Chapter Twenty-Five

“One hundred fifty-seven years worth of lust,” I whispered.

“What”s that?” Shale murmured sleepily.

“Nothing,” I said. “I”m just impressed.”

He chuckled and pulled me closer. I snuggled against his chest, happier and more content than I”d been in years.

“Are you tired?” Shale asked.

“Yes, but not nearly as much as I should be.” I chuckled against his skin. “You revive me. Or maybe inspire me.”

“Good. I”ll need you again in a few hours.”

“A few hours?” I lifted my head. “The sun is rising. We”ve been fucking all night.”

“I did warn you.”

“Yeah, you did.” I grinned against his skin. “But I will need some sleep. And maybe a shower.”

“Very well. I need you to keep up your strength.” He waved his hand.

A ribbon of water circled the room, dragging curtains over the archways. The curtains were thick enough to stay in place despite the wind and dark enough to block out the light.

I sighed and rolled onto my back. “Thank you. That”s perfect.”

Shale pulled me back onto his chest. “You”re welcome.”

“I sleep better on my back,” I said.

He grunted and grudgingly released me. But once I was settled, Shale turned onto his side and flung his arm across my waist. With his head on the pillow beside mine and his front pressed against my back, the Dragon King went to sleep. I smiled to myself before I closed my eyes and did the same.

I dreamed of fire and water. They both rushed through me. And there was roaring coming from inside me. Something clawed at my chest. It didn”t want out, it wanted more. It was incomplete. We were incomplete. It left me aching, longing for fulfillment.

I came awake with that ache still plaguing me, my hand going to my chest.

Shale was asleep beside me, looking peaceful. He was still on his side, his arm cradled in the curve of my waist and his hand pressed against my chest. That had to be the source of my dream. The weight and heat of him caused it. But damn was it strange. And that feeling dogged me. That ache. I”d been so happy before I went to sleep. Why was I feeling like this now?

I slid out from under Shale, then rubbed at my chest as I sat up. The royal bedchamber, if you could call it that, was incredible. But I would have liked an adjoining bathroom. As it was, I had to stumble down a flight of stairs to use the bathroom on the floor below. And I had to put on my pants to do it because there was a Dragon knight on duty down there.

“Fucking stairs,” I muttered as I flopped downward. “Hey, how ya doing?” I muttered to the knight as I passed him.

“Good morning, Master Sebastian.”

I blinked and looked back at him in shock, but he was facing out, toward the stairs. The only knight who”d ever spoken to me had been Gunrel, and it had taken him forever to use my name, much less my title.

“I guess fucking the King gains me some respect,” I muttered after I closed the bathroom door.

Once I had seen to my bladder, I started to leave the bathroom. But then I saw the bathtub.

An enormous gold basin stood beside the window so the King could bathe with a view of his city. The tub was so deep, there were marble steps beside it, leading up to the rim.

“Fuck yeah.” I changed direction.

With amazing water pressure, the King”s bathtub filled fast. I was soon submerged in hot, fragrant water, my arms stretched along the tub rim and my stare on the city. What a life. And it would be mine for a little while. How amazing was that? I was going to soak it up—the hot water, the food, the clothes, the King. I”d enjoy it fully while I could. Sure, it was looking more and more like my heart would pay the price later. But that was later.

I languished in the hot water for a bit, then grabbed a cloth and soaped up. I was working on my toes when the King stormed in. As soon as he saw me, his tense body relaxed.

“Good morning,” I said. “Sorry, I couldn”t resist. I”m a bit achy after last night. And dirty.”

“Of course. Feel free to use anything you need,” he said and strode past the tub as if his intention had always been to head to the toilet room.

I smirked after Shale shut the door. I knew that expression. He thought I”d left. He was about to lose his shit. But then he saw me and that calmed him. Calmed him. I called that progress.

Humming to myself, I finished my feet. I was shaking them in the water to rinse them when the King emerged from the toilet room. He was naked, divine, and erect. But he acted unaffected, climbing the steps as if there wasn”t a huge penis bobbing before him, right at the level of my face.

Not that I”m complaining.

Shale climbed into the tub and sighed.

I chuckled. “I”m glad I”m not the only one achy after last night.”

“It”s been a while since I”ve moved my body in those ways. My muscles need time to adjust.”

“Good,” I said with a grin. “Because my muscles need time to recover.”

His eyes popped open. “Are you injured? Did I hurt you?”

“No, I”m good. I just need to soak awhile. Why? Were you thinking we”d have sex in the bath?”

“Did you not see my erection?”

“Oh, I saw it. It was kinda hard to miss, what with you sticking it in my face. I almost gave it a kiss.”

He huffed a laugh. “I did not stick it in your face.”

“Maybe you didn”t intend to stick it in my face, but it got stuck there. I looked it in the eye. Man to dick.” I waved my hand back and forth as if it were in front of me again. “And it won.”

Shale burst out laughing. I grinned at him until his laughter subsided. And then my belly rumbled.

“Very well,” he said. “Bath, breakfast, then back to bed.”

“I can work with that.” I paused, then asked, “What about the garden?”

“The garden looks better than it has in years. It can wait. I cannot.”

My grin returned. “All right then. Bath, breakfast, then bed.”

“And by bath, I mean you will bathe me,” Shale added.

I lifted my brows. He lifted his in challenge.

I snorted. “As my King commands.”

Then I fetched the cloth, got it soapy, and said, “Give me your foot.”

“My foot?”

“Yeah, I”m starting from the bottom and working my way up.”

A rumble came from the King. If he”d been a cat, I would have called it a purr. Then his leg lifted out of the water, the royal foot presenting itself for washing. I took it, propped his ankle on my knee, and started scrubbing.

“That feels good,” Shale murmured.

“Don”t get used to this,” I warned him. “This isn”t happening every time we bathe.”

He cracked open an eye to glare at me.

“I”m serious,” I said.

He opened the other eye.

“Fine,” I muttered.

As he closed his eyes—smugly—I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Don”t stick your tongue out at me, Sebastian.”

“I didn”t.”

“I saw you.”

“No, you didn”t. Your eyes were closed.”

“I sensed your tongue.”

I snorted and pushed his foot into the water. “Other foot.”

He lifted his other foot onto my knee. “You”re such a child.”

“And you”re fucking me. So what does that make you?”

Shale laughed. “You are childish, not literally a child.”

“Good distinction.”

He dropped his foot, then spread his legs. “I believe you said you were working upward.”

“Are you this demanding with all your lovers?”

Shale lifted a brow.

“Sorry.” I winced. “I meant before. You know.”

“You mistake my expression. I”m trying to remind you of the request you made.”

I blinked. “Oh! Dominating. Yeah, I like that. But this isn”t dominating.” I waved at him. “This is just being a royal prick.”

Shale burst out laughing, tossing his head back over the rim of the tub. And how glorious that was. My body came alive with the sight. His smile changed him from a king of the night to a god of the day. It spread across his face like sunshine, warming and awakening, turning his paleness into brightness. The water droplets on his chest became diamonds, set there to enhance the god”s beauty, and his sprawl was that of a conqueror awaiting his war prize.

I was dumbstruck.

Usually, after I have a man, they lose some of their appeal for me. The newness wears off. The mystery. They become normal, someone attainable because I attained them. Not that I”m a bed-then-fled kind of guy. I don”t discard lovers after I get them. I”m not that guy. They simply lose a bit of their shine.

Shaleros got shinier.

He had been right to warn me. I knew it even as he spoke the words. But now I felt it. Love had sunk its claws into me during the night. I felt physically different, not just mentally. I was a changed man. No explanation for it other than love. It was here. Not that I hadn”t loved before. But it had never felt like this. I knew I would do anything for him. Fuck, I had just washed his fucking feet!

“My apologies,” the King finally said. “I was trying to be what you needed, since you are exactly what I need, Sebastian.”

Oh, yeah, there it went. My heart flew out of my chest and into his keeping even though it knew Shale didn”t want it. He wouldn”t even know he had it. I had to make sure of that or he”d discard me even faster.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “That”s very considerate of you.”

“But it”s not what you wanted.”

“Not like that.” I grimaced. “How about you forget about what I said and just be yourself with me? I mean your real self. Not the Dragon King, not the lover you think I want, just you.”

Shale”s arms slid into the tub and his expression went serious. “What if I don”t know who that is?”

“You don”t have to know. Just be. Just feel what you feel and let yourself react to it. Don”t think things through or put on a show for me. Relax and be with me. That”s all I want.”

Shale let out a long sigh. “That”s all I want too.” Then he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me across the tub to straddle his lap. “That and you riding my cock.”

I grinned and pushed off his lap. “Nope. Not happening in here.”

“What?” The Dragon King frowned at me. “Why not?”

“Fucking in water is a tricky business. It”s not a good lubricant. And water gets up there. Then it comes out.” I widened my eyes at him. “We”d do better to keep that out of the bath. Now, the shower, that”s fine. But not the tub.”

Shale blinked. Comprehension dawned. “Ah, I see. What if we drain some of the water and you bend over?”

I grabbed the bar of soap and plunged it underwater. As I stroked his thigh with it, working my way to his center, I said, “What if I continue washing you, and I make sure you”re especially clean here?” I came to his cock and drew the soap along it with one hand while holding it still with the other.

Shale”s head fell back with a groan. Then he lifted it, set a lusty stare on me, and said, “I like that plan. Proceed.”

Grinning, I proceeded.