Page 55 of Rise of the Siren Queen
By Elysium, he was sexy when frustrated. And that sound… thatsoundmade me feel things I wished I didn’t. My thighs pressed together, instinctive, needy.
“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” he grumbles out, voice rough, tinged with irritation.
I tilted my head, arms crossing over my chest as I forced myself to concentrate on anything.Not on his body. On his shirt that clung to him, damp from his failed attempts. Or on how much I wanted to—
“Like I said,” I managed, keeping my voice steady, “water is gentle. You need to begentler.”
His gaze snapped to mine, and there it was, that damn smirk. Just a flicker at the corner of his mouth, but enough to make my stomach tighten. Smug. Infuriatingly confident, even in failure.
I knew that look.I hated that look.
It was the same one he’d given me yesterday, the one that made me feel likehewas the one with the upper hand, as if he knew something I didn’t. As if heknewhow much he was getting under my skin.
And worse? Hewasn’twrong.
Just like that, I was back in yesterday, trapped in the moment where everything shifted. He had seentoo much.
The memory clawed its way to the surface: his breath too near, his voice laced with taunts, daring me to break. That insufferable mouth of his, curving into a smirk that made me want to tear him apart and pull him closer.
I had wanted to lash out.I should have.Instead, I felt this…pull. This sickening, intoxicating thread that I couldn’t sever, no matter how much Iwantedto. No matter how much Idespisedit.
And now, here we were again.
His smirk still haunted me. But this time, it wasn’t just his arrogance that made my stomach twist, was the memory of how close we had come to somethingdangerous.It was the heat that pooled in my core with every glance. It was the fire I had refused to acknowledge, let alone name.
Stop it. He’s just a man. A stubborn, arrogant man with too much prideand too little patience.
That’s all this was. A mistake of the flesh. A trick of the bond.
But the bond didn’t give a damn about what I wanted. Ittugged, relentless, like a chain wrapped around my ribs, pulling me toward him, toward something inevitable.
He stepped closer, close enough that I felt the warmth radiating from his body. The faint scent of musk pine mixed with sandalwood like fresh dawn in a forest, something uniquelyhim,enveloping me.
My pulse stuttered, betraying me. The air between us thickened, charged with something primal, something Ishouldignore.
But I didn’t move.
And neither did he.
“Gentle, huh?” his voice was low and teasing and his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch. “Easy for you to say. You’ve had this power your whole life.”
The challenge in his tone sent a rush of heat to my cheeks, igniting the desire within me. I saw the density of his gaze, the way it pinned me in place as if the rest of the world had faded away. Every breath felt charged with unspoken words, every heartbeat a reminder of the unresolved tension hanging between us.
“Adrian, it’s not just about power,” I insisted, trying to keep my voice steady despite the raging lust inside me. “It’s about connection, feeling the water, letting it guide you. You’re fighting against it, and that’s why you keep losing control.”
He paused, his expression shifting, the teasing smirk fading just enough for me to see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
“You think I’m fighting it?” He stepped even closer, and I immediately stepped back, pressing my back to the rocky wall. I still could feel the warmth radiating from him. “I’m just trying to understand all of this, and you don’t make fucking easy.”
I swallowed hard, the heat of his body making my head spin. Hisfrustration etched into his features, but there was something else there too, something vulnerable that mirrored my own struggles. For a moment, I glimpsed the man beneath the bravado, and it shook me to my core.
He’s not just a man with a cocky attitude. He’s lost, just like I am.
“I’m losing my mind.” Before I could speak, he leaned in a little closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “You are making me lose my mind. I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.”
Instinctively, I reached out, my fingers barely grazing his forearm. A slight gesture, fleeting and innocent, yet the sensation sent a jolt through me, sharp and electric.
What am I doing?
