Page 44 of Trapped for Her Blood
I nod, and then turn my head in his hand to kiss his palm.
He inhales a ragged breath in response, and it warms me to see a hint of passion from him again, something that belies the machine he transformed into while he was thrusting inside me.
“I will be no longer than three hours,” he says. “Although I do not know how you will count the passing of time.”
“I’ll figure it out.” Reaching up, I stroke the side of his face, loving how his eyes flutter shut as I do this, his eyelashes kissing the skin under his eyes and making me want to kiss him there too. “Be careful.”
He kisses my forehead, and then steps back from me. “I will.”
Before I can blink, he is gone, disappearing into the darkness.
Chapter Fifteen
Ember
Zuben leaves,and I turn back toward the water.
Axe, swimming at the far side of the pool, dives under when he sees me, and so I return to the fire to get warm. The flames are low, and I add a few logs, starting to worry that Axe might be depleting a finite wood supply because of me. I remain close to the fire as it roars back to life, letting it penetrate my body right to the bones.
Warmed, I walk slowly toward the water. Axe emerges as I reach the edge, and I dip in my toe. The water’s cold, but enticing. I’ve been through so much since I had a shower.
My dress is the only clothing I have down here. Even if it doesn’t offer much warmth, it will offer none if it’s wet.
Do I dare? Axel is so comfortable with his nudity, like it’s nothing, and so I gather my courage.
Hell, after what I’ve faced the past few days, having this man see me naked shouldn’t even register. He’s underwater at the moment, anyway, so I lift the dress over my head, and lay it down on the rocky surface.
Sitting at the edge, I dangle my feet to test the depths of the pool. It drops immediately, no wading in, and it’s so dark, impossible to know what lies underneath. The faint light from high above, paints sparkles in a circle on the water’s surface on the opposite side from where the waterfall forms a barely perceptible wall, like glass.
Axe dove into the water, and so it’s surely deep enough for me.
Standing, I brace myself and then dive. The cold takes my breath, and I scream when I surface.
I barely have time to register the sound of splashing, or where it’s coming from, before Axel reaches me, taking me into his arms. He swam to me so quickly that a wake follows him, the waves crashing into his back as he holds me against his strong body.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I nod, barely able to breathe, never mind speak, but I’m not sure whether it’s the cold water, or the shock of having my naked body pressed against his.
“I thought you were drowning.” His voice is quiet, but deep, and I feel it move through me, the vibrations seeming to help insulate me against the frigid water.
“I was just shocked by the cold.” I smile. “But it doesn’t feel so bad now.” I let my hand slide over his bulky shoulder, his entire body radiating heat, even though we’re in cool water.
“Guess I should keep holding you then?” He shoots me a mischievous grin, but then he looks down. “I don’t mean any disrespect. I know the tall vampire is your mate and—”
“No. He’s not.” I shake my head quickly.
Axe’s eyes widen, but his expression is hard to read. Is he pleased or scandalized? I wonder about the norms around pre-marital sex in the culture of his clan—not to mention human culture back when he was free.
“I do like it here in your arms,” I tell him. “But I can swim.”
He releases me, and I start treading water, the effort warming me from the inside.
“Zuben and I…” I want to offer an explanation. “What you saw, that was our first time, and…” I shake my head.
“That explains a lot.” He grunts.
“Explains what?”
