Page 50 of A Ballad of Beasts and Brothers

I emerge from the water and wipe wet hair from my face, attempting to convince myself that I need to get out of this tub. I've been in here for at least an hour and should get some sleep, so I'm well rested and prepared for whatever Atlas throws at me tomorrow. Flutters of embarrassment constrict my chest. I groan, rubbing the heels of my palms against my eyes and shoo the deep-rooted cringe from my belly.

Even though I should practice compartmentalizing my feelings like Professor Riggs taught me, I'm alone in here and I'm too tired to care about my hands glowing. I rest my head back against the lip of the tub, close my eyes, and think of Atlas' soft lips pressed against mine. The hunger in his kiss as he swept his tongue inside my mouth leaving the taste of peppermint in his wake. I shudder at how his hands gripped my hips and thighs in such a possessive, almost desperate, nature. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him. What a dangerous position to be in.

I slide my hand between my thighs where I feel an insatiable ache. The sex books I stumbled upon in Calmara had plenty of pictures and descriptions of couples having sex, but there were also a few sketches of women pleasuring themselves. Maybe if I try it, I can get Atlas out of my head and purge these lustful thoughts and desires for him once and for all.

The pads of my fingertips find the swollen bundle of nerves at my center, and I start to circle my –

The door suddenly flies open and startles me. I throw my hands up and encapsulate myself with a golden shield, prepared for an attack, but my heartbeat returns to its normal rhythm when I see Atlas glaring at me. With another motion of my hands, I remove the sphere of protection, and make sure my chest is hidden behind bubbles. Thankfully, the suds floating on top of the water hide my nakedness and where my hand had just been. He stands in the doorframe, staring at me unabashedly. He doesn't look angry, but he isn't pleased either.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I spit, tilting my chin up in challenge, even though he clearly has the upper hand.

"Me?" His tone is just as biting. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm bath -"

"No!" He cuts me off and steps inside, closing the door behind him, sealing us in together. "I mean earlier at the school. One minute you're fighting me like you want to kill me and the next you're kissing me."

"Am I not supposed to win duels by whatever means necessary?" It's a flimsy comeback and we both know it.

The corner of his mouth ticks up. "Do you plan on kissing all of your opponents?"

"That sounds like jealousy to me, Atlas."

"Call it curiosity."

I resettle in the warm water, acting unbothered by his presence, although my stomach is fluttering, and my heart is racing. "Shouldn't you be proud or something? Your pupil is learning quickly."

"My pupil," he says the word like it tastes bitter on his tongue, "is quickly getting under my skin."

"Oh please," I wave him off as droplets of water skitter around the room. "I've been under your skin since the day we met."

"You would think after all this time I would have gotten used to you, and I wouldn't have this undeniable urge to push you into the canal."

I close my eyes, resting my neck against the lip of the copper tub once more. "You'll miss me when I'm gone."

When I'm met with silence, I open my eyes, expecting Atlas to be gone, but instead, he's staring at me with sorrow in his eyes.

"Why do you say things like that?" he asks.

"What do you mean?"

"About missing you, if you were gone."

"It's a joke," I fidget beneath the water. "I'm sure you've been counting down the days until you'll finally be free of me."

"What if I don't want to be free of you?"

My throat bobs, suddenly dry. "I suppose that kiss really messed with your head then," I tease, trying to lighten the tension between us.

Atlas pushes up from his rooted position against the door and stalks toward the tub. He kneels so we're eye level, draping his arms over the lip of the tub. "When I kissed you in Bava, it was to evade capture. When you kissed me today, it was to get a rise out of me. The next time we kiss, it will mean something."

"If we kiss again," I whisper defiantly.

He smiles and it sets my soul on fire. "It's only a matter of time before one of us falls prey to the other, Princess."

The way he looks at me has my lower belly aching. I have half a mind to pull him in the tub with me, but my intrusive thoughts are squashed when he stands up.

"By the way, Strenlys," he says flippantly, casting me a wicked look over his shoulder as he heads for the door, "the bubbles don't hide everything."

---