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He watched the soap slide over her skin, felt a dark stirring within him that tasted not of evil, but of a far hotter temptation "Tell ht have been the sest heart"

He wasn’t sure he liked that "Tales about boys do not involve hearts"

"Oh?" She made a startled sound "I suppose not But you see, Micah was loved He was the youngest prince, and terribly spoiled"

"He couldn’t have been so spoiled" It was an instinctive response "He was a prince, after all He had duties"

"Ah, but he was a babe then," shesister So he was spoiled"

He tugged on her hair

"Stop that," she said, slapping at his hand "Youher to catch hiainst his "Turn around, Liliana" The ht, but they would make the perfect mouthfuls

Her hand dropped away and her voice, when it came, was a whisper "No It’s not safe You’re not safe"

Since he wanted to bite the gentle curve of her neck, stroke his hands below the water to fondle and squeeze, he couldn’t argue "Continue" It was a growl

"Micah," she said, a tre over her skin, "he was spoiled and petted, but he wasn’t cruel or ht’ve been He rescued so ave him his own little block of land where they could roaht and he found hi his thu the skin of her back "His e under his thumbs but Liliana pulled away before he could explore it "I thinkto wash off the soap "The queen?"

"The king called her his other half," she said after a taut pause "Is that not strange?"

He considered it He had always been alone, encased in stone No one could join with him Even were Liliana spread naked beneath hihs spread, his armor would lie between them "Yes" He scooped up some water, watched it smooth over her skin

"So," she continued, "the four heirs went to the Stone Circle, and they got their heads together and conferred about the best spell to use for the sue"

He oose bumps that rose up over her flesh "You’re cold We will finish the bath"

"Yes," Lilianaher head again, she squeezed the water out of her hair "You o"

He was the Lord of the Black Castle, could order her to stand wet and nude before him, but that would make her stiffen, and he wanted Liliana luscious and soft when he explored her "I," he said, brushing her earlobe with his lips as he spoke, "enjoyed your bath, Liliana"

Liliana let the shiver roll over her as the Guardian of the Abyss exited the roo to do with the cold, and everything to do with thedown to see her nipples beaded to shaer breasts plump with heat, she bit back a ht just have leaned back and allowed him to slide his hands down her front to explore her breasts the sa her nape, her scalp, her shoulders For the first ti and petting and caressing His fingers had been so strong, so assured But not hurtful In fact, she hadn’t felt the spray of razors or the sharp black tips of his gauntlets at all Pleasure, that was all she’d felt

Forbidden pleasure

He wasn’t for her, ht well slay her on the spot once he realized the truth of her lineage Trying not to allow that to matter, to be the stoic Liliana she’d been since the day her father burned the final drop of childish innocence out of her, she stepped out of the bath and used the towel to dry her hair, wipe her body Then she looked around

To realize she had no clothes

"I can’t believe it," sheit in tight before wrenching open the door "If you think - "

The rooue-tied

It was the dress on the bed The red, red dress

Walking forith disbelieving steps, she touched her fingers to the delicate, silky ers into her hands as sheer ashed over her She’d never had a dress so saturated with color, so very pretty Dull browns and grays, those hat suited her "nightmare of a face" Her father’s words, but in this he was right