Page 35 of A King So Savage

Ava blushed, her jaw clamping tight with revulsion. “I’m not shavingthere,either. Why should I?”

Kingston brushed his nose alongside hers and said with a murmur, “Because I want nothing else in my mouth other than the taste of you. If you don’t do as I request, I shall do it myself.”

She twisted in his grip. “And just how will you manage that?”

“You’ve seen the manacles in this cell. The ones embedded in the wall. I’ll use them to get what I want. Spread you. Shackle you. Shave you. Now, either you obey me, or I will do it for you.”

For a long moment, Ava simply glared at him, in a standoff of sorts. Then she gave a short, jerky nod of her head. “Fine. Where is the razor? I’ll do it later when I take my bath.”

“You will do it now, lamb.” Kingston pressed his forefinger against her plump lips. “No arguments and no negotiations. I will supervise to make sure you, ah, don’t miss a spot. And to make sure that blade is not used as a weapon against me.”

The mutinous tilt of Ava’s chin told Kingston she’d been planning exactly that.

“I should expect nothing less than your perversion, Mister Winter. Of course, you want to watch me.”

He lifted her injured hand and pressed a mocking kiss to the back of it. “That’s not all I intend to do, Ava.”

The implications of his words sunk in, and Ava blushed an even deeper pink. “Let’s get this over with.”

Kingston released her and gathered up the bundle he’d carried in. It contained a change of clothing similar to the lounge suit she wore now, a women’s disposable razor, and a straight razor—the type found in a gentleman’s traditional shave kit.

Grabbing her by the hand, he led her to the bathroom.

“Here we are again,” Ava muttered in a voice filled with bitterness. “You forcing me to take a bath for your pleasure. There’s a word for that, you know. Pervert.”

Kingston put the disposable razor in the huge shower and began unbuttoning his shirt. “No bath this time.”

Stunned silence filled the room as Ava’s eyes widened. She backed away from him. “Y-you aren’t… You seriously don’t intend on getting in there with me, do you?”

“Of course. How else will I ensure it’s done properly? And also make sure you don’t injure yourself?”

Ava hit the wall, her back flush against the marble. She looked terrified. And maybe even a little intrigued at the thought of him being in the shower with her.

“You realize you don’t have a choice?” Kingston threw his dress shirt aside, his eyebrow raised as she continued standing there as if frozen. Her gaze locked onto the tattoo etched across his chest as he softly instructed, “Remove your clothes.”

When he kicked off his shoes and unzipped his trousers, Ava closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Shaking his head at her stubbornness, Kingston reached into the shower and turned on the faucets before returning to her.

“Ava.” Kingston advanced slowly as if tracking a wild animal. Then he caged her with his hands braced on either side of her head, palms flat against the wall. “There’s no escaping this. I will have my way. Disobey me and I will call a couple of my men to assist in holding you down.”

Ava nodded, eyes still closed as Kingston’s hand dipped beneath her shirt and splayed across her trembling stomach. Very slowly, he ran his fingers along the hem and began lifting it up. She did not struggle as he drew the shirt over her head.

Within seconds, they were both naked, and Ava’s eyes locked on his as he led her to the shower. He stepped in first, pulling her alongside him.

This is a really bad idea. Really bad. Seeing her like this… Naked. Glistening. Vulnerable. I just want to bury myself inside her and own her. Keep her captive forever. Forget the two-point-six million she’s worth to me.

He stood her under the rainfall showerhead, lathering up her hair with honeysuckle-scented shampoo. With gentle hands, he worked it into the tresses until, with a tiny sigh, her head fell back, giving him better access. After rinsing the shampoo clean, he leisurely soaped her body, his groan internal while his hands lingered over her curves.

She trembled but did not try to stop him as he explored her. Her gaze remained averted, darting everywhere but directly at him until he finally handed her the razor.

Ava took it and, after a moment’s hesitation, placed a foot on the built-in bench and began the task of shaving her legs. The strokes were slow and careful, completed with only the rush of water breaking the silence. When she finished there, her attention turned to under her arms. A few quick strokes and she was done.

There was only one area left…

Then she stopped. Crossing her arms over her chest, Ava pivoted away from him. The disposable razor was gripped so tight that her knuckles shone white.

“I can’t. I can’t do… this… not in front of you.” She swallowed hard, her voice trembling. “If you leave me alone for five minutes. If you just get out of this shower, I will do what you want. But don’t make me do this in front of you.”

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