Lord of the Abyss - By Nalini Singh Page 0,28

it's said that Micah might have been the smallest, but he had the biggest 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," she murmured. "He had two older brothers and a doting sister. So he was spoiled."

He tugged on her hair.

"Stop that," she said, slapping at his hand. "You must listen to the tale as I tell it."

Allowing her to catch him, he made a rumbling sound at the feel of her skin against his. "Turn around, Liliana." The mounds of her breasts were slight, 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 tremor racing over her skin, "he was spoiled and petted, but he wasn't cruel or mean like other boys might've been. He rescued so many injured animals that the queen gave him his own little block of land where they could roam."

Something in his chest grew tight and he found himself curving his hands over her shoulders, rubbing his thumbs along the skin of her back. "His mother was kind."

He felt a ridge under his thumbs but Liliana pulled away before he could explore it. "I think my hair is done."

He coaxed her back by promising to 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 him, her body flushed and damp, her thighs 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 summoning. During the trek, it had become a shared challenge."

He massaged more lotion into her scalp, saw the goose bumps that rose up over her flesh. "You're cold. We will finish the bath."

"Yes," Liliana murmured. "I think that's a good idea." Dunking her head again, she squeezed the water out of her hair. "You must go."

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 room. Her reaction had nothing to do with the cold, and everything to do with the man who'd had his hands on her. Looking down to see her nipples beaded to shameless points, her meager breasts plump with heat, she bit back a moan.

A few more minutes and she might just have leaned back and allowed him to slide his hands down her front to explore her breasts the same way he'd been exploring her nape, her scalp, her shoulders. For the first time, she wanted rough male hands on her flesh, squeezing 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, might 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," she muttered, wrapping the towel around herself and tucking it in tight before wrenching open the door. "If you think - "

The room was empty.

But that wasn't what had her tongue-tied.

It was