Page 30 of Lost Heir
“What are youdoing?” I repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.
“I’m taking a bath. Is there a problem?”
His query, a playful challenge to the absurdity of the moment, left me incredulous. “You can't join me in here! This isn't the time or the place. Return to the Northern palace at once!” I insisted, my voice a blend of frustration and disbelief.
Ronan's presence, bold and uninvited, was a turmoil I was ill-prepared to navigate. His defiance, wrapped in the guise of nonchalance, was a reminder of the delicate balance I had to maintain—between duty and desire, caution and yearning.
The moment transformed when Ronan suddenly plunged into the tub, sending ripples through the water and a shock through my system. “Ronan!” His name escaped me in a startled gasp, my hands flying up to shield my eyes as Ronan’s nude body entered the tub with me. His fearlessness escalated with each encounter, weaving a tapestry ofexhilaration and apprehension within me. Each day he became more and more daring. It made me nervous. “Please,” I pleaded, although I wasn’t sure what I was asking for.
Ignoring my protests, he waded through the water with a predator's grace, closing the distance until only a breath's space remained between us. “Did you miss me?” His voice, a husky whisper, curled around me like smoke, his arm snaking around my waist to draw me closer, an anchor in the swirling warmth. “Because I missed you,” he confessed, the timbre of his voice carrying the weight of longing, of a day spent in the shadow of separation. “I've been counting the moments until I could see you again.”
Tentatively, I lowered my hands, opening my eyes slowly as I allowed myself a glimpse of the man before me. Ronan, in the flickering candlelight, was a vision of ethereal beauty—his hair, a cascade of midnight, parting to reveal intricate braids that framed his face, a testament to his heritage. His eyes, a deep, mesmerizing crimson, bore into mine, soft yet intense, brimming with an emotion that tethered me to the spot. The sight of him so vulnerably majestic ensnared my gaze, rendering me incapable of looking anywhere else.
In that moment, the world beyond the steam-filled chamber ceased to exist—there was only Ronan, the warmth of the water, and the burgeoning realization of the depth of our connection.
As Ronan's declaration hung in the air between us, a profound silence enveloped the chamber, thick with unspoken promises and the weight of our reality. My fingertips, barely grazing the canvas of his ink-streaked skin, felt the subtle rise of his muscles under the intricate tapestry of tattoos that adorned his body. The sensation of his breath,sharp at my touch, reverberated through me, a tangible marker of our closeness.
Confession spilled from me, a whisper lost in the steam and warmth. “I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore.” My voice was barely audible above the sound of water lapping against marble. The admission of my longing for him, mingled with the knowledge of the impossibility of our union, left me adrift. “I want you. Desperately. But I know we can never be. I don’t know what to do.”
His question, soft and insistent, cut through the fog of my hesitation. “Why?” He searched for logic in my denial, a reason within the confines of our desires. “Why is it impossible? Why is it wrong? Nothing has ever felt more right.”
As our gazes locked, the moment seemed to be suspended in time as the depth of our predicament unfolded within the span of a heartbeat. “Do you honestly believe your father will give up on abducting me? Your people are desperate to resurrect the fox demon and you need me to do it,” I countered, the reality of our situation a barrier as tangible as the walls of the palace that trapped us both.
Ronan's vow, fervent and unwavering, enveloped me like a cloak. “I won’t let you get hurt, Leila,” he assured, his hand cradling my face with a tenderness that belied the strength within. “Even if I have to go against my father I will …for you.”
The gravity of his pledge, a promise of defiance for my sake, left me breathless. “You shouldn’t have to,” I murmured, a plea for him to understand the magnitude of his proposed sacrifice. “Your priority is—”
“You’remy priority,” he interjected, his voice a beacon of resolve in the uncertain waters of our future. “Nothing else.”
Before I could say anything further, his lips descendedonto mine. With my senses heightened, I felt his hands on my body, the parting of my lips by his, the sensation of his tongue on mine. I was lost in a sea of awareness so deep that when he pulled away, I felt lightheaded and he had to hold me steady.
“If you say no, I’ll leave this instant. So tell me, Leila,” he whispered. “What doyouwant?”
My heart beating like a hundred war drums, all I wanted was to feel his touch just one more time. Without hesitation, I wrapped my legs around his waist and hoisted myself up, draping my arms around his neck and slamming my mouth onto his. Kissing him with a hunger I’d never felt before, his hands engulfed me and he spun us around until my back was against the edge of the marble tub.
His lips slid down my neck to my chest, until he latched onto my breast. I moaned as he sucked and nipped, the throb at my core growing with each practiced flick of his tongue. I felt his hard length stroke my core and I gasped at the sensation as he rubbed against me.
“Ronan…” I moaned his name like a prayer, my eyes rolling into the back of my head as I closed my eyes, absorbing all the sensations. Biting my lip and wanting more, so much more, I reached down between us and grabbed onto his length. He hissed and bit down on my nipple at my touch. Slowly, I stroked him and rubbed against him.
“Leila,” he moaned against my breasts. “You’re driving me crazy.”
I couldn’t hide the satisfied smirk that spread across my face as I stroked him faster and faster. Iwantedhim to go crazy. I wanted him to be lost in my touch as much as I was in his. At this point, I didn’t know where we started orended. All I knew was that I wanted this feeling to last forever.
A whimpering moan escaped me as my legs began to quake and I felt myself teetering on the edge. Rubbing faster, I gasped when I saw stars float across my vision as shuddering waves of ecstasy consumed me. Soon after, Ronan tensed and shuddered as he placed his head in the crook of my neck, biting down hard as he came into my hand. As our breathing slowed, we held onto each other as if we were the other’s life raft in a turbulent sea.
“Ronan?” I whispered. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out before I give you my all.”
He shook his head, which was still in the crook of my neck. “There’s no rush, Leila. We have plenty of time. The prophecy—”
“I don’t care about the prophecy,” I blurted.
“You’re not thinking clearly.” He pulled away from me. I unhooked my legs from his waist and slid down his body. “You don’t know the repercussions—”
“I don’t trust anyone but you,” I said adamantly. “I don’twantanyone but you.”
Ronan caressed my face and planted a soft kiss on my forehead. “I know. But we’re in no rush.I’min no rush. I want us to take our time. I want you to make your decision with a clear head.”
I nodded in understanding. “I will. I promise.”
