Page 68 of Oaths & Vengeance (Realm of Zadrya #1)

“Curse the nameless ones.” He let out an ironic chuckle. “That should have been my first thought when we came up here, but seeing you naked in my bed has been on my mind all night.”

“Soon,” I promised.

He took my hand, pulling me toward the washroom. While he ran the water in the tub, I looked in the mirror, horror filling me at how ragged I appeared. My blonde hair was a mess from the rain, my cheeks were flushed, and my lips were plump from kissing.

Darrow came behind me, meeting my gaze in the reflection. “I’ve got a robe for you in the closet. I’ll get it while you start bathing. Because if I stay in here, neither of us is getting clean. ”

“You can’t be that desperate.” Honestly, he was staring at me like a starved man, but I didn’t see how that could be true when he could easily get any woman he wanted. Never mind that I looked like a drowned rat at the moment.

He turned me to face him. “I want you to know I haven’t touched another woman since I ordered Camden to end it with you.”

“Why?” I asked, surprised. Surely, he didn’t do it for my sake or out of some sense of fairness since he cut me off. That would go against everything I’d heard about him.

“It hardly seemed fair.” His lips quirked. “And other women don’t interest me anymore the way you do.”

Until true mates had sex, the bond didn’t fall into place.

We could have still slept with others, though perhaps the connection we’d already formed with kissing and touching still influenced us on some level.

After feeling Darrow’s lips on mine the first time, I didn’t get the same satisfaction with Camden anymore, though I certainly tried during those first months.

I shook my head. This conversation was far too surreal for me to believe. “Please, go get the robe.”

“Of course, my lady,” he said, sauntering away with a knowing grin.

I quickly got undressed and sank into the deep tub.

It was nearly full, so I turned off the water.

Darrow had gotten it perfectly hot. For a moment, I let the heat soak into my body and loosen my muscles.

Hearing noises in the bed chamber roused me enough to dunk my head and begin washing my hair.

He must have taken his time because I almost finished bathing when he returned.

I noted he kept his gaze away from the tub as he hung a dark blue robe on a wall hook.

Watching a strong, sexy man fight the urge to look at his naked wife was almost comical. “Give me just a minute, and I’ll be out.”

“Take your time,” he said, turning his back to me. His shoulders were rigid with tension.

I finished quickly, rising to grab a towel from a nearby shelf.

Once I’d dried my hair and upper body, I stepped out of the tub.

Still, Darrow didn’t peek. I ran the towel down my legs to dry them, keeping an eye on him.

It felt so incredibly good to be clean again.

I crept behind him to hang the towel and grab the robe.

“Your turn,” I said once I’d pulled it on and tied the belt. It was impressively soft and covered me to midcalf.

He turned around and looked me up and down. “It looks good on you.”

“Hurry and bathe so you can take it off,” I replied with a saucy grin.

“Oh, I plan on it.”

I left him in the bathing chambers because I was reasonably certain I might not have the willpower to keep my hands off of him once he stripped his clothes.

To my surprise, I found he’d lit several candles.

They softened the atmosphere and drew attention to the large bed in the middle of the room, which was adorned with a deep red duvet, partially pulled back to reveal black sheets underneath.

He’d gone through a lot of trouble for impersonal sex, but I supposed I’d let it go for our first time.

A little candlelight wouldn’t make me suddenly fall in love, but it would let me see him better.

A silver brush sat on the dresser. I grabbed it and took my time working the tangles out of my hair. Though I’d tried to get some of them loose in the bath, many didn’t come free. It took nearly ten minutes to sort them out.

After that, I wandered the room. It was nicely decorated in the same shade as the bed covering, along with splashes of gold and black, but there weren’t any personal touches.

I wondered how often he’d even stayed here since purchasing the place.

It was unnerving how little I knew about my own husband’s habits.

I supposed that was to be expected under the circumstances, but I wished I had ways to learn more about him the way he did me.

Unable to resist the comfortable bed any longer, I moved over to it and lay across the top.

It felt as nice as expected and not as lumpy as the one I had at home.

I wondered how he could afford such a place without being a lord or firstborn son.

That was another question I’d have to ask when I had the opportunity .

I closed my eyes, promising myself it would only be for a moment, but the next thing I knew, fingers grazed my cheek, waking me. Darrow stared down at my face with hooded lids.

“You look even more beautiful in my bed,” he said.

He hadn’t put on a robe and stood before me naked. I gulped as I took in his hard, muscular form. With the soft, flickering light, I could hardly make out the scars on his chest, but even those would have added to his savage look right now. He was lethal grace wrapped in an irresistible package.

Darrow ran a hand along my neck and down my chest until he reached the robe’s belt.

I kept my gaze on him as he slowly opened it, pulling the sides apart to expose my breasts.

His hand hovered there for a few seconds before tracing down my stomach to widen it further until nothing covered my front.

He’d seen me naked briefly on summer solstice, but this was different. I wasn’t trying to hide myself now.

“Something tells me we won’t be rising early in the morning,” he said as he took me in fully with a savage look in his eyes. It was enough to make me wet. I’d grown so used to resisting him that it was strange to give in to my desire.

I sat up and tugged the robe the rest of the way off, letting it fall to the floor. In the next moment, I was on my back again, and Darrow hovered over me with his hard cock jutting proudly. He stared down at me like a predator that had just caught its prey.

“Are you certain you still want it rough?” he asked, lifting his brows. The scent of sandalwood surrounded me, along with a hint of something else. If there were a way to bottle up ferocity and danger and make a cologne from it, this new aroma he emitted would be it.

I had a feeling I was about to release something animalistic inside him. “Yes.”

“Very well, but be aware, there will be nothing soft or gentle once I get started.”

I swallowed, because that sounded terrifying and thrilling at the same time. “Good.”

My lips parted as he swiftly leaned down and kissed me.

It was brutal and demanding without a hint of affection—the way I’d asked.

When he pulled away, his mouth trailed slowly down, kissing my neck before reaching my breasts.

He sucked on each of my nipples one by one, pulling on them so hard that pricks of pain shot straight through me.

My core heated instantly. He nibbled them next, biting hard enough to hurt, but not draw blood.

A moan escaped me. I liked it more than expected and couldn’t wait to see what else he did.

Darrow smiled and continued a path down my stomach, pausing as he reached the apex of my thighs. Sitting back, he pulled my legs farther apart so I was completely open to him. Then he ran one finger down my aching nub before inserting it inside me.

“So wet already,” he said, pulling back.

I made a noise of protest. “Says the man whose dick is hard as a rock.”

“Hmm, fair point.”

He lifted my right leg and brought my foot to his mouth.

One after another, he kissed and sucked on my toes.

I’d never known until that moment that such a thing could excite me.

Then, he began working his way down my calf.

Shots of pleasure flowed from where his mouth bit and licked, forming a trail of pain and seduction.

It ended too soon as he stopped at the sensitive underside of my knee to nibble there, but he soon continued his path until he reached my wet center.

All he gave was one excruciatingly slow lick before he pulled away and started on my left foot, repeating what he’d done on the other side.

I panted by the time he reached my pussy again.

He sucked in the nub and then bit it just hard enough to make me cry out, holding my legs tightly so I couldn’t close them.

He held it for a long moment while watching my reaction, but I didn’t dare protest. It was an erotic kind of pain that I’d never experienced before and only made me hotter.

Then, he let go and licked it once to soften the sting.

Darrow stretched my thighs as far apart as they could go. Without warning, he shoved two fingers deep inside of me. I gasped at the sudden invasion but quickly relaxed as he worked me in a rhythmic motion that spun my pleasure higher.

“How rough do you want it, Aella?” he asked, studying my face.

“Enough to make me sore in the morning, Dare. ”

“Hmm, I like when you say my name properly.” He inserted a third finger, stretching me. “I’m going to make you say it many times before the sun rises.”

His pace quickened to more forceful thrusts as he watched me closely.

I drew in ragged breaths and lifted my hips, needing more.

Darrow put my right leg over his shoulder and licked the skin on the underside of my thigh once before biting me hard.

A thrill shot through my body at the combined pain of him roughly working my pussy while his teeth bit into my skin.

I’d never done anything like this before, but it was shockingly stimulating.