Page 57 of His Darkest Desire

Her breath caught.

His lean torso was bare. The muscles of his chest led down to a toned abdomen, and his prominent Adonis belt pointed down further to pants slung low at his hips. The black skin of his hands continued up his arms, fading into green at his broad shoulders, around which his long dark hair hung loose.

Her fingers twitched to touch him. How had she never realized green skin could be so sexy?

Swallowing thickly, she dragged her gaze back up to his face.

Despite the darkness that had clung to him having faded, she could tell something was off. His features looked a bit sharper, his skin was paler, and there were shadows beneath his eyes.

“Are you okay, Vex?” she asked softly.

“I am…well.”

“Oh. That’s good to hear.”

Not that she really believed him.

In the silence that followed, his gaze raked over her, and something dark and hungry gleamed within it. Her belly fluttered.

He leaned toward her, his chest and shoulders flexing, and a long lock of his hair fell, enticingly brushing over his skin. Desire bloomed in Kinsley’s core. She wanted to reach out and grasp that hair, to playfully tug him closer, to run her hands over him, to feel his lips—

“Is there aught you require?” he asked.

Just you.

Shush!

Kinsley quickly shook her head. “No.”

The faintest crease appeared between his brows, and his jaw ticked. “Then I trust you’ll not repeat this mistake.”

She smiled up at him, letting her hands drop to her sides. “I’d tell you I won’t, but I know how binding promises are here.”

A glint of mirth danced in his eyes. “I shall seek you out later, Kinsley.”

“Okay.”

Keeping his eyes upon her, Vex eased back and slowly closed the door. The lock clicked into place.

Kinsley stood there, staring at the door. Her heart was thumping, pouring heat through her veins.

It’s because I got caught in the act.

Sure, Kinsley. Keep telling yourself that.

She barely noticed when the floor rumbled with more thunder.

Echo’s head popped out of the door’s wooden face, casting their blue glow across it. Tentatively, the wisp emerged fully, floating in the air before Kinsley with head bowed.

“Why didn’t you tell me he was in there?” Kinsley asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Though Echo didn’t have eyes, she swore the wisp gave her a look that said, Are you for real right now?

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Kinsley sat up, smoothed her hands over her wet hair to rinse out the last of the soap, and opened her eyes. The bathroom was dark but for the glow of the rose quartz tub and the crystals on the walls, which were brighter than normal due to the lack of moonlight outside. Between that dimness and the sounds of water trickling on the wall and lapping against the sides of the tub, Kinsley could almost imagine she was in a cave instead of a cottage.

She slid back, lying down with her head resting on the tub’s rim. Lavender, rosemary, and peppermint filled her nose, and steam swirled up from the bubbly water, making the air ripple with warmth. Closing her eyes, Kinsley skimmed her palm over the water’s surface and took in a deep breath, letting those scents soothe her.