Yet, a man she had known for only a matter of days had taken it upon himself to show up for her. It was unexpected. It was nice. It was more than nice. It made her light up inside. The only problem with that was the warning bell going off in her head, telling her that this wouldn’t last. He would let her down.
Katherine looked up at Lucian and searched his eyes for the inevitable sign of betrayal. All she found looking back at her was that all-encompassing darkness, its steadiness, and surety holding her firmly in his gaze. It was an unrelenting, demanding constant that she could trust.
Lucian was right. She needed to let someone in. She had kept herself guarded for so long to avoid the hurt that had threatened her throughout her life. She thought she was being smart by keeping her shields up, but all she was doing was paving the way for a life of loneliness. If she really was to be the strong and capable woman she was so desperate to prove herself to be, then she needed to be brave enough to take a risk.
Her heart pounded against her chest as she slowly entwined her hands around the back of his neck. She wet her lips and tip-toed up to place a slow kiss on his mouth. He kissed her back gently, letting her set the pace.
“Will you let me love you tonight?” Lucian asked, against her lips.
Katherine nodded, and let a small smile play against her lips, “yes.”
She quickly found herself lifted into his arms and nestled against his chest as he carried her across the vast room and up a set of floating stairs. It was unnecessary. She could’ve walked, but Katherine found she didn’t mind the gesture. She knew Lucian didn’t think any less of her for allowing it, and for tonight she had decided to give herself a break from constantly trying to be the person she thought she needed to be.
He swept into his master suite, the lights flicking on as if automatically as he strode past the huge bed and into the well-appointed bathroom. He gently set her down and kissed her firmly before silently lifting at the hem of her shirt. Her hands reached for his jacket and slid it off over his shoulders. There was no fight for dominance this time, each of them were equal players, eager in their need to remove any barriers that stood between them.
Lucian chuckled softly when his shirt sleeves caught on his cufflinks. Katherine let out a huff of frustration and his hands momentarily left her body to quickly unclasp the latch, dropping them and his shirt down onto the pile of clothes they were making on the floor. He knelt before her to slide her jeans down holding her hands for balance as she stepped out of them. Left in just her underwear, Lucian suddenly stepped away and ran his eyes down her body.
“Take them off for me,” Lucian commanded quietly as he watched her hungrily.
She turned her back to him and quickly unclasped her black lace bra, letting it fall to the ground, then shimmied as seductively as she could out of her matching panties. Covering her chest with her hands, she turned back to face him, sucking in a breath when she realised how close he now was. His hands covered hers and pulled them away, revealing her breasts to him. His eyes roamed over her naked body with a look of pure desire. His hand lazily waved towards the glass-enclosed shower, water pouring instantly from overhead. Katherine wondered what else he was capable of doing with just his mind.
As if he could tell what she was thinking, she felt a slight pinch on her nipples, making her let out a startled gasp. A knowing smirk lit up his face as he shucked out of the rest of his clothes and stood naked and confident in front of her. Katherine squeezed her legs together at the sight.
As steam slowly began to fill the room, her eyes raked over him while a deep and demanding need to claim him as her own thrummed in her veins. His body was lean, every muscle defined for her viewing pleasure, his skin was pale and smooth and his chest flexed under her hungry gaze. She wanted to press herself against him, to enjoy the way their skin would slide against each other. She swallowed hard when she allowed herself to look at his impressive length.
Yes, please.
Her eyes traced leisurely back up to his face and Katherine smiled when she saw his amused look.
“Am I not allowed to enjoy the view, Lord Nightingale?” She asked teasingly.
“You may, but I cannot be held accountable for my actions if you continue to look at me like that for much longer,” he replied, his expression turning serious, “in the shower, Miss. Daxton. Now.”
A shiver of anticipation gave her goosebumps as she turned and did as she was told. She wasn’t usually one to take orders, but as the hot spray began to caress her skin and she heard him enter the shower behind her, she had a feeling she was going to enjoy submitting to Lucian’s demands.
She closed her eyes and tilted her neck back, submerging her head under the water. Lucian’s fingers laced through her hair, massaging at the scalp, the luxurious scent of argan oil teased her nose and she moaned quietly as she allowed herself to relax. Her hands dropped to her sides and the tension left her body as he continued to care for her.
After lightly rubbing in another divinely scented product into the ends of her hair, his hands began to roam with the gentlest of touches. When his hands moved
