“Finally, some good news.” Fallon held the vial up to the light. “It’s quite pretty.”
“I know, right!”
“Michaela,” Lu interrupted, reaching for my hand. “If you’ll join me.”
“Uh, okay. Fallon, we’ll fill you in on the rest later.”
“But what about the Raven’s Hand? Lucius, where are your brothers?”
“Later,” was all Lu said as he dragged me back toward the king’s room, ignoring his sister's questions. Fallon shook her head and went back to preparing the night’s meal.
Standing in front of the door, Lu placed his hand on the knob. “Close your eyes.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Okay.” Blindly, I let him lead me into the room. I could hear the crackling fireplace warming the space. The butterflies from earlier in the forest were back and swarming in my belly. Lu’s thumb caressed the back of my hand as I stood anxiously awaiting his surprise.
“Go ahead, open your eyes.”
The room was filled with flickering candles, casting a romantic glow over the space. The bedding had been turned down for the evening, beckoning me into its warm embrace. He was trying to romance me, and it was working.
“Aww, Lu, this looks beautiful.”
Pulling me in front of him to face the fire, Lucius wrapped his arms around my waist, nuzzling into the back of my neck.
“I thought maybe”—he kissed that soft spot below my ear—“we could further explore what we started in the woods?” Lu’s lips continued to roam my neck.
My nerves were fighting with my libido. Before I could stop myself, I giggled awkwardly, failing miserably to mask my nervousness. I wanted this, but I had no idea what I was doing.
“Lu, I…” I hesitated, spinning around to face him. I’d been waiting for this moment, and here I was, fucking it up.
“Do you still want this?” he asked.
“Yes!” I said, a little too excited. “I mean yes, I do. But I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t nervous.”
“And that is why we are going to take our time.”
He tilted my chin toward him and claimed my lips in a gentle kiss, his tongue stealing a taste before pulling away.
“There’s no need to be nervous, Dove.” Lu tugged at my belt, releasing the buckle and letting it drop to the floor with a thud. “I’m going to take care of you.”
I couldn’t believe this was really happening. He pulled off his shirt in one fluid motion. My God, his chest was chiseled perfection—artfully adorned with large, sprawling tattoos. I’dalways been attracted to Lu, but I’d never allowed myself to really look at his body. At least not in a lascivious way. My eyes trailed down his abs, lingering on the V dipping below his pants.
His belt was next to go, joining mine on the floor. Lu reached for my trembling hand, placing it on his pounding heart.
“This beats for you. My body, my soul… my beast, is yours.”
Slowly tracing my fingers over the hard planes of his body, I explored his muscular frame. Musky, vanilla heat radiated off his skin, intoxicating my senses.
Lu turned me around. Tugging at my laces, row by row he untied the corseting, allowing my dress to slip from my shoulders.
I gripped the fabric to my breasts as I turned back around, afraid to bare myself to his gaze. Lucius was a perfect specimen. I was a skinny, sickly girl with virtually no curves. My breasts were small. What if he didn’t like my body?
Lu placed his hand on mine. “May I?”
I nodded, unable to say the words, and allowed him to slip the dress to my waist, where he paused for a moment before pushing it over my hips and to the floor.
His eyes were glued to my naked body. I fidgeted under his gaze, unsure what to do with my arms. At my sides? Covering myself? Heat crept up my neck as I shifted my weight, wishing for anything to hide behind—until his jaw went slack.
“You’re more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.”
