She was still wrapped in his arms when she awoke. The cool morning air smelled of salt, reminding her abruptly that they were not at home. Rowan felt like a traitor when she realized that she considered Aidan’s estate to be her home, but it was true. And last night, they had… She smiled and blushed all at once.
This had all begun as a way to save her father, and now… Now, she wanted it just as much for herself. Maybe more. But before she could get too worked up about it, Aidan’s arms tightened around her, and he nuzzled her neck with his nose, humming drowsily.
It was too easy to forget her worries and revel in the joy of being with him. She turned toward him, brushing stray strands of hair from his cheek, and when he opened his eyes and smiled at her, she was as dazzled as if she’d stared straight into the sun. “Good morning, beautiful,” he said softly.
She didn’t think she’d ever get used to his sincere compliments. It was like an angel coming down from on high to praise her singing voice, an opinion at once unbelievable and unassailable. “Good morning,” she answered, smiling shyly back at him.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, and she knew he was wondering whether their activities the previous night had caused any adverse effects.
“I’m quite wonderful, thank you,” she assured him. “What are your plans for today?” She assumed he would be closeted in meetings with Lady Aine or doing various other princely functions which had little to do with her. Maybe there was a library.
“Officially, we are on holiday,” he said, giving her a slow and somewhat playful smile. “But I was wondering if you’d like to have a bath before breakfast?”
carried her into the bathroom over her protests. “If you insist on carrying me everywhere like a piece of luggage, I may forget how to walk.”
“You would not be very useful luggage,” he replied playfully, “since you can only carry one set of clothing, and I prefer that you have none at all.”
“You’re dreadful!” she exclaimed, slapping him on the shoulder. She could hear the water rushing into the giant sunken tub, one of the many perks of living in a place where magic was nearly as ubiquitous as air.
He smiled as he stepped down into the steaming water. “You seem to like me well enough, regardless.” His kiss precluded her response, and as she melted into the feeling of his mouth as well as the hot water, she thought about what a ridiculous understatement that was.
She didn’t just like him; she loved him, deep in her bones. But how could she say it to him, who would live forever if he wished it? It would end in tragedy for her either way. At least if the words never passed her lips, she would not make him feel guilty about what could not be changed.
Still, she poured her feelings into kissing him, and when he pulled away, his expression was somewhat dazed. “I truly intended for this bath to be primarily for the purpose of washing,” he murmured against her mouth.
“Really?” she said, smiling in a sceptical way. “I’m unsure why you wanted us to bathe together if you only wanted to be clean.”
“Because having someone else wash one’s hair is a pleasant experience, and I imagine having it done by one’s lover makes it even more so.”
“You imagine?” she teased without rancour as she positioned herself to sit in front of him and felt his long fingers slide across her scalp.
“I have taken far fewer lovers over my life than the typical mortal impression of a prince of the fae would suggest,” he said quietly. She wanted to look back at him, but his hands were tangled in her hair, massaging in slow circles, and it felt so wonderful she could hardly speak, let alone move.
But when he had rinsed the soap from her hair, she did turn to him and found something melancholy in his expression. She rose up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He enfolded her in his arms almost automatically, and she reached up to touch his cheek. “If something is bothering you, you can talk to me.”
She felt him let out a long breath. “Sometimes, I worry that I’ve spent too long pretending to be the cold and arrogant prince of darkness. That I play the part too well.”
“Then why do it? I have to say I much prefer the person you are at home than the one you were when I first met you.”
There was a flash of something in his eyes. Relief maybe. “I started doing it in the Court of Bones as a means of protecting myself. It took many years in my father’s court before I could trust anyone enough to let the mask slip. And by then, I had already discovered that if the Court thought my domain was a place of death and nightmares, they would never think to look for escaped servants there or worry about the numbers of lesser fae who swore their allegiance to me.”
“I suppose that means when you finally take over for your father, a lot of people are going to be surprised.” He laughed, and the haunted look left his eyes.
But a little while later, when his head rested in her lap after she had just finished washing his enviable hair, his words came back to her. Aidan’s face was utterly peaceful, his eyes closed as she ran her fingers through his inky tresses, and she realized she had only ever seen him so relaxed in sleep. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips.
“Thank you for trusting me,” she said. His eyes opened, and she was so close, she could see the flecks of stars in his irises. Just like his hair, they were not truly black, but every hue of night and shadow.
“I have never doubted that you are worthy of my trust,” he said as he reached up to pull her into the water. “I was only waiting for you to trust me in return.”
They kissed again, and this time, it was hungry and wanting, an open-mouthed dance of lips and tongues. Rowan caressed his face and then ran her fingers over the tips of his ears. He shuddered. “You seem to like it when I touch your ears,” she said in a husky voice she hadn’t known she possessed.
“They are extremely sensitive,” he replied, a hint of a growl in his words as she traced one finger lightly down to his ear lobe.
He lunged forward, cradling her head in his hands, and she gave a startled “Oh!” as she felt him breathe deliberately against her ear. Then, he drew the lobe into his mouth, scraping lightly with his teeth, and she felt like she had been reduced to a shivering puddle. Her need for him was a throbbing ache that drowned out everything else.
“Don’t tease if you don’t want to be teased in returned,” he said roughly. She could feel the length of him against her stomach, so close to where she wanted it, and she writhed against him unashamedly.
“I never said I didn’t like it,” she replied breathlessly, and she flicked her tongue over his lips as her fingers glided over his ears again. He groaned and shifted his body so that he was poised just under her entrance. Their moans of bliss mingled into one as she slid herself on to him. It felt different with her astride him, almost overwhelming with the ache of fullness, and when she finally moved her hips against him, she thought she would go over the edge almost immediately.
It was quick and intense; they clung together almost desperately as ecstasy neared. He called her name as he found his release inside her, and she shattered around him, her head thrown back, riding wave after never-ending wave of pleasure until she lay languid against his chest, panting for breath. He kissed her forehead, and there were no words for the contentment and joy she felt in that moment.