by J. N. Baker
Damn shift noses. I rolled my eyes. “Sure, I’ll take a bath.”
Not that I much cared what Baldric thought, but there was always a chance of running into Josh.
Within twenty minutes, there was a near-boiling tub of water sitting in the middle of my room, complete with lavender oils and fresh clothes laid out. My eyes danced over the black ensemble, grateful that Baldric had finally given up on trying to dress me like a medieval Barbie.
I much preferred my classic Lara Croft look. I couldn’t exactly train in ball gowns, though Baldric did have me try a few times. Bastard enjoyed every second of it too, especially the part where I used my bare hands to rip off the bottom portion of my dress to move easier. I may have ripped it a bit too high if the expression on Josh’s face had been any indication.
“Do you need any assistance?”
“No, Lindsay. I’m pretty sure I remember how to bathe. You can stop asking me that every time I take a bath.”
She shrugged. “It’s my job. I’ll be back in an hour to escort you to dinner.”
I waited until she’d backed out of the room and locked the door before stripping out of my prior day’s training clothes and stepping into the water. Lindsay knew by now to put extra wood on the small fire beneath the tub. I could take the heat. Hell, I needed it. It reminded me of the raging inferno I felt around Josh. He was my goddamn sun and I craved his fire.
Slipping farther into the lavender-infused water, my eyelids drifted shut. I could do this—I could play nice with Baldric long enough to force down a meal or two if it meant gaining more freedom. More freedom meant the possibility of more time with Josh. Time alone that we’d yet to have. And time alone with him was something I desperately wanted.
I finally had the man back and yet I didn’t really have him at all. He was always just out of reach.
I’d been Baldric’s prisoner for the past three months, one of which was spent as Roland’s plaything in his demented little dungeon. It was there that Josh had last kissed me. The way his lips danced over mine still gave me delicious chills that shot straight to my core whenever I thought about it. And I thought about it often. Nearly as much as I did our night together at Stonehenge tangled in each other’s arms as the snow melted from the heat of our bodies. I’d thought the pull I’d felt toward him was strong then; it was even stronger since his transformation. Almost unbearably so.
I pressed my thighs together to ease the mounting pressure building between them. Grabbing a washcloth from the small side table, I ran it over my sensitive flesh. I sighed as the rough fabric kissed my bare breasts, sliding over my nipples and down the flat plane of my stomach until it landed at the apex of my thighs. The washcloth slipped from my hand, my fingers lingering between my legs, moving of their own accord as I imagined they belonged to Josh. Next thing I knew, my other hand had found a nipple.
My head rocked back against the clawfoot tub as I worked my body like I desperately wanted Josh to do. I caught my lower lip between my teeth as my climax hit me, biting until I drew blood—anything to keep from crying out his name. Damn all those listening ears.
The click of the door stole the last of my breath. My eyes shot open to find none other than Josh standing in front of the closed door, his hooded eyes raking over my naked flesh. With no flower petals or bubbles on the surface of the water, there was no concealing my exposed skin…or what I’d been doing. Josh’s eyes landed on the hand still resting between my thighs and I thought I heard him growl.
“That should be my job” was all he said and I damn near came undone all over again.
“Where’s Lindsay?” I stupidly responded, like he hadn’t just caught me with my hand between my legs and his name on the tip of my tongue. “You shouldn’t be here like this.”
I quickly reached for the nearby towel only to have it jump away from me at the last second. A smirk danced on the edge of Josh’s lips and I shot him a warning look. He was a lot bolder since his transformation. Or maybe he was just no longer holding back for the sake of our friendship. Yeah, The Boundaries of Friendship handbook was long gone at this point. We’d set that fucker on fire. Now it was more like The Beginner’s Guide to Sneaking Around Behind a Psychotic Overlord’s Back in Order to Get Laid. Little wordy but the content was in high demand.
Obediently, the towel floated open in front of me and I stood, letting it wrap around me. Something about Josh’s power enveloping me was both comforting and erotic at the same time.
“She got caught up in dinner preparations,” Josh finally said. “So, the king asked me to come for you instead.”
What I wouldn’t give to have him come for me. Based on the look on Josh’s face, he wanted to do just that. His icy eyes burned every inch of my exposed flesh and heat pooled between my legs once more. This was bad. We couldn’t be caught like this.
“I’m sure he thought you’d be dressed by now,” Josh went on to say, his rich voice husky with want. If the large bulge in his pants was any indication, he was quite happy that I wasn’t, in fact, dressed. “I’m surprised you agreed to eat with him,” he added much more quietly.
I was having trouble focusing on anything but the thought of Josh eating me. “Yeah,” I finally said, drying my body off and quickly dressing with my back to him. After what Josh had just witnessed, my naked backside was nothing.
Josh didn’t respond or push for more. Too many listening ears to speak freely, even at a whisper. Josh was a smart guy, hopefully he’d figure out what I was doing. I had to earn Baldric’s trust if I was going to be allowed to roam freely.
I pulled my hair into a loose, damp bun, and then stepped into my boots before heading to the door. Before I could open it, Josh surprised me by snatching up my hand—the one I’d just imagined was his own—and stuck my fingers into his mouth. My breath came a little faster as he sucked on each fingertip, his lust-filled eyes glued to mine.
He leaned forward until his lips grazed my earlobe. “You told me you were mad at me for bailing on you all those years ago after I’d asked you out,” he whispered, sending goose bumps racing across my skin. “Well, I was mad at you for denying me that first weekend we spent together after I found you again. If you hadn’t turned me down back then, you’d already be mine, and I wouldn’t have had to spend the last half a decade imagining what you taste like. Because reality is so much better than anything I could have conjured in my head.”
A moan slipped past my parted lips. I was pretty sure that if he kissed me now, I’d spiral into a second orgasm.
A burst of cold air slammed into me as Josh put space between us. The door opened behind me, and he took hold of my arm and led me out.
“The king is waiting.”
I walked alongside Josh as we made our way through the narrow hallways to what I imagined would be Baldric’s personal chambers. With each step, I reminded myself that I could do this. I had to. And that Baldric had given me his word he would not lay a hand on me without my permission. While his word didn’t mean much to me—jack shit, in fact—he’d kept it, thus far.
By the third hallway, I was already getting turned around. It wasn’t like I’d had much—or any—time to explore Baldric’s massive castle. My time was spent either in my chambers or outside training. The walks to and from those two places was usually a blur of savoring Josh’s touch.
Josh stopped in front of a large wooden door that stretched to the ceiling. I took a deep, steadying breath as the door swung open and I prepared to share a meal alone with the self-proclaimed king who deemed me his future queen.
Only Baldric wasn’t the only body within the room. Not by a long shot.
Josh gently pushed me into a room that had to be some sort of dining hall. Enormous rectangular tables stretched across the space—one that was easily three times the size of William’s great hall—and the tables were surprisingly lined with people. People laughing and toasting like this wasn’t the end of the bloody world.
“Ah, there she is.” Baldric rose
from one of the many tables, food already plated in front of him. He moved toward me gracefully before bowing. “I am so happy you decided to join me for dinner.”
I hated the sincerity in his voice.
“I-I thought we were eating together,” I said, utterly dumbfounded.
Baldric quirked an eyebrow. “We are. This is where I dine most nights with my officials and generals and any who wish to join us. Of course, not all can fit. But those of my people who live outside the castle typically choose to dine with their own families.”
What the hell was happening?
“Please, join me.” Baldric motioned me toward a vacant chair beside his—a normal, ordinary wooden chair just like his and everyone else’s—pulling it out so I could sit. Josh took a seat across from us and I wasn’t surprised to see Lindsay beside him.
I scanned the rows of carefree people once more, taking in their genuine smiles and overall comradery. They all ate together each night? Like some sort of twisted family with Baldric sitting amongst them like they were all equals? I caught Lindsay’s eye as I circled back around and her expression seemed to scream told you so.
Baldric, of all people, plated food for me, setting it down in front of me with a soft smile. He was sitting in a normal chair, at a normal table, and now he was serving me? This had to be some sort of Twilight Zone.
Across from me, Josh laughed at something the man sitting beside him said. A real honest-to-God laugh. Whatever it was the man had said had even Baldric chuckling around a mouth full of food.
I’d been preparing myself for a meal alone with Baldric filled with awkward silence and uncomfortable questions, not a warm family function. We didn’t even all eat together at the other castle—when there was actually food to be eaten. William typically ate in his room or in the great hall with Annie and the other Chosen. The rest of our people kind of did their own thing. Vamps hung out with vamps. Shifts with other shifts. It was never like this.
“Is the meal to your liking?”
I nearly jumped at Baldric’s question, earning another smile from the self-proclaimed king.
“Um, yes. It’s fine.” I hadn’t even touched my plate yet. I was getting a bit sick of fish, but food was food, and fish were plentiful along the coast. I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Baldric’s black eyes searched my face. “I could have the cooks make you something else if you wish.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. I didn’t need anyone going out of their way for me, least of all Baldric. Though, I found I greatly missed Annie’s rabbit stew. Or maybe I just missed her.
The woman to Baldric’s left said something to him, blessedly taking his attention off me. My eyes met Josh’s momentarily as I took a bite of whatever fish was on the menu tonight. He feigned disinterest, turning his attention back to the man beside him. Based on the man’s muscular build and carefree demeanor, I guessed he was a shift. And apparently Josh’s buddy, by the looks of it. Seeing Josh with a friend made me miss Annie and Cody all the more. A pang shot through my chest. Was this what it felt like to be homesick?
“Do you have rabbits here?” I asked no one in particular.
Baldric turned to answer. “I am sure we do. The kingdom is surrounded by open fields. Though we typically stick to fish since we have a plethora of them available to us. Why do you ask?”
I shrugged, taking another bite of food. “No reason.”
“She likes rabbit stew,” Lindsay announced. “I’ve heard her talk about it from time to time. William’s whore used to make it for her—the redhead.”
Fire coursed through my veins instantly. “Annie,” I growled.
“Excuse me?” Lindsay shot back.
“Her name was Annie, not ‘William’s whore.’ And she was a better friend in the six months I spent with her than you were in the entire decade I knew you.”
Lindsay’s jaw hit the table, the half-chewed bread nearly falling out of her mouth. Baldric stiffened beside me and our end of the large room quieted. Had she failed to tell Baldric that she knew me? Oops, guess the cat was out of the bag now. Oh well.
“You know one another?” Baldric asked, his eyes boring into Lindsay. To her credit, she didn’t cower away from him…too much.
“Once upon a time,” I answered for her. “If you could even say we really knew each other at all.”
The “king” rested his chin on his one and only hand. “Interesting. And you did not feel I needed to know this, Lindsay?”
“I didn’t think it was relevant,” she replied curtly and Josh shifted beside her. “It was a lifetime ago. We were no more than kids. I didn’t know what she was to become. She left after high school and I didn’t see her again until she was brought here.”
“Left?” I scoffed. “More like I was taken against my will.”
“And you say we’re the bad guys.”
“Like you’re any better,” I snapped. “Your people kidnapped Annie. Oh yeah, and triggered the whole goddamn apocalypse. You’re all a bunch of bloodthirsty murderers.”
By this point, it seemed everyone in the massive dining hall was listening in on our conversation. Again, oh well.
“Where’s a pool full of Jell-O when you need one?” Josh’s buddy said and a couple snorts rang out.
“Enough,” Baldric bellowed and the room fell silent once more. “What is done is done. The past is in the past. We live in the now. The future is ours.”
“Hear, hear!” a number of men shouted, banging their mugs on the wooden tabletop.
“Says the man trying to relive his glory days,” I muttered, pushing at my fish with my fork.
“It seems you have lost your appetite, my dear,” Baldric said, his voice eerily low. “Let me escort you back to your chambers.”
Next thing I knew, I was standing, Baldric’s metal hand under my arm, leading me out of the dining hall. When we stepped out of the room, I pulled my arm free of his iron grip.
“Look, I’m sorry,” I forced myself to say, the apology like acid in my mouth. So much for playing nice to gain more freedom. At this rate, it would be decades before Josh and I could be alone together.
“I know this is difficult for you,” Baldric surprised me by saying. “You were fed lies for many years. That cannot be erased in mere months. Regardless, you will watch how you speak to my people. You will treat them with the respect they deserve. Despite what you might think, they have not wronged you. That includes Lindsay.”
“Haven’t wronged me?” I all but snapped. “They killed my people.”
“And you have killed theirs. Hundreds of them. How many did you take down with your new ability during the Great Battle? How many widows did you make? How many orphans? And yet my people have looked beyond that and welcomed you into our kingdom. If they can look past your transgressions, then you should be able to look past theirs—even if they are mostly imagined,” he added.
I bit my tongue until I tasted blood, nearly biting the damn thing off. Arguing with Baldric wasn’t going to get me anywhere I wanted to be.
“I’m trying,” I whispered.
“Try harder,” he replied. “I do not care to keep you locked away.”
And then he walked me to my bedroom prison and did just that.
An hour later, a bowl of rabbit stew was delivered to my room by a silent Lindsay. Whether it was from her or Baldric, I wasn’t sure. Either way, it went uneaten.
A body shifted in the darkness beside my bed, stirring me from my always-dreamless sleep. My reaction was automatic. I flung myself at the intruder, wrapping my legs around his strong middle and pushing him to the ground, fingers coiled tightly around his throat. Pale blue eyes caught mine in the dwindling light of the nearest fireplace.
“Josh?” I breathed.
And then his lips were on mine, yanking me down onto his solid body. My own body reacted instantly, molding itself to his until a sigh slipped past my lips. God, how I’d missed his touch.
My hands slid
from Josh’s neck to his hair, tugging on it to bring him closer still. I nipped at his bottom lip, eliciting a groan from him that had my hips grinding against his, making him moan all over again.
This was bad. This was so bad.
And yet, it was good. Goddamn it was good. But if we were caught…
Reluctantly and with every bit of strength I had, I pulled away from Josh, sitting to straddle him.
“We can’t,” I whispered. As much as I wanted this—God, how I wanted it—we couldn’t chance being caught. Baldric would kill my people and likely Josh, Chosen or not.
Josh’s big hand found the back of my neck, not-so-gently pulling me down to him until his mouth crashed into mine once more. His hunger sent a chill throughout my body despite the fire I felt building within it. “Don’t worry,” he said against my lips, “you know I’ll always protect you.”
In one swift move, Josh was standing with me in his arms, his lips never releasing their hold on mine. He carried me to the bed and laid me down before covering my body with his own. His muscles flexed as he moved over me and I swallowed the moan that threatened to bubble out of my throat.
Couldn’t let anyone hear us.
Josh’s mouth moved to my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “You’re mine,” he said and my stomach fluttered. I’d always hated when Alec claimed me in such a way. But Josh…when he said it, it was like my entire body was overcome with pleasure. It felt right because I was his. It was all I wanted. And everything I hadn’t been able to be until now.
My fingers dug into his shoulders, tearing at his shirt until it ripped open and I found his bare flesh. I raked my nails down his back, positive I was leaving marks, claiming him in my own way. I only wished the scratches would stay long enough for me to admire.
Damn super healing.
Josh growled, capturing my mouth with his as he ground his erection against my core. Cody wasn’t kidding when he’d said the man was hung. I could have sworn my face flushed bright red at the thought. And then another thought hit me, one that was like a blast of cold water to my raging libido.