Page 65 of The Bonds of Nyx

IVY

ANTICIPATIONburned within me as Adrian guidedme towards the ensuite bathroom. My heart raced as he fixed his gaze on me and pulled the pile of garments from my arms, setting them down on the counter without saying a word.

His eyes briefly left mine when he turned towards the shower, switching it on silently, adjusting the knobs with careful precision, like he knew exactly what temperature I would need in order to relax.

But could I relax? Goosebumps rose along my arms as he returned his attention to me. I tried to say something, but with the water running and my own blood pounding in my ears, it became difficult to concentrate on a conversation.

My magic swirled beneath my skin, but it made no move to try and bond him. I could at least be thankful for that. I would still have time to adjust, to at least come out of the overwhelming bonding with Elias and deal with the emotions that went with that.

Adrian didn’t push it, either. He seemed more…understanding now, less upset over my quick mating with Elias. I wasn’t sure what happened between them, but I was thankful that they both understood one another better now.

When Elias had offered to stay with the girls, I’d almost been ready to decline, especially after Kerry and my near blow-up. The last thing I wanted to do was go back on my promises to the girls.

But Elias had been so serious about me being with Adrian that I’d folded immediately, and Eloise hadn’t complained. The girls didn’t fully understand any of this, and I wouldn’t expect them to. I knew they wanted me with them at night, but Elias was right to get me to spend more time with Adrian.

Being alone in his presence made me feel stronger and more at ease with my magic. Even without the bond, being with him meant something. I enjoyed time with my mage without the pressure to complete our bond.

And it was something I needed after Kerry.

Adrian tugged at my shirt, pulling it up over my head, before discarding it in the corner of the bathroom.

“Hey,” I said, “a little warning next time.”

He lifted a brow and smirked. “Getting naked is normal when you intend on showering,” he explained, cocking his head. “See?”

He tugged his shirt up and over his head with slow precision and ease. It fell on top of mine, but I was too focused on the way his lithe muscles moved as he dropped his hands to his hips.

I swallowed thickly and tried to ignore the very obvious hard-on in his pants.No sex, I reminded myself.Just showering. Nothing sexual. Just sleep. Maybe cuddling. Oh fuck.

My eyes focused on the pink scar above his hips. “Is that—?” I reached out to run my fingers over the raised skin.

“Yeah.” His voice was rough, and when I looked up, his eyes were shadowed. He cleared his throat, taking my hand and pressing it into his hip. “You saved me.”

A lump formed in my throat. I wasn’t entirely sure how to respond, how to tell him that I was so relieved he was alive. That despite the damage my magic could do, it saved him.

Instead of saying it, I rose up onto my toes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. I felt him shudder beneath my touch, but heresponded to the kiss gently, stroking a hand through my hair before resting it on the back of my neck.

“Thank you,” he whispered, leaving a light kiss on the corner of my lips. As he pulled away, he released my hand and my neck before taking a step back. “Right. Back to business.”

I smiled, following his movement as he dropped his pants to reveal his very noticeable cock. And by noticeable, I meantlargeandhard.

I quickly looked away to meet his stare. “I think you need to have a cold shower first.”

He snorted. “It’ll be fine.”

“I mean, if you need some privacy, I’d be happy to wait?”

“Ivy.” He rolled his eyes and grabbed my arm, dragging me into his chest with one hand while the other worked to undo my bra. “I promised you nothing would happen. We’re just showering. I’ll probably be hard the rest of the night because this is what you do to me. But if you’re offering a hand…” He wagged his eyebrows seductively, and grinned when I rolled my eyes.

My bra joined our shirts and his pants, my own tights on the pile soon after. When it was just my panties, Adrian bit his lip and sighed. “I’m going to buy you so much lingerie,” he muttered, tugging at the simple cotton panties. He pulled them down my thighs, kneeling as he did, and guided my feet out of them.

There was something intimate about him being on his knees in front of me, completely naked and vulnerable. When he looked up, I could see it clearly across his face: his shame, the guilt over his part in trying to win me over to get me back to Avalon, the hurt in my rejection and the understanding of my need to protect myself.

I swallowed thickly and cupped his cheeks. “You don’t have to prove yourself to me,” I said, guiding him back up to stand before me.

He brought his hands up to cover mine, pressing a kiss to the inside of my wrist as he did. “I have everything to prove, Ivy. Never before have I needed to prove anything more. I’ve always just beenPrince Adrian, son of Queen Greer and Sir Theon. I’ve never had to prove I’m anything else before. But now…”

Adrian pulled my hands around his neck before grabbing my hips and pulling me into him until almost every part of us was touching.

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