Page 32 of Fae Champion

A sharp pang of longing for my half-brother surprised me. If the queen was fond of him, chances were I wouldn’t have been all that much so. And yet … he’d been family.

Stretching my arms and legs out as wide as they would go, I only just touched the sides. I could live here, I decided, smiling to myself.

A rap on the tub vibrated along the wooden walls. I bolted to sitting, setting the water to rocking like ocean waves and sloshing a bit of it over the edges. Dragging my hair away from my face, I stared up at Rush, feeling my eyes widen with my alarm.

“I’m naked,” I sputtered at the man who stood above me with a tray of food in hand.

“Yes, I couldn’t help but notice.” He bit his bottom lip, apparently to keep from smiling.

“What’s so damn funny?” I snapped. “You shouldn’t have barged in here. I’m a fuckinglady, or don’t you remember that anymore?”

A hint of a dimple creased his cheek as his grin burgeoned despite his efforts to hold it back. “Again, couldn’t help butnotice.”

He wasn’t exactly ogling me, but neither was he looking away. I pulled my knees to my chest and draped my hair around them and my breasts.

I scowled at him, blatantly taking in the obvious bulge beneath layers of tunic and pants. If he was going to check out my goods so openly and without apology, I’d damn well do the same.

Staring at his package, which appeared to be expanding, I said, “You should remember how you had your chance with me and you didn’t want it.”

He propped the tray against his hip and stared at my face. I refused to meet his eyes, making damn sure he realized I was studying his crotch.

“That’s not what happened,” he said.

“Oh yes, it definitely is. Remember? I’m too fucking innocent for you?”

He was quiet for so long that I relented and looked up to find his expression when he spoke. “You’re misinterpreting what I said. That’s not how I meant it.”

I scoffed. “Oh, I’m not misinterpreting a thing. You were really clear.”

“Then hear me now?—”

“Nope. You were on top of me, and I was doing my damnedest to drive you into me. You pulled away. Can’t get much clearer than that.”

“El, it’s not?—”

“Why are you here?”

“You wanted to talk. And I brought you food.” He held up the platter.

“And you didn’t think to give me a little warning toprotect my modesty?” Pru had been so concerned about it…

“I knocked. You didn’t answer.”

“Ah, of course. So come right on in.”

He pursed his lips. “Are you being obtuse on purpose or just to get a rise out of me?”

I pinned a meaningful glare on his groin. “Not sure there’s any point to getting a rise out of you anymore. You missed your chance.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Isn’t it though?” Of course I knew that wasn’t what he’d meant, but I couldn’t seem to help the irrationality simmering in my chest. Him seeing me naked could have been something nice, intimate … important. But nooooo. Apparently I wasn’t allowed to have a single nice experience while in this stupid, awful place.

“For someone who claims to be all done with my dick, you sure give it a lot of attention.”

I whipped my glower up at him.

“You’re staring,” he said.

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