Page 64 of The Prince of Power

Indoor pool? My God, this place is extravagant. I’ve been here for a month, and I didn’t know it has an indoor pool.

Damian smiles. “Go change. I’ll have someone waiting for you to guide you down when you’re done.”

A short while later, I step out of my room, pulling the plush robe tightly around me. A staff member leads me through a series of hallways and then down a spiraling stone staircase that seems to descend forever. The air grows cooler, tinged with the scent of water and something faintly metallic, like old coins.

When I step inside the cavernous room, I nearly stop breathing. The ceiling is an expanse of deep blue with golden stars embedded into the surface. Tall, arched windows line one side of the pool, but at this hour, they only reflect the flickering glow of torch-like sconces mounted along the marble walls.

And then there’s Damian.

He’s already in the water, arms resting against the edge as he watches me with dark, unreadable eyes. His hair is slicked back, and drops of water trail down the sharp lines of his shoulders.

I let the robe slip from my shoulders. Heat rises to my cheeks. I shouldn’t be self-conscious when he’s already seen me almost naked.

Except now I know he likes my body, and that somehow makes me even more self-conscious. I was raised to think lust is a sin. I’ve tried to force those toxic teachings from my head, but the body remembers.

And my body likes Damian. It longs for his gaze even though that’s not rational.

I take a slow step forward into the water. It’s warmer than I expected, and the heat licks up my skin as I step deeper. Damian’s eyes follow me the whole way, a lazy drag over my body.

“What’s your major?” I say to distract myself.

Damian must not have heard me. His hungry gaze is on my chest.

“Do you even have one?” I say. “You never go to class. I’ve wondered if you have some kind of…nepo-baby contract with the school.”

That gets his attention. His laugh is a low, rich sound that echoes off the tiled walls. “I do have an agreement with the school. I get most of my work done remotely.”

“Why?”

“Because I have a job.”

“And what job is that?”

He shakes his head. “No.”

I snort. “Of course. You can’t tell me.”

He smiles. “I’ll tell you my major though. Anthropology.”

“That…” I tilt my head. “That makes a lot of sense. My guess is you like paleoanthropology the most.”

“Yes.” His eyes alight. “I fucking love it, and it’s really useful in my job. The closer we can mimic hunter-gatherer behavior, the better society will be. The blip of civilization isn’t enough to change our biology.”

“Of course you’d think that.”

His lips quirk. “And what do you think? You believe humans have a soul?”

“I do think humans have a soul. But that’s not why I disagree with you.”

“No?”

I shake my head. “We need to stop seeing ourselves as just an animal. Not because it’s incorrect, but because we can’t view our species objectively. And more often than not, it’s an excuse for bad behavior.”

Damian stares at me silently. The water ripples around us. “That’s the most Ava St. Clair response I’ve ever heard.”

“And that’s a very Damian Cross observation. Meaning it’s insufferably condescending.”

His laughter is warm. “Alright, I won’t be condescending by telling you how adorable you are.”

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