of the bazaar district with shops of all kinds, restaurants, and alehouses, too. The whorehouse next door proved convenient with its stable of men and women to please all types.
Not that he craved anything beyond their doors. The only woman he wanted was mere feet away.
Naked.
And wet.
He exhaled and braced his hands on the window. Port City was a chaotic mess, and he loved it. It was what he wanted Eden to become. Although, in many respects, he was already there. Meaning, if he could put a halt to the assassination and kidnapping attempts, he could enjoy the peace and prosperity.
Until someone wanted to take it.
He stripped off some of his superfluous gear, meaning he answered the knock at the door barefooted and bare-chested.
“Your supper, s—” The boy’s eyes widened, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Casey in a crouch with a knife in her hand. Dripping because she’d not bothered to wrap herself in a towel.
Fuck.
His mind caught the boy’s and wiped the image of her from it. Roark grabbed the tray from his hands and gave him a nudge. You served the guest and saw nothing.
The boy left, and Roark shut the door with a foot, doing his best not to stare at Casey. It was cruel, especially since he heard her padding closer.
“You shouldn’t have answered the door.”
“It’s our dinner.”
“Which someone else prepared.” Her naked body insinuated itself between him and the covered plates.
His willpower stretched especially when she leaned over and began lifting lids. Her wet hair streamed down her back, water beading on the fine line of her spine down to the crack of—
He averted his gaze. “You might want to put some clothes on.”
“I’m debating if I can return to my bath.”
“I’m not in danger.”
“Says you.” She poked the various dishes, sniffed them before saying, “You’re good.”
“As if you’d know.”
She gave him a dark-eyed stare. “I’d know.”
He got the pleasure of watching her naked ass saunter back to the bathing chamber. His appetite wasn’t for the food on the tray, so he sat and waited.
He heard water splash. The occasional sigh.
The lady did it on purpose. Was this her punishment for him? It was much crueler than what he’d done.
By the time she emerged, he’d taken care of business and didn’t care how randy it made him seem. The woman was driving him wild. And she’d yet to invite him back for more.
“Don’t tell me you waited,” she said, the towel tucked around her breasts, her hair swathed in another.
“I thought we could talk strategy over our meal.”
“That’s easy. We’re here to find out who’s putting out the bounties on your head.”
“And where are you going to start?” he asked, grabbing a piece of bread first. He slathered it with something greasy and salty. Delicious.
“Downstairs for starters. Places where people gather to drink are always good for information.”
“There are easily over a hundred taverns in the city. Will you hit them all?”
“A hundred.” She pursed her lips. “I only need the right tidbit.”
“And do you really think a citizen alehouse is where we’ll find it?” He arched a brow. “If we’re talking Enclave machinations, they won’t be revealing anything to the underlings.”
“They’d have to in order to hire them.”
He shook his head. “This is the city. Communication systems exist. There are hirelings whose sole purpose is to be the voice in the middle.”
“So we find the hireling and they tell us who they work for.”
“I’ve had agents working on that for a few weeks without success.”
“I get the feeling you’re leading me the long way to what we’re really here for.”
“Have you ever been to a ball?”
Her brow knit into a frown. “As in catching and hitting? Not since I was a kid.”
He laughed. “No. Not a ball as in sport. You know what, rather than explain, you’ll see tomorrow.”
“Why not tonight?”
“Because I’m tired.” And then, because he couldn’t help himself, “I know you are, too. Come to bed.”
For a moment, he saw her hesitate, her mouth open, and he was sure she would accept. Then her lips shut, and she shook her head. A pity. He’d hoped she’d be lying down and think the fatigue was normal.
Instead, she yawned on her feet and her eyelids drooped. When she swayed, it revived her enough to eye him and exclaim, “You drugged me.”
“Sorry.”
He truly was. But where he was going tonight, he had to go alone.
Chapter 19
Waking up in a bed wasn’t the worse thing. The pasty mouth, she could have done without.