Page 58 of His Darkest Desire
Baths were a luxury she’d never really been able to enjoy. The tub in the house she’d shared with Liam had been small and narrow, and the apartment she’d rented after their separation hadn’t had a bathtub at all. And when she was out on the road or camping, well… Hot springs had been few and far between during her travels, and a dip in a cold stream wasn’t the same as soaking in a huge, deep, magical hot tub.
But since coming here, she’d often taken the time to just relax in the tub. It wasn’t like she had much else to do. And this…this was nice.
She let her hand sink back into the water as a small smile spread across her lips.
“Never have I seen a more lovely sight.”
Kinsley shrieked as her eyes snapped open and she quickly scrambled to sit up, covering her chest with her arms. Water sloshed over the sides of the tub to spill onto the mossy floor.
Vex stood at the foot of the tub, tall and dark, dressed in his usual formal black tunic with a silver sash. The soft lighting cast deep shadows upon his features, but those glowing red eyes were vibrant.
And they were fixated upon her.
Squeezing her thighs together and drawing up her knees, Kinsley glared at him. “What are you doing in here?”
“I said I would seek you out, Kinsley.”
“And you couldn’t wait until I was out of the bath?”
He smirked and sat on the edge of the tub as though it were the most natural thing to do in that moment. “I could not.”
“Hey!” She sank a little deeper into the water to hide herself. “Don’t just…just make yourself comfortable! You’re not supposed to be in here.”
Tilting his head, Vex lowered a hand, trailing his fingers through the water. “So you alone have leave to trespass?”
“I told you that was a mistake.”
“Ah. Well then, I must apologize.” His long, dexterous fingers glided in slow circles, making the water ripple in hypnotic waves. “I thought this was the library. It appears I was mistaken.”
“You know damn well this isn’t your library.”
“And you knew that was my laboratory.”
Kinsley let out a frustrated growl. “Okay fine! I knew it and I was trying to sneak in.”
“Even though I told you it was the one place you could not go.”
“Probably because you told me it was the one place I couldn’t go.”
Vex’s smirk softened, and something shifted in his eyes. Kinsley had the sense that he was looking into her and seeing something that shouldn’t have been discernable at a glance. That should’ve made her more uncomfortable, should’ve made her feel even more naked, but the way he looked at her felt…right.
“I shall endeavor to remain mindful of your rebelliousness,” Vex said gently. “But surely you did not act merely to spurn my command.”
“No. I was just curious. And bored. I can’t read any of the books in the library, can’t understand the wisps, and you…” She looked down at the water, at his hand and the bubbles clinging to his fingers. “You just left me here alone for five days.”
His hand stilled, tension drawing out the tendons on its back. “You missed me?”
“I…” Brow creasing, Kinsley swept a hand toward him. “You just left! I didn’t know what happened, didn’t know if you were hurt, or…” She hugged herself a little tighter, and her voice softened. “I just didn’t know.”
Vex was keeping her here against her will, and yet… There was something inside her that had worried about him during his absence. She should’ve hated him, should’ve been railing at him, fighting him, demanding that he let her go.
But part of her wanted to stay.
“I’ve never meant to cause you distress, Kinsley,” he said, coaxing her gaze back up to him. “An unwelcome beast crossed into my realm. I had to eliminate it with all possible haste.”
Alarm flared within her chest. “Were you hurt?”
“You needn’t concern yourself with my wellbeing, Kinsley.”