Finally, he rested his hand on her shoulder, then removed it as though her skin had burnt him. “All finished,” he ground out.

Ash turned to look at him, taking in his slightly wild eyes and his chest heaving with uneven breaths. “You okay?”

“Just concentrating on my work.” But he dropped his gaze to the floor. “Like I said, the bandages need to stay in place while you’re with me. If you remove them, your wings might not heal properly.”

“But…cleaning…”

“You can still clean, don’t worry.”

She stuck her tongue out. “I meant me. How will I be clean?”

“You needn’t think about it. Only I live here, and I spend a lot of time on duties for my father. No one will be around to be offended by your personal hygiene.”

For seven years? “I can’t….” She wrinkled her nose, then stopped as he lifted his chin and stared at her.

His eyes flared briefly, and he lifted his hand as though to reach for her, but he stopped and busied himself putting away the bandages and ointment.

“There’s always the added clause.” Ash prodded at him. Maybe she could elicit some sort of response from him. Her skin still tingled as if it remembered his touch, and her body still ran with the heat he’d drawn through her. He’d awakened something in her…something almost primal, but what?

When he faced her, tension showed in every line of his face, but no emotion shone from his eyes. “Think about your wings. If you invoke the added clause, they’ll never heal. You must stay.” Urgency seemed to surround him. “You can’t leave until the healing is complete.”

She shrugged, the movement careful under the constriction of the bandages, and feigned casualness. “They’re just wings.”

“Just wings?” His mouth fell open, and he snapped it closed. He lifted his hand again, as though reliving applying the lotion. “They’re so… beautiful. You…your…don’t endanger your wings. Don’t leave because I’ve made you angry. Think of the healing.”

“I’m not angry.” She smiled at the perfect opportunity he’d presented her. “Although I am kind of frustrated.” She stepped closer to him then cupped his cheek.

He closed his eyes and nuzzled his jaw against her palm for a moment.

Yes! She’d known it. As she inched her way closer, he abruptly stepped back, leaving her in the middle of the bathroom with her hand raised in the air.

“I have things I need to do. Let me show you to your room before I go out.” Without even looking at her, he walked into the narrow hallway and continued passing rows of closed doors. He stopped at one that looked no different to any of the others and opened it, then gestured her inside. “It’s a bit sparse, but maybe you can make it more homely during your stay.” He turned to leave again, but she stopped him with a touch on his sleeve.

“Don’t go.”

“I have some work to do.” He focused his gaze in the room.

“But…there re some things we could do together. Didn’t you feel it?” She ran her fingers down his arm to hold his hand in hers.

He nodded. “But I told you. I live alone. I can only be alone. I am alone.”

“You don’t need to be. There’s something. We have something. We could be something together, right? I don’t let people touch my wings. No one does. But you did and it felt…” Her knees almost refused to support her at the flash of desire running through her as she remembered. She stepped closer, aligning their bodies and leaning into him. Then she cupped the back of his head and slowly drew his head down until his mouth hovered just above hers. “You don’t need to be alone ever again.”

When their lips touched, she drew a sharp breath at the electricity that crackled through her, and her hold on his head tightened. She pressed her finger tips into his silky hair and placed her other palm on his firm chest. She allowed herself to sink deeper into his kiss and flicked her tongue against his lips. At his sudden inhale, she danced her tongue across his and opened her mouth to him.

He pulled her against his body, and his hard length jutted at her hip. He caressed her arms, reaching her shoulders and across her back to her bound wings. With another sharp breath, he lurched backwards, taking a staggering step into the doorway.

“I can’t,” he gasped. “I mustn’t.”

Loss flared through like pain, and she turned from him. “Go, then. If you don’t want me, just go.” She wouldn’t humiliate herself for him again.