Page 26 of All the Pain of Promises
Fine.
He’d give her a head start.
Solarius counted to thirty, then followed her faint, lingering scent. The delicate floral smell mingling with sandalwood andsea air and was practically an aphrodisiac to his senses. It was tantalizing. Tempting. Enough to make his mouth water.
So, he kept his pace slow and quietly tracked her through the expansive corridors of House Azurvend. He passed through open-air walkways, beneath arches embedded with sea glass, where the bitter wind smacked at his cheeks, then descended a staircase of sandstone into the lower levels of the house. Here the air was somehow thick and warm, as though the humidity of the summer continued to thrive despite the cloak of winter blanketing the outdoors. He rounded a corner and drew up short, mesmerized by the scene unfolding before him.
It appeared to be a cove of some kind, or maybe even a lagoon. Tide pools of crystalline turquoise water were surrounded by large, smooth rocks, protecting them from the crashing waves of the Arcasian Sea just beyond. Ribbons of steam unfurled from the sparkling surface of the pools, the heat emanating from them enough to slightly dampen Solarius’s shirt. Gaping openings of crumbling rock in the ceiling allowed for the brilliant wash of moonlight to spill into the cove, shrouding the space in a silver glow. He inched closer, peering from around a pillar of ivory quartz, and swore he’d never seen anything more lovely in his life.
There was Narissa, kneeling near the edge of one of the pools, gathering some sort of green plant from the surface of an uneven stone. Her wavy hair was a mess and piled high on top of her head into a lopsided bun with a few loose tendrils curling around her neck. She absently tucked one behind her ear and Solarius swallowed hard, captivated by her every movement. Narissa stood, balancing precariously on the uneven ledge of rock as she collected the pieces of vine-like sea kelp in a small wicker basket. Glimmering pink flowers bloomed wherever moonlight touched them, the petals closing in the flash of shade, then opening again at her touch. It was fascinating, watching the grace with whichshe worked, but her absolute ease did nothing to soothe his nerves.
The tide was high, spilling over some of the rocks and crashing into the steaming pools. Foam and seawater soaked the hem of Narissa’s dress and when her footing slipped, Solarius’s heart stopped completely.
He lurched forward, ready to rescue her from certain death, but Narissa righted herself as though she hadn’t almost been swept out to sea and hopped over each rock’s slippery surface until she was safely standing upon the sandy ground.
Solarius could only stare.
She was incredibly nimble for a lady, and his mind wandered to what other sorts of activities she might be exceptionally good at—preferably those that took place in the bedroom.
Narissa set down her basket, her gaze drawn to the open sea beyond the swell of waves and the boundary of rocks.
Solarius silently debated leaving without saying a word. She was clearly in her element, and he had no doubt making his presence known would only sour her mood. To be honest, he was growing rather tired of constantly being the reason for her scowl. And her tears. He imagined what it might be like to be on the receiving end of one of her rare smiles, the ones she reserved for those she truly loved. She would glow, illuminated from within like those radiant pearls that fell down her cheeks, iridescent and rare.
He ducked his head and turned to go, freezing the second her hands reached for the laces of her gown.
Solarius didn’t move. He didn’t breathe.
Narissa fumbled for a moment, then gradually tugged the sheer sleeves of her dress until the soft fabric fell from her shoulders, then further still, exposing the golden hue of her flesh. Aqua satin covered in tiny diamonds tumbled to the ground, pooling around her ankles like an ethereal ocean.
Solarius had seen her naked before, stars above, he’d undressed her on their wedding night. But this was different.Shewas different. In this moment, she was uninhibited. Unafraid. She was composed and confident. She pulled a pin embellished with black pearls from her hair, and the unruly tresses tumbled to the middle of her back. Narissa was flawless—every curve, every dip, every inch of her golden skin was perfect. His wife was fucking magic.
She stepped out of the discarded gown and his jaw clenched when she lowered herself into the tide pool. Goosebumps pebbled over her skin, her nipples hardened, and Solarius forgot how to breathe. Crystal blue water lapped at her calves and thighs, then her hips and waist. She arched slightly, easing back to float on the warm pool’s surface, and closed her eyes. The rings on her fingers sparkled as she languidly moved her hands through the water. Her wild blonde hair fanned out like gilded ribbons, tiny waves rippled, and she looked exactly like Azuralis.
The goddess of the sea.
His constellation in the night sky, the one that marked his heart.
He summoned his magic then, cradling moonlight with his hand, then pouring it over her nude form in tiny rivers of silver. His blood thrummed, the power of the moon encapsulating his very being, its light and darkness desperate for something more. For something he couldn’t quite find.
The wave tattoos on the pointed tips of Narissa’s ears glowed, a gleaming bluish-purple hue, and Solarius knew the ones swirling down her spine were illuminated as well.
Leaning against the pillar so it supported the brunt of his weight, he watched her float, thoroughly enchanted.
“Are you going to spy on me all evening?” she asked, her eyes still closed. “Or have you come to insult me again?”
Her scornful remark should have set his teeth on edge, should have baited him to fire back with some snide comment, for that seemed to be the way of their conversations. But here, with her defining the very meaning of the word breathtaking, Solarius couldn’t find the words.
“Apologies, Narissa.” He shoved off the pillar, following the sandy path to the tide pool, ensuring his footfalls were loud enough for her to hear. “I can’t seem to stop staring at you.”
Slowly, she stood upright once more, her frosty ocean eyes watching him as he made his way down the trail toward her. Turquoise waters coasted just above the swell of her breasts, and he didn’t miss the way her chest heaved in an unsteady breath. She tracked him, sliding her tongue along her bottom lip, then scraping it with her teeth.
“I just…” Solarius paused at the edge of the tidal pool, tucking one hand into his pocket. He reached out, dragging two fingers through the air as he angled the rush of moonlight so it cascaded around her like a waterfall. He tilted his head to one side, admiring his work, admiring her, and shrugged. “I’m finding it rather difficult to collect my thoughts at the moment.”
Narissa’s cautious gaze flitted over him. “Is that a compliment, my lord?”
Her soft, lusty voice was enough to bring him to his knees, to beg forgiveness for an offense he had never committed.
He cleared his throat, never breaking her gaze. “The highest, my lady.”
