20. Bath Time Is Fun Time

Chapter 20

Bath Time Is Fun Time

In a matter of minutes, I found myself standing beside the bathtub as Nylian filled it with steaming water and sweet-smelling oils. I came to my senses when he began pulling my clothes off. I smacked his hands away, which made the asshole laugh at me.

"What? I thought you would enjoy a bath," he said.

That sounded really nice. I was sticky and damp in places that were growing uncomfortable. But I thought we had more immediate problems.

"Shouldn't we be getting out of here?" I asked, even as I pulled my shirt over my head.

"It would be too suspicious if we attempted to leave the palace now. We don't have a good excuse to go outside. Or would you rather we fight our way out?"

I waved a dismissive hand and turned my back to him as I shoved off my pants, which earned me a huffed laugh. Yeah, my embarrassment was silly after what we'd shared twice now, but I was still trying to wrap my brain around that.

He was right, though. Leaving now was suspicious, and there was no way we could fight our way out. Sneaking out wasn't much better since we weren't familiar with the castle. We were stuck until we thought of something.

With a sigh, I sank into the hot water. The heat attacked tense muscles and ate away at the knot of emotions in the center of my chest. My eyes fell shut as the fear, confusion, and surprise bubbled up to mix with unexpected bits of happiness and even pride.

So…I was bi.

There was no arguing that the first time against the door had been a fluke, not that I'd planned to. I'd enjoyed it far too much to dare stick a toe in the river of denial. It was just so unexpected.

I'd thought I was straight.

Guess not.

Of course, my first experience with a man wasn't with some hot guy I'd stumbled across in a bar. Nope. He was an elf and a prince.

Could he be more unavailable?

Even though he claimed I was his—a statement that never failed to speed up my heart—was there any chance this could be more than a fling? I had to find a way home again, and he was a fucking prince . He probably had to marry a princess or at least another prince.

Oh, wait. I was a prince.

Could I be an option?

No. Even if I could, I had to go home.

I was out of my mind.

The water splashed, and my eyes popped open as Nylian climbed into the bathtub from the other end. My thoughts scattered to the wind as I watched his long, sleek body disappearing bit by bit into the water. Thankfully, my brain snapped on as he glided toward me.

I planted my foot in the center of his chest, stopping his progress. "What do you think you're doing?"

Nylian's smile grew, and those bright-green eyes sparkled like sunlight on water. "I was going to help you wash."

"I can wash fine on my own. You stay on your side. You're too much of a distraction."

"I think you need a distraction. Whatever you're contemplating is making you scowl." His fingers slipped around my foot and lifted it from his chest, but he didn't release it. His thumbs dug into the arch, massaging away tension. I clenched my teeth to hold in the moan of deep pleasure that tried to tumble out. My God, that was heaven. But every time he touched me felt like heaven.

"What were you thinking about?"

For a heartbeat, I considered saying "You," but we didn't have time to waste on my insecurities and fears. His one and only concern was finding his brother's killer. That had to be my priority as well. Anything else could wait.

"I was thinking about what Queen Sumina said," I lied. Nylian frowned, and I had a feeling he didn't believe me. He allowed me to reclaim my foot.

Sitting up higher in the water, I grabbed a delicate cake of soap and started washing. The elf's scowl shifted to the soap, and I sighed. "Am I not doing it right, or would you rather do it?"

"Yes," he snapped. He zoomed across the tub, causing the water to slosh over the side, and snatched the soap from my hand. With pokes and prods, he moved me so that I was sitting between his legs, his soapy hands moving over my back, shoulders, and arms.

"So needy," I teased.

He grunted, his hands massaging away dirt and tension. More than a minute of silence passed before he spoke, and even then, his voice was a rough whisper. "I never truly considered Lockeheim a likely threat. We've been on such good terms with them for centuries. Why would someone in the Lockeheim royal family do this?"

"How do you know Sumina isn't wrong?"

"She could be." His hands slid down my chest, and he leaned forward to rest his chin on my shoulder. Being wrapped up in his arms and legs was making it difficult to concentrate. It felt as though we should be murmuring tender secrets rather than discussing political intrigue and assassinations.

"What she said about poisons is true. Nearly every known poison is made in Lockeheim. While anyone can purchase most of them, there are some incredibly potent and lethal ones that only high-ranking military officials and members of the royal family can possess." He stopped and I could feel him shake his head. "I have someone trying to identify the poison found on my sword, but I haven't heard from him yet."

"While all might be well between your two kingdoms officially, there are always greedy people in the shadows who want more. I'd be willing to bet someone inside West Vale castle made a deal with someone in Lockeheim to get their hands on that poison. If you and Orian are eliminated, I'm sure a lot of new opportunities arise."

Nylian pressed a kiss to my shoulder. "There are times when I cannot fault your logic."

"I'm always logical."

That kiss turned into a bite. "Not even close, precious one."

There was that endearment again.

He'd first used it when we'd been putting on a show for the queen's helper while hiding in the closet. I'd shrugged it off as more padding for their performance, something to make it all seem more convincing. But to hear him say it with such a mix of tenderness and joy, it squeezed my heart and wouldn't let go. Had anyone else given me a nickname like that? I couldn't recall.

Now that he'd used it, I wanted to hear it over and over.

This was a slippery slope. This didn't feel like fun and games. So not a harmless fling. I wanted to stay in these arms and bask in his shameless grin. I wanted to be his person—his one and only—forever.

But how was that going to work? I didn't belong here. Was this place even real? Would it all disappear when we reached the end of the story? Would I be thrown into my old body?

I wanted to stay with Nylian. These arms were where I belonged. Everything I'd built in my world felt fleeting and temporary. Well, everything except for Georgie and Jack. Other than them, I had no family. My own readers had probably moved on at this point, found a better story to entertain them.

But here, I was needed . Nylian needed me. Not just to clear his name, but also his heart and soul needed me like I needed him.

"Have your things ready to go tomorrow morning," Nylian instructed, pulling me from my rambling thoughts.

"My things?"

He grunted and his hands resumed their course over my body, working their way lower. "I noticed a servant brought our belongings to the room. Make sure everything is there and packed. I have a few ideas about how we can escape."

"Will it require one of my special distractions?"

Nylian hummed. "Not at first, but probably eventually. Since it's just two against all the Ulmenor guards, sneaky will be best."

I turned my head toward him, trying to see him out of the corner of my eye. "Sorry I'm not more useful with a sword."

The elf pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Even if you were the best swordsman in all the world, I still don't think we'd have much of a chance. Plus, I've not had much chance to train you. When we get on the road, there will be more opportunities."

I nodded and faced forward again, losing myself to his touch. It was critical that I learn how to use this damn weapon I'd been carrying around for weeks. Without Adeline, I was the only one who could protect Nylian.

"Do you think Jasper and Adeline are doing okay?" I inquired.

A yelp escaped me as those wandering hands slipped between my legs. I snatched the soap away from him and darted out of his arms.

"I was being thorough," Nylian argued at my look.

"Uh-huh." I was not buying that bit of nonsense. Thorough or not, I couldn't have an intelligent conversation with him while his hands were on my cock. It had enjoyed more than enough exercise for one day, and we needed to make sure things were settled for our grand escape.

With the soap in my hands, I motioned for Nylian to swap places with me so I could soap up his arms and shoulders while we talked. This was not the best idea, since all that perfect pale skin was a hell of a distraction.

"And you're done trying to match me with Adeline?" Nylian asked, his voice full of caution.

"Oh my God, yes!" I moaned. "I'm sitting naked in a goddamn bathtub with you, soaping up your back. Do you seriously think I'd let you near anyone now—man or woman? I've never been good at sharing, Nylian. If you?—"

There was no chance to finish. Nylian spun in my arms and captured my mouth in a deep kiss, making me forget what we'd been talking about. The important thing was that there was no room for anyone else between us. Nylian was mine for as long as I could keep him.

Water splashed over the sides of the tub onto the tile floor, making an even bigger mess, but I didn't care. The servants would have to deal with that later. The soap disappeared and there was only Nylian's sleek, wet body sliding along mine while we kissed.

Minutes later, he lifted his head to grin at me while I lounged against the side of the bath. "Good. That is how it must stay."

I rolled my eyes. This elf was insane and was going to be the death of me. Or rather, the second death. The fucking magic coin had caused my first death.

"As to your question, I have faith that Adeline can keep Jasper safe. She's quite resourceful and quick-witted." Nylian lay on top of me and tapped the tip of my nose. "Unfortunately, I don't know where they are in the city, and we have no safe way of contacting them. We won't be able to take them with us when we leave."

"I figured as much. I just…worry…" I finished in a mumble. How was I supposed to explain that while we were on the road, Jasper had become like a brother to me? He was a good, smart kid who deserved better than he'd gotten when fate was handing out lives. His sister was doing the best she could, but they needed a helping hand here and there.

Thankfully, Nylian didn't require any additional explanation. He smiled and pressed a tender kiss to the corner of my mouth.

Of course, that kiss led to other kisses. And some groping.

And a great deal of water ending up outside of the tub.

I climbed out and dried off, but my legs were little better than overcooked noodles. I shuffled into the bedroom, searching for some undergarments to throw on before collapsing into bed.

Shit .

There was only one bed.

I finally understood why Georgie and Jack became a squealing mess when they were talking about a story and it was mentioned that… there was only one bed.

I mean, I got what they were implying. Two guys couldn't share a bed without something inevitably happening. Yeah, yeah. I had a dirty mind, too. Except until now, I'd been way too practical about it. Of course, two people could share a bed and have nothing happen between them.

But now I was living that "only one bed" scenario, and the other person was an elf whose libido just wouldn't stop. I was enjoying the attention, but I also wasn't ready for what would be the next step in our sexual exploration. My heart leaped into my throat, and it felt like my face was on fire.

A low, deep chuckle danced through the room, and Nylian patted my shoulder as he walked past me. "I'll behave myself so you can sleep." He tossed aside his towel and climbed under the blankets, completely naked.

Sure, he'd keep his hands to himself, but my brain was very aware that he was naked and so very close.

Shoving those thoughts aside, I walked over to the corner where my bag and sword were waiting for me. With trembling fingers, I dug through the contents of the pack, making sure everything was there. At the very bottom, I slipped two fingers into a secret compartment and pulled out the coin hidden there. I blocked Nylian's potential view with my body and released a silent sigh of relief to find that the coin with the raven and dragon on it was still in my possession. There was still a chance I could return home.

The only problem was that I didn't want to leave Nylian's side. At least, not until he was safe.

Yes, I'd get him home safe and his name cleared. Then…then I would have to figure out how this story ended.