirty talking, but when Kahil was growling filthy things, it made her lose all sense.

Kahil pulled her off him and lifted her up onto his lap in one powerful move. He gave her a filthy kiss and pulled her towel off. His mouth moved down her throat to her breasts. His hand went to her pussy and spread her. "I can see how wet you are. You did such a good job for me."

Zoe flushed even hotter. She pulled his mouth back to hers, needing him to know how much she liked the praise and unable to say it. Kahil lined her up and pressed the head of his dick into her.

"Show me how much you want it," he teased, his hands moving to hold her hips.

Zoe rested a hand on his slick chest for balance and lowered herself down onto him with slow thrusts. She let her body get used to him, taking him until he was seated inside of her.

Zoe licked the decadent curve of his collarbone that always made her crazy before she started to move. Kahil gripped her ass tight so she knew he wouldn't drop her.

Zoe let her body take over, so there was nothing in that moment except them, their bodies slick with sweat and oil, love and desire burning through her.

Kahil kissed her, his eyes shining with more than lust. It was almost worship. Zoe fucked him harder, trying to tell him just how much he meant to her. His hands were all over her, sliding over her breasts and stomach to her pussy to tease her clit before moving away right when she was about to come.

"Please, Kahil," she sobbed.

"Hold onto me," he snapped, and she tightened her arms and legs around him. Kahil carried her to the slabs of marble for lying down and pinned Zoe on her back. He fucked into her hard and fast, his gorgeous, powerful body taking over hers and making it sing.

"I love you so fucking much," Kahil panted.

Zoe cried out. Her vision blurred, and she came with a force that felt like it was breaking her from the inside. Kahil leaned down and kissed her but didn't ease up until he was panting her name and filling her up. He lowered himself down on top of her, wiping her damp hair from her face so he could kiss her again, his tongue sliding against hers.

Zoe was so completely done for. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his neck. "I love you too."