Page 119 of Kings & Queen

Alek had just closedthe door when she sighed and snuggled into me. She must have been exhausted, because she fell right back to sleep. I was going to have to leave this warmth. The arrangements weren’t going to make themselves, and with my limited ability to leave the compound with her, I had to improvise.

The idea came to me out of nowhere, and my heart felt increasingly lighter. I slipped out from under her and made my way to the shower. After changing, I set about making plans for the day.

Seeing her peacefully sleeping still warmed my heart. Her hair was strewn across the pillow, and her naked back called to me. Kissing it to wake her, I listened as she moaned.

“Time to get your lazy bones up.” I slapped her ass soundly.

She squealed and then mumbled, “Are you really going to spend the day with me?”

“I am. And the first thing I need you to do is shower.”

“Can you join me?” she asked seductively. Her insatiable appetite was so cute.

“I’ve already showered. Next time, for sure. But the sooner you get up and get in there, the sooner we can start our day.”

She stretched and sighed. “I guess, but showering with you would be so fun. Are you sure?”

“Go,” I growled, before kissing her forehead.

I’d tried to come up with something meaningful yet creative for our time together. I wanted to connect with her on a deeper level, to share my heart with her as I’d never done with another. I hoped she would be receptive to it. The water from the shower started, and Renee entered with our breakfast.

“Thank you, I’ve got it from here.”

“Very well,” she replied before closing the door.

Carefully, I arranged the bouquet of flowers I’d picked for her earlier. Nik was the one with the singing voice, so serenading her was off the table, but presenting her with a bouquet was easy. I picked the yellow ones, remembering what she’d said last night.

My mother’s garden had an array of flowers to choose from, so I picked several roses and interspersed them with the buttery hues of some alstroemerias. Her favorite color was purple, so I’d picked some iris blooms to add to it.

I was in her closet picking out a dress I wanted to see her in when Kinsley’s voice rang out, and my head snapped up. A lump formed in my throat as I froze. The haunting melody reached in and grabbed my heart and squeezed. The significance of the song she was now singing hit hard. It was the one we’d danced to back in Portland at the gala. The purity of her voice as it rose and the heartfelt weight it carried drew me in.

I grabbed the dress, rushed over to the bathroom, and hung it up. She stood beneath the warm shower spray; I was transfixed by her. Her silhouette behind the steamed glass was a blur, but I knew every inch of her, so visualizing was easy. As her rendition ended, she turned the water off.

She must have sensed my presence, because she didn’t startle when she opened the door to see me standing there. Instead, she smiled and stepped out onto the bath mat. I handed her a towel, my fingers grazing hers. The electricity that ran through me hung in the air. I had to remind myself that today wasn’t about exploring our sexual relationship, but about drawing closer to her and finding some healing.

“Do you want to dry me off, Blade?”

“Not really, because if I touch you right now, your breakfast will be too cold to eat. Nik’s not the only one who wants you to eat more.”

“He’s just the one most vocal about it. I’m liable to get pudgy, you know, if I keep this up.”

“Highly unlikely. From what I hear, you burn way more in a single session with your dance partner than you can possibly eat.”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration. But wait until you see us dance. By the way, he lets me stand on his head.”

“Are you trying to make me jealous? What am I going to do with you?”

“Kiss me, dry me off, bend me over the counter right here. Have your way with me.”

I shook my head, unable to tear my gaze from her as she wrapped the towel around her back and moved it sensually. Our eyes met, and a flicker of anticipation stared back. She wasn’t going to make this easy.

With a quick nod toward the dress, I lowered my voice. “Get dressed and comb your hair. No makeup. Something special awaits you.”

Her eyebrows darted up, a look of curiosity transforming her face as her lips curled into a questioning smile. “Yes, my beloved Sir.”

My heart pounded for this little slip of a girl. A mixture of excitement and anxiety ran through me. In the deepest parts of my soul, I knew this was the right thing to do, a beginning to my attempts to make amends for the way I treated her.

Unable to leave or take my eyes off her, I stared as she went about putting lotion on her gorgeous body. She was doing everything in her power to tempt me, and I fought back every urge a man could have to keep my feet planted in the same spot.