Page 50 of Queen of the Crimson Throne (Queen of Blood and Stardust #2)

50

LUKA

Lennox returned a while later, soaps and a washcloth in hand as she knelt beside the tub.

She lathered the cloth in soap before holding it out to me. “May I?”

I didn’t take my eyes off her as she tentatively began rubbing the cloth over my skin. She started with my shoulder. Taking her time as she gently scrubbed the blood from my skin. She made her way down one arm before moving to the other.

She didn’t look at me as she worked, which allowed me free rein to look at her. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but there were deep circles under her eyes. I doubted she had slept since before we had left to search for the Galtain family.

I wasn’t even sure how much time had passed since I had been taken.

A day at least, judging by where the sun was in the sky.

Or more.

There had been no windows in that chamber.

Once Lennox finished with my arms she moved to my neck and next my face. Ever so gently she brought the cloth over my face. I watched the heavy rise and fall of her chest and she dipped the cloth back in the water before bringing it back to my cheek again.

She dipped the cloth back in the water again, this time she brought it to my chest. I sucked in a breath as she moved the cloth over the brand.

She jerked back and removed the cloth. “I’m sorry,” she stammered.

“It’s fine.”

Her eyes remained fixed on the burned flesh. “Does it still hurt?”

“A little. The skin still feels tender.” It hurt my pride more than anything to have the mark on my skin, to know I was marked by them. The skin would heal, but a wound that deep would leave a scar.

“I’m going to find a way to get rid of it,” she declared as she dipped the cloth in the water again before getting back to cleaning my chest.

“You don’t have to. It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not,” she bit out. “It’s all my fault.” She dropped the cloth in the water and sat back on her heels—staring at her wet hands as they soaked through the fabric of her nightgown.

“What do you mean it’s your fault?”

“They took you to get to me.”

I grabbed the towel sitting at the edge of the tub, wrapping it around my waist as I stepped out of the tub. I sat against the basin, facing Lennox as she remained staring at her hands in her lap.

“None of this is your fault, Lennox.” I took her chin in my hand, tilting it to make her look at me. “They came here with the intention of killing—whether it was you or me or someone else—this is all their fault, not yours.” I swiped my thumb over her cheek. “I’m here because of you Lennox. You saved me. None of this is your fault. Do you understand that?”

She closed her eyes but remained silent .

“I need you to answer me, Lennox, do you understand none of this is your fault?”

She breathed deeply before answering, “I understand.”

“Good.” I swiped my thumb over her bottom lip—the soft sigh that escaped her lips sending blood rushing to my cock.

“Come here.” Confusion clouded her features at my demand, but I gave her no time for argument as I pulled her to my lap.“I need to hold you for a moment, is that okay?”

She nodded.

Her bare legs wrapped around my waist as I pulled her to my chest, wrapping my arms around her. Ever so slowly her arms wrapped around me and she rested her head on my chest.

“Thank you for coming for me.” I rested my chin on her head. I felt the deep inhale she took in my bones.

“I’ve tried so hard to keep you at bay—to try and care less about you—so if something happened to you, it wouldn’t hurt me, but it never works. Last night—” She shuddered under my hold.

I gripped her tighter, rubbing circles on her back as she searched for words. “When I got to your room and you were gone and there was blood on the floor—I was so terrified I would never see you again. I’m starting to think no matter who you are to me, it will hurt me if something happens to you.”

The words were on the tip of my tongue. I love you.

I was fairly confident she knew how I felt about her, but if I had died never having told her those three words—I knew I’d regret it.

But I’d also regret telling her that now. She was still figuring out where we stood, what our future looked like. It was still too soon to tell her how I felt. But every day I felt like we were getting closer and closer to bridging the gap between us.

Lennox’s breathing slowed as I held her to my chest.

“You should get to bed,” I said finally.

“You’re the one that was attacked, I’m supposed to be taking care of you.” She yawned .

“You already took care of me. Let me take care of you now.” She said nothing but remained resting against my chest.

I poked her side. “Bed. Now.” As much as I was tempted to let her fall asleep in my lap like this, I also needed my sleep.

“Fine.” She crawled out of my lap before silently leaving the bathing chamber.

I quickly dressed, slipping on a loose pair of pants before heading into the bedchamber. My body felt weak, my legs weary. It had been a long fucking week.

I halted in the doorway at the sight of Lennox curled up in my bed.

“I can leave if you don’t want me here.”

“No, it’s—I’m surprised, that's all. Of course, you can stay.”

I peeled back the sheet and slipped in beside her, resting my arms under my head as I lay on my side to face her.

Her hand reached out slowly. Her fingers moving up my bare arm to my face. She traced her fingers across my jaw, my cheek, across my brow. “I hate how afraid I am of losing you,” she confessed as her fingers moved to my hair, she twisted the damp stands between her fingers.

“You don’t need to be afraid of losing me. I’m not going anywhere.” I dusted my thumb over her cheek.

“You can’t promise me that.”

“You’re right I can’t.” Her brow furrowed slightly. “But I will do everything in my power to keep to my promise.”

She shifted closer, her one hand still playing with my hair while her leg wrapped around my own, pressing our bodies together.

“Sometimes, I’m so overwhelmed by my feelings for you.” I swallowed as she continued. “It’s hard to even breathe when you look at me. That terrifies me more than anything, the effect you have on me.”

My heart beat so fast in my chest, I feared she might be able to hear it. “Imagine what I feel when you dare to even look at me. ”

She smiled—a tiny little smile that softened her entire face. “I like it when you look at me. Sometimes I feel like you’re the only person who truly sees me for who I am.”

She pressed in closer, licking her lips as she traced my own with her fingers.

Her eyes drifted half closed as she leaned forward and brushed her lips over mine.

“Lennox.” I pressed my hand into her back, pulling her closer as she arched against me.

Her lips brushed over mine again—testing, teasing.

“Luka.” Her lips pressed against mine. The movement so light before she pulled back—her eyes searching mine.

“I can’t promise you anything yet,” she murmured. “But right now—right now I need to feel you. I need to feel you—to know you’re here. That you’re okay. That you’re alive.”

Her fingers tightened in my hair, pulling my mouth towards hers.

“I’m here, Lennox.”

I moved forward—pressing our lips together. Lennox didn’t hesitate this time. Her hand gripped my neck as she pulled my mouth to hers. Months of built-up tension and emotions were put into that kiss. It wasn’t gentle. It was greedy—both of us trying to make up for time lost. She took my bottom lip between her teeth and pulled—eliciting a groan from me.

“You wicked, violent creature,” I murmured against her mouth.

She smiled against my lips, her leg wrapping around mine pulling me tighter to her, pressing her hot center against my leg. Her tongue teased the seam of my lips and I opened for her.

Our hands roamed over each others bodies as we continued to kiss for what felt like days, hours, as we reacquainted with each other.

Her hands roamed over my chest and back until they finally slipped lower, under the band of my pants, her hand wrapping around my cock. I slipped the thin strap of her nightgown over her shoulder, exposing one of her breasts. I rubbed my thumb over the tightened peak as her grip on my cock tightened as she stroked me up and down. I groaned, dipping my head to take her nipple in my mouth. Her back arched as my tongue and teeth teased the sensitive bud.

My hands gripped the swell of Lennox’s ass as she rolled on top of me. Her hands roamed over my chest as her lips moved down my neck. I slipped my hands underneath the silk of her night dress until the fabric bunched at her waist.

“No undergarments tonight, Sweetheart?” Her wet heat slid over the fabric of my pants as she ground herself against me. “Did you have this in mind all along?”

She lifted her head from my chest to meet my gaze, mischief swirling in her eyes.

“You know me, I like to be prepared.”

Her lips returned to my chest as she kissed her way lower.

“I better be the only one you were preparing for.” I pinched her side and she giggled against my chest.

I winced as her chest scraped against the brand on my chest, the burns still sensitive despite the healing. I hissed, my hand fisting the sheet underneath me.

Lennox stilled, shifting so she sat straddling me, her nightgown out of place, her one breast still exposed as she stared at me, her brows furrowed and lips turned down.

“It still hurts?”

I nodded.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them she leaned down, pressing her lips to the center of the brand.

“I’ll make them pay.”

She braced her arms on either side of me, careful to make sure she didn’t touch the burn before she pressed a kiss to my jaw and then my lips. I wound my hand through her hair, keeping her lips against mine until she finally pulled away. She pressed her forehead against mine, her hair a curtain around us .

“Sleep,” she murmured.

“Sleep,” I confirmed. As much as I wanted to continue what we had started, I knew that’s what neither one of us truly needed right now.

She sat up and swung her leg off of me. She fixed her nightgown before curling up next to me, resting her head in the crook of my shoulder and pulling the blanket over us.