Page 29 of Tarnished Embers

My head clears and the sound of the shower behind me replaces the sound of my racing heart that was all I could hear moments ago.

“D–don’t you ever do something so stupid again, Prince,” I tell him, my voice thick and my throat full of glass. “If anything happened—”

“I’m sorry, darlin'. I was worried about you.Wewere all worried about you, but the others said to give you space. I just couldn’t leave you alone.” His own voice is rough, and there are deep etches in his brows, his green eyes tracing my face as if cataloguing every movement. He was scared too. I don’t know his full story, but I know that, like me, he’s lost someone, and it’s left a mark on his soul as deep as my own.

“I won’t lock that door again. I won’t shut you out, Prince. I’m so sorry.” Using my hand on his chest to pull him to me, I bite the inside of my cheek when his frozen skin touches mine. “I’ll tell you why I did it, but right now, we need to get you warmed up, okay? I need to take care of you.”

A deep shudder runs through him, and I wonder if anyone has ever cared for Prince before or if he’s always been the one to take care of people. I see the way the others defer to him, look to him for leadership, but we all need to be looked after every so often.

Stepping back a fraction, I tug at the hem of his T-shirt, lifting it up and encouraging his arms to rise. Then I bite down on my lip hard to stop the panic from rising when I notice how pale his usually golden skin is underneath all his ink. He must have been outside all night.

We don’t speak as I undo his jeans, pushing them down his hips, but there’s no time for me to admire his beauty, my need to make sure he’s okay is too strong to pause for even a moment. My hands are shaking as I pull my sleep shirt off—a T-shirt I stole from Kit—and then grab his hand and lead him into the shower.

He hisses out a curse when the warm water touches his skin, and my breathing picks up when I try to recall the signs of hypothermia. Fuck, maybe a hot shower isn’t the best option right now. He might need to be seen by a doctor, or go to hospital, or—

“Ember!” I blink, gasping a breath when his now warm hands are on my face. Wide, bright green eyes stare back at me, his brows deeply furrowed. “Sugar, I’m okay. I don’t have hypothermia. I wasn’t out there all night. Fuck, baby, I’m so sorry I worried you.”

I burst into tears and he pulls our bodies flush as I sob loudly against his chest, which is already warming up. He holds me, the hot water pouring over us as he rubs soothing circles over my back and whispers assurances quietly in my ear.

“I–I don’t do well with people I care about getting sick,” I confess after a long beat of silence, my arms wrapped tightly around him. “N–not after what happened with Mum.”

“I’m so fucking sorry, Ember. I shouldn’t have worried you like that. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and I lost track of time, but I’m fine. I’ve the constitution of an ox.” I huff a small laugh, the sound unconvincing, but he pulls my face away from his chest and brings our lips together.

He kisses me sweetly, and it’s so unlike the Prince that is dominating but is exactly what I need right now.

“Let’s get washed up. Can’t be late for the first day of home-school,” he teases as he pulls away, and I pause when I remember what day it is.

“I’d forgotten about that,” I say, twisting to grab the shower gel and squeezing some into my palm. “What will you be doing today?”

I don’t even know my timetable, but I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough. A pang goes through me when I think about my friends back at Morley College. I still don’t really see why the guys couldn’t have joined me there. It’s one of the best private colleges in the country.

“Oh, the usual,” he says, his eyelids fluttering as I rub my hands over his torso and down his arms. I love the feel of his skin underneath my fingertips and the way his muscles twitch and flex. “Sugar, you keep touching me like that and we’ll definitely be late.”

“Sorry.” I chuckle, heat lighting up my body as his dick hardens between us.

“Never apologize for touching me, baby,” he replies, reaching past me to grab the bottle and squeezing some shower gel into his palm. “I love that you want to take care of me, that you want your hands on me as much as I need mine on you.” He glides his soapy palms all over my body, paying me back for my teasing touch just moments before, and when I try to arch into him, hetsksand shakes his head. “Later.”

Frowning, my core on fucking fire, I let him turn the water off after we rinse and then watch his biteable arse as he gets out. He wraps a towel low around his hips before grabbing another and holding it out for me.

We head into my room and all the while my mind tries to think of ways of getting him back for leaving me with blue ovaries.

“I’ll see you downstairs,” he says, kissing me on the lips and then heading back out of the balcony door.

Sighing, I turn to my walk-in wardrobe and contemplate my choices, a smile tugging my mouth upward when I spot my old college uniform still hanging there.

Fucking perfect.

* * *

I’m the last one to enter the dining room for breakfast, and four pairs of jewelled eyes swing my way, heat making the colours shine brighter as they trail down my body.

“Fucking hell, little sis,” Oct rasps, his eyes burning as he takes in my outfit. I tucked my white school shirt into my plaid mini skirt which hits high on my thighs. Combined with knee-high, white socks, chunky-heeled Mary Janes, and two French braids, the naughty schoolgirl look I was going for is complete. Looks like my efforts have paid off too.

“One should always try for the first day, don’t you agree, Prince?” I question, my eyes locked on his green ones. He swipes his thumb over his lower lip as he studies me, and I’m glad my father and Odette aren’t here because the sexual tension in the room is off the fucking charts. Turning to Kit, who’s closest to me, I catch his gaze. “I bumped my hip on the way down, can you check there’s no bruise for me?”

I keep my expression all wide-eyed innocence as I lift the side of my skirt, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek when four groans sound out as they realise that I’m not wearing any underwear.

“What the fuck did you do, bro?” Cas grumbles just as the door handle rattles, and I drop my skirt, twirling to face the door I just came through while flashing the guys my bare arse as the material lifts a little.

---