Page 378 of Heat of the Everflame

My forehead sank into the wall with a whimper. “You might be good at waiting, Luther Corbois, but I am not.”

“Really?” he said dryly. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Again I tried to press my body into his, and again he moved away, kneeling at my legs. His fingers dug deep into my tired muscles, and I slumped against the tile, enjoying it too much to put up a fight.

“What is my reward?” I asked.

“You’ll see.”

I glanced down to scowl at him, and his expression stopped me still.

He looked so entirelyhappy. A happiness untouched by war and loss, unfettered by obligation or restraint. The cold, hardened mask of the Prince wasn’t just lowered—it was as if it never existed at all. As if he hadn’t spent a lifetime disguising his emotions so they couldn’t be used against him. He looked like a man without a care in the world.

“You lookfree,” I murmured.

He smiled, easy and radiant. “I am. You freed me.”

I couldn’t bear the distance another second. I sank to my knees and pushed my hands into his hair, tugging him into an urgent kiss. This time, he didn’t fight me. His hands clutched at my back and pulled me close.

“I love you,” I gasped against his lips, my eyes burning. “And I would wait a lifetime for you, too.”

His eyes shone like a full winter moon. “Good. Because you have to wait a little bit longer.” He reached up and flippedthe lever, and a rainstorm of surging water cut off any more conversation.

He continued to kiss me as he pulled me to my feet, then to mydeepdismay, he broke away and reached for another bottle. I stilled, panting and confused, as he combed his fingers into my hair and worked it into a lather.

Then, slowly, I began to understand.

He hadn’t been able to help me in battle, and in his memories, I had felt how much that gnawed at him. But hecouldhelp me like this—making sure my soul was calm and my body was ready for whatever the Kindred threw at us next.

My chest ached at the earnest sweetness with which he took care of me. I happily returned the favor, washing his hair once he’d cleaned mine and dragging my nails over his scalp until his eyes closed with a sigh of pleasure.

We lathered each other in soap and scrubbed away the final stains on our bodies as the love vibrating between us did the same for the stains on our souls.

It was an unexpected gift to explore his chiseled, magnificent body without the haze of lust consuming my thoughts. I traced the splintered lines of his scar, over and over, until he no longer flinched or pulled away. Then I laid my cheek against the strange, smooth place on his chest that the damage had inexplicably avoided, listening to his heartbeat as he held me in the rain.

He let himself explore me, too. His hands roamed with purpose, as if to touch me was to know me and he wanted to leave no detail left unlearned. He lingered on my scars—circling them with his hands, then again with his mouth.

Though his touch stayed innocent enough, flashes of caged desire slipped through the bars. A nip of my ear, a knead of my breast, a slow caress between my thighs. He was fighting to holdhimself back, but I didn’t know why, and every time I tried to goad him on, he smiled knowingly and pulled my hands away.

When it seemed like he was right on the verge of caving, he flipped the lever and the water stopped. He plucked me off my feet and tossed me over his shoulder, ignoring my squeals of protest as he carried me out.

He paused in front of the mirror and ran his hand up the back of my thigh. “Remind me to tell your brother this place hasincredibleviews.”

I swatted his back, which he answered with a firm smack against my bare ass. A husky gasp burst out before I could stop it.

Luther went stone still. Torturously slowly, he slid my body over his and set me on the floor. The playfulness had left his expression, his eyes now dusky with lust. “Did Her Majesty like that?”

The hot flush of blood that rushed to my cheeks gave my answer away.

“I didn’t behave in there,” I admitted. “Do I still get a reward, or are you going to punish me instead?”

Veins popped along his forearms. He turned away and grabbed our bag, tossing it to me. “Get dressed and you’ll find out.”

Chapter

Seventy-Two

Night had fallen over Sophos, and the city had come alive. The network of magic-powered lights illuminating the streets was a twinkling mirror of the evening stars. Strategically placed spotlights cast the architecture in bold display, while residents mingled outside to discuss the damage.

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