Page 32 of #Resort Love
I quivered, his voice—his words—feeling like velvet against my skin. Shaking my head, I swatted his chest and backed out of his arms. He was a notorious flirt, I reminded myself silently. His rakish smiles and sweet mutterings were directed at everyone, not just me. While it did feel nice to be on the receiving end of his attention, letting it pull me out of my misery, I would be an idiot if I thought it meant anything more.
Grabbing my hand, Ambrose tugged me back to his chest, holding me close to his body. “What, my darling, are we learning today?”
“You mean what am I failing at today?” I scoffed. But when Ambrose angled his face, silently waiting for my answer, I sighed and finally answered. “My goal for today is tocreate—and hold onto—aluminousglowing orb of light.” My throat felt tight, though I tried to hide it behind exaggerated words.
“And I take it’s not going well, my love?” His voice was soft and gentle, and I hated it. I hated that he kept seeing how incapable I really was.
I slowly shook my head, my face heating as I looked down at my hands still against his chest. “It either implodes in my face or barely forms at all. There’s no in-between,” I sighed. “Samian says I’m thinking too much, and my body is too tense, but I can’t help it. I need to learn how to control it. I need to get this right. I just don’t know what else to do.” My panic was rising again, my heart beating wildly as Ambrose let me move out of his arms to lean against the table.
Ambrose hummed thoughtfully, a finger tapping against his chin while considering my words. Then, a slow grin formed, his deep blue eyes shining with a plan. Apprehension crawled up my spine at the sight. “I think I know just the thing that could help,” he purred, taking my hand and pulling me behind him.
We walked further into the library, weaving through the bookcases until he found a room toward the back. Opening the door, he gestured for me to walk inside. My eyes widened and I gasped, taking in the stunning dark navy room. There were two levels, with a spiral metal staircase in the left corner leading up to the upper level. The bottom level had wall sconces set in between wooden bookshelves. A beautifully crafted desk sat near the farthest wall in the middle of two large windows overlooking the courtyard. Looking up, bronze accented the dark navy ceiling, making it look like stars shined above us.
I beamed, looking back at Ambrose, who still waited near the door, tracking my every move, his face unreadable in the dim light. “Well, what do you think?” he asked, his voice low and deep.
“I…it’s beautiful,” I breathed, trying to ignore how alluring he seemed, how good the muscles in his arms looked with his rolled-up sleeves. “But I don’t understand how this is going to help me relax.”
Ambrose laughed as I turned back to the room. Stepping up behind me, I could feel the heat from his body seeping into mine. His powerful frame towered over me before he leaned close to my ear, breathing me in. Shivers danced along my skin, my stomach tightening from his presence.
“The room, dear Sybil, is supposed to help you relax,” he whispered, the rasp of his voice making my heart flutter. “This room will give us some privacy. You don’t have to worry about anyone walking around, watching your every move. You don’t have to worry about hurting anyone here. This room frees you from their judgment and your fears.” Wrapping one hand around my stomach, his other hand ran softly across my chest, making my skin pebble from his touch.
Gasping, I tried to step out of his hold, but his arm tightened around me, not allowing me to move. “Ambrose,” I warned, making another move to get out of his arms. With Samian returning shortly, I didn’t even want to think about what would happen if he caught us here like this.
“Shh,” Ambrose murmured. “I’m only here to help you relax, that’s all.” Moving his arms away from my stomach and chest, he pulled me into him, his body becoming flush against mine. “Cup your hands like you are holding water,” he said, moving my hands in front of me, positioning them side by side. “Good, now close your eyes and breathe in nice and slow.”
Scoffing, I looked up over my shoulder, giving him an unamused frown at his less-than-helpful advice. If taking deep breaths was going to help me, I wouldn’t be here with him, struggling with my magic.
Tutting, Ambrose tapped the side of my face and leaned back down to my ear, his breath warm against my neck. “Now, now, my love. That’s not closing your eyes.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying this,” I said flatly, looking back to my hands.
“You’ll enjoy it too once you start listening to me,” Ambrose reprimanded lightly. “Now, close your eyes and take a deep breath.”
Snorting, I rolled my eyes before closing them. Ambrose hummed his approval, the timbre vibrating against my back and my traitorous heart leaped at the praise. I breathed in deep, then slowly breathed out, pushing away that part of me that basked in his favor.
“Good, again.”
Taking another breath, I let the air fill me, and a sense of calmness washed through me, soothing me, making me feel warm, safe. The tension in my muscles softened against his touch. I could feel his smile against my ear.
“Good girl,” he hummed, gliding his hands up my arms and down the sides of my waist. My body felt hot from his touch as I tried to stay focused. “Now,” he whispered, keeping a firm grip on my waist with one hand, letting his other hand move slowly up my stomach and toward my chest, “I want you to search within yourself until you find the warmth of your light.”
Heat pooled low in my stomach at his soft touch. My breath caught when his hand slowly moved back down to my stomach. My thoughts were scattered between focusing on my magic and the desire for his hand to drift lower.
“Focus, my dear Sybil,” he murmured softly, his words feeling like a caress against my ear.
A soft moan escaped me as his lips grazed the shell of myear, and I cursed myself. My face heated when I felt his lips curling into a wicked smile.
“That’s not focusing, Sybil,” he said quietly, nipping at my ear, making me tremble against his touch. “Where’s the warmth of your light?”
Shaking my head, I focused, pushing all thoughts of how good his touch felt down deep inside. Another day. I would think about this moment another day when I didn’t feel so lost with my magic and who I was.
Centering myself, I focused on Ambrose’s hand slowly making its way back up, my muscles quivering at his touch until his hand moved between my breasts. There. I felt it then, a heat that felt like a piece of me, my essence, curling at my center.
When I nodded, Ambrose stopped his movement. “It’s there,” I gasped.
“Good, now focus on that feeling and breathe into it,” he said, putting more pressure against my chest. “As you breathe out, imagine that light flowing through you to your hands, letting it gather. Form the shape that you want in your mind.”
My eyes squeezed tighter, and I imagined the shape of a ball, letting my mind think about the smooth, curved edges. Ambrose kept his hand still, but another wave of calmness swelled through me, and I leaned against him, my body feeling relaxed. I imagined my light flowing like smoke through my veins as my hands began to tingle.
