imprinted the image on his mind, never wanting to forget the moment. Her fragile human beauty, the pure pleasure she radiated like sunlight in an aura around her, nearly blinding him. He grasped her hips.
§
The water sloshed over the edge of the tub as they moved in rhythm with each other, each seeking to touch the other’s soul. Cate’s head tipped back as she shuddered, her entire body tensing around him.
A blinding shower of sparks in her vision struck her momentarily blind as she climaxed and gladly followed him into the light.
Cate collapsed against him, her whole body feeling weightless, almost foreign to her. Rook’s bare chest lay damp beneath her cheek, his heart beating frantically. His hand gently stroked her hair, letting the curls tangle around his fingers, then down her wet back. Cate shivered. He held her so tenderly, as if she weighed nothing more than a pillow.
Her hand brushed along his shoulder, then encountered the wet roughness of cloth. She pulled back and glanced down, realizing it was the bandage.
“Your arm!”
He grunted, lifting her out of the water and striding from the tub. Cate unwrapped her legs from around his waist and slid down the length of him, her body tingling from the connection. The air seemed chilly after being in hot water with him, and her skin prickled into goose bumps.
“It is of no consequence.” He pulled a huge fluffy blue towel from a stack beside the tub and wrapped her in it. Instantly she was warmer.
“Well, at the very least, let me look at it,” she said stubbornly. The O’Connell women were not known for their easygoing nature.
“There’s no need, the healers—”
“Aren’t here,” she finished for him. “Sit down and quit being such a baby about it.”
He grumbled, wrapping a towel around his waist, then walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down. “Are you always this persistent when you want something?”
Cate padded over to him and smiled. “Yes.” She untied the wet bandages, unwrapping them and tossing them to the floor with a splat .
She was shocked to see the cut was healing so quickly that the skin was almost closed, but it was still angry and red. “You heal quickly, don’t you?”
Rook shrugged. “Told you it was of no consequence. As long as it isn’t iron, we can heal very quickly from the bite of a sword.”
Cate readjusted her slipping towel, tucking it in closer around herself, suddenly aware that she was completely nude in a strange place, in a foreign world with one hell of an attractive man who’d managed to strip her bare to her soul while she was in his arms.
“It could still do with being re-bandaged.”
“If you wish,” he murmured.
“Don’t want it ruining your clean clothes,” she answered softly.
Desire flared to life in his gaze. “You want to get dressed so soon?”
Cate fingered the damp curls on her head. Unless fae had blow-dryers, her hair was going to be a hopeless bush. She tried not to think too hard about what she might eventually look like if they rolled around on the massive bed behind him for a day or two or three.
“I didn’t say that, it’s just…” She bit her lip. How could she tell him she didn’t want to spoil the moment? Didn’t want to inject the harsh reality that no matter what she felt for him, she couldn’t stay? And she needed to ask him about more important things.
The warm, lazy smile on his face disappeared, his expression hardening into the far more serious warrior facade she remembered. “You want to find your friend. I haven’t forgotten.”
“It’s more than that.” She locked gazes with him, forcing herself not to look away. “Before I go home, I want to know about the invasion.”
And just like that, any trace of the man she thought she might love evaporated, replaced by the fae Prince of Shadows.
Chapter Eight
Not giving a damn if he were naked, Rook stood and let the towel drop to the floor. With an air of indifference, he pulled on
§
The water sloshed over the edge of the tub as they moved in rhythm with each other, each seeking to touch the other’s soul. Cate’s head tipped back as she shuddered, her entire body tensing around him.
A blinding shower of sparks in her vision struck her momentarily blind as she climaxed and gladly followed him into the light.
Cate collapsed against him, her whole body feeling weightless, almost foreign to her. Rook’s bare chest lay damp beneath her cheek, his heart beating frantically. His hand gently stroked her hair, letting the curls tangle around his fingers, then down her wet back. Cate shivered. He held her so tenderly, as if she weighed nothing more than a pillow.
Her hand brushed along his shoulder, then encountered the wet roughness of cloth. She pulled back and glanced down, realizing it was the bandage.
“Your arm!”
He grunted, lifting her out of the water and striding from the tub. Cate unwrapped her legs from around his waist and slid down the length of him, her body tingling from the connection. The air seemed chilly after being in hot water with him, and her skin prickled into goose bumps.
“It is of no consequence.” He pulled a huge fluffy blue towel from a stack beside the tub and wrapped her in it. Instantly she was warmer.
“Well, at the very least, let me look at it,” she said stubbornly. The O’Connell women were not known for their easygoing nature.
“There’s no need, the healers—”
“Aren’t here,” she finished for him. “Sit down and quit being such a baby about it.”
He grumbled, wrapping a towel around his waist, then walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down. “Are you always this persistent when you want something?”
Cate padded over to him and smiled. “Yes.” She untied the wet bandages, unwrapping them and tossing them to the floor with a splat .
She was shocked to see the cut was healing so quickly that the skin was almost closed, but it was still angry and red. “You heal quickly, don’t you?”
Rook shrugged. “Told you it was of no consequence. As long as it isn’t iron, we can heal very quickly from the bite of a sword.”
Cate readjusted her slipping towel, tucking it in closer around herself, suddenly aware that she was completely nude in a strange place, in a foreign world with one hell of an attractive man who’d managed to strip her bare to her soul while she was in his arms.
“It could still do with being re-bandaged.”
“If you wish,” he murmured.
“Don’t want it ruining your clean clothes,” she answered softly.
Desire flared to life in his gaze. “You want to get dressed so soon?”
Cate fingered the damp curls on her head. Unless fae had blow-dryers, her hair was going to be a hopeless bush. She tried not to think too hard about what she might eventually look like if they rolled around on the massive bed behind him for a day or two or three.
“I didn’t say that, it’s just…” She bit her lip. How could she tell him she didn’t want to spoil the moment? Didn’t want to inject the harsh reality that no matter what she felt for him, she couldn’t stay? And she needed to ask him about more important things.
The warm, lazy smile on his face disappeared, his expression hardening into the far more serious warrior facade she remembered. “You want to find your friend. I haven’t forgotten.”
“It’s more than that.” She locked gazes with him, forcing herself not to look away. “Before I go home, I want to know about the invasion.”
And just like that, any trace of the man she thought she might love evaporated, replaced by the fae Prince of Shadows.
Chapter Eight
Not giving a damn if he were naked, Rook stood and let the towel drop to the floor. With an air of indifference, he pulled on
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