Page 102 of Song of the Heart Scale
The door opened anyway, a soft click followed by the whisper of bare feet across marble. Before I could turn to unleash my frustration, two hands slipped over my eyes from behind, delicate fingers cool against my heated skin.
I inhaled sharply, then relaxed as her scent washed over me—something uniquely Cat, something that reminded me ofsunlight breaking through storm clouds. My body recognized her before my mind could catch up.
“You're supposed to be asleep,” I murmured, reaching up to touch her wrists, feeling her pulse fluttering beneath my fingertips.
“I was,” she whispered, her breath warm against my ear. “Until I woke up and you weren't there.” Her hands slid from my eyes, trailing down my neck and over my shoulders, her touch leaving goosebumps in its wake.
I tilted my head back to look at her. Dark hair fell around her face in messy waves, framing those eyes that seemed to see right through me. She wore nothing but one of my shirts, which hung loose on her frame, the collar dipping to reveal the curve of collarbone.
“You should have stayed in bed,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended.
Cat's lips curved into that smile that always made my chest tighten. “And miss the chance to see you like this?” Her fingers dipped below the water's surface, tracing idle patterns across my chest. “Vulnerable. Unguarded.”
I caught her wrist and pulled her around to face me. Water sloshed over the rim of the tub as I tugged her closer. “Vulnerable is a dangerous thing to be in Elaria.”
“Good thing I'm not from Elaria,” she whispered, her free hand coming to rest against my cheek.
Without another word, I pulled her into the bath with me, shirt and all. She gasped, half-laughing as she landed in my lap, water cascading around us and splashing to the floor. The thin fabric clung to her skin and became nearly transparent.
“Damien!” she protested, but there was no real anger in her voice.
Silencing her with a kiss, I tangled one hand in her hair and slid the other beneath the sodden shirt to find the warmcurve of her waist. Her lips parted beneath mine, yielding and demanding all at once. That was Cat—always meeting me halfway, challenging me even as she surrendered.
The heat of the water was nothing compared to the fire that ignited between us. Her weight on my lap and the slick slide of her body against mine was intoxicating. I pushed the soaked shirt up her torso, breaking our kiss just long enough to pull it over her head and toss it to the marble floor with a wet slap.
“Beautiful,” I breathed, taking in the sight of her. Water droplets clung to her skin, catching the candlelight like diamonds. I traced the curve of her breast with my thumb, watching her eyes darken as her breath hitched.
“I've been thinking about you all day,” she confessed, rolling her hips against mine in a way that made me groan. “Even when I was supposed to be listening to Uncle Bai's plans.”
I smiled against her neck and tasted the salt of her skin. “Scandalous. What would he say if he knew I was the subject of such inappropriate thoughts?”
“He’d say you’re a lucky man,” she replied, her voice low and rough as I captured her mouth again.
Her fingers trailed down my chest beneath the water, finding me hard and ready. I hissed against her lips as she wrapped her hand around me, stroking slowly.
“Cat,” I warned, my control fraying at the edges.
She smiled against my mouth. “Yes, Your Highness?”
The title, usually a burden, sounded like a caress coming from her. I effortlessly lifted her and positioned her above me. Water cascaded down her body as she rose, rivulets tracing paths I desperately wanted to follow with my tongue.
“Tell me you want this,” I demanded, gripping her hips.
“I wantyou,” she answered without hesitation.
I watched her eyes flutter closed as I slowly lowered her onto me, our bodies joining in one fluid motion. The sensation nearlyoverwhelmed me—her tight heat enveloping me, her soft gasp against my lips, the way her fingers dug into my shoulders.
“Damien,” she breathed, my name a prayer on her lips.
I held still, savoring the moment and committing every detail to memory—the flush spreading across her chest, the water gently lapping around us, the candlelight dancing across her damp skin. In this moment, there was no war, no throne, no impending doom. Just us.
“Look at me,” I commanded softly.
Her eyes opened and met mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. I cupped her face in my hands and brushed her cheekbones with my thumbs as she began to move above me. Slow at first, then faster, setting a rhythm that had my head falling back against the marble. Water splashed around us with each movement, flower petals clinging to her skin like they couldn't bear to part from her, either.
I trailed my lips down her throat and across her collarbone, capturing a hardened nipple between my teeth. She arched into me and a breathless moan escaped her lips that echoed off the bathroom walls. My hands slid down her back to cup her bottom and guide her movements as she rode me with increasing urgency.
“You're mine,” I growled against her skin, marking her with my teeth, my tongue soothing the sting immediately after. “Say it.”
