Page 96 of Shadow Wings
“How are you feeling?” I forced my gaze upward, my heart flipping when I saw the same intensity reflected in his eyes. “You lookgood.”
I did not just say that out loud. Trying to salvage my blunder, I blurted, “Like, notdead.”
A low chuckle rumbled from his lips. “You look good, too. Although I liked the way your other dress bounced when you jumped from rock torock.”
I might’ve hit him if I wasn’t still holding the produce. I decided the wall to one side of him was a good place to look. “I knew you were looking at mybutt.”
Tyrrik reached forward and grabbed my wrist. He reeled me in and tugged me into the bathroom. “There was only one side for me to look at,” he said with a lop-sided smile. Tyrrik pointed at the strawberries and carrot. “Did you bring those forme?”
“You can have the carrot and one strawberry. The other strawberry is for Dyter,” Isaid.
I put some space between us, trying to steady my breathing. I went to the wash-basin to clean the dirt off my produce. I set one berry on the countertop, my gaze crossing over the gold-flecked granite, and thought of my new treasures. I smiled. I couldn’t wait to set up some kind of dark warm cave with all myobjects.
“They’re bringing up some potatoes for you,” I said then snickered. “I know how much you lovepotatoes.”
I turned to offer him the berry, but he’d dropped the towel and was slipping back into the large tub. My mouth dried up, and I averted mygaze.
Holy DraeBabies.
“What are you doing?” I whisper-screamed. I stole another peek, unsure whether to be relieved or disappointed he was submerged in the water. Tyrrik watched me with dark, magneticeyes.
“Do you want to join me?” he asked, a hint of Drae in hisvoice.
Yes. “No,” I blurted. “I—” Was it just me, or was the room getting smaller? “I should probablyleave.”
No probably about it. Ishouldleave, but I didn’t want to go out into our room and listen to Dyter snore.Because that’s a really solid reason not to leave a bathroom containing a naked Drae? Totallysolid.
“Then stay,” Tyrrik said, slipping down deeper in the water. “I won’t pull you in; I promise. Not unless you ask meto.”
I rolled my eyes, but part of me wanted to ask.Jerking my thumb at the strawberries and carrot, I asked, “Do you want either ofthese?”
“Yes, please,” he said, his gaze still fixed onme.
I stared at him, and he stared back. The temperature rose a million degrees. Were we both thinking about the moment I’d have to pass him thefruit?
“Which one?” I groundout.
“Either.” His gaze dropped to my hands. “Both.” He frowned. “What do you have in yourpockets?”
My hands went to my skirt, and then I forced them behind me, acting as natural as I could when the gems clinked together. “Nothing.”
I grabbed the carrot and one of the berries and threw them at him. In a blur of movement, he caught one right after the other, thankfully while keeping his lower half submerged. Obviously, I hadn’t thought thatthrough.
He ate the massive strawberry in a few bites and started in on thecarrot.
“So, King Zakai isn’t as bad as I thought,” I said, trying to alleviate some of the extreme awkwardness—not that Tyrrik would care. “Did Dyter tell you Gemond will fight withus?”
“Yes,” he answered between bites. “Do you think his people will be strong enough to be a force when the timecomes?”
He made a good point. If all of Gemond looked like their king, there was no way they could fightsoon.
“So what’s our otheroption?”
“We have no other option.” He took another crunching bite of the carrot, his dark gaze resting on me once more. He heaved a long breath and closed his eyes as he reclined in the tub, resting his head on theedge.
The water steamed, and I was reminded of a time not that long ago when he’d warmed my bath water in his tower. I fanned myself quickly while he wasn’tlooking.
“May I ask you something?” I asked, glancing around the space for a chair. I settled for a towel on the stone floor. The only other space was on the edge of the bath, and that was asking fortrouble.