It smacked soundly into something solid on the other side, jarring her. She put her shoulder into it, forcing it open, only to see Solarius stumble backward.
“Fuck.” He winced and grabbed his shoulder, the towel he held falling to the ground in a heap of white, like snow.
Narissa couldn’t help but stare at the ridiculously gorgeous male standing before her, fully nude. He was more perfect than she remembered. Perfect chest. Perfect abdomen. Perfect…
Her gaze dipped to his waist, then a bit further, and she yelped.
“Sweet shores, I amsosorry. I didn’t mean to—” She covered her eyes with her hands, whipping around to grant him some privacy, and slammed right into the door.
“Ow!” she cried, clutching the side of her head where pain ricocheted through her temple. The ache spread to the back of her neck, and she whimpered.
“Shit.” Solarius muttered, his hand coming to the small of her back. “Are you okay?”
“I…I think so.” Narissa lightly rubbed her head, hoping a bruise wouldn’t form. She looked bad enough already. “Tides below, that hurt.”
She twisted to face him, suddenly remembering he’d been injured by the door as well. “Wait, areyouokay?”
He’d wrapped the white towel around his waist, knotting it just below his navel, where tiny beads of water sluiced down his deliciously carved hips. She couldn’t decide if she was relieved or disappointed. Either way, she was once again rewarded with a rather splendid view of his tempting body. Her gaze trailed overevery inch of his flesh, noting the constellation tattoo resembling a trident across his heart, and the moon phases marking his right arm, stopping just above his elbow.
Solarius shoved his damp hair from his face, and the corner of his mouth lifted. “I’ll survive.”
Well, that made one of them.
Narissa swallowed, blaming the rise of heat in her cheeks on the blanket of steam engulfing her, because the flush of her body had absolutely nothing to do with the male standing in front of her.
She turned a bit, careful to avoid the door. “I’ll just?—”
“No, it’s fine.” Solarius attempted to step past her, and they both moved to the same side. “I’m done, you should…”
Narissa pivoted and he matched her, each of them carefully trying to avoid the other while mimicking one another’s movements.
Solarius grinned, then captured her by the waist with both hands.
She grabbed his wrists, and a gasp slipped between her lips when he lifted her off the ground. In one fluid motion, he spun her around, switching their places—so she stood within the bathing suite and he was by the door.
“Thank you for the dance.” He smirked, the silver of his eyes flashing with mirth, then closed the door soundly behind him.
Narissa waited exactly five seconds before collapsing against it.
She could still feel the warmth from his hands burning through the silk of her robe. Now, she somehow had to shower without imagining those same exceedingly capable hands roving all over her body.
A huff of annoyance escaped her.
Her intent was laughable.
Narissa would never be able to ignore the feel of his touch, just as she knew the image of him fully nude would be at the forefront of her mind for the remainder of the day.
Perhaps even longer.
CHAPTER SIX
Solarius dressed, grateful he’d had the foresight to request fresh clothing well after Narissa had finally fallen asleep. He tucked in his navy silk shirt and smoothed the pleats of his smoky gray pants. Even though he went through the same motions he did every day—lacing his boots, rolling his cuffs, adjusting the collar—his mind was racing.
He could not stop thinking about the fact that Narissa was in the bathing suite, merely one door away, and that she was completely naked.
The faint hint of floral soap wafted from under the door, which meant she was probably lathered in sudsy bubbles, all silky and slippery. And thanks to the fact that he’d helped her undress last night, he knewexactlywhat she looked like beneath all those layers of silk and chiffon. Skin that looked as though it had been kissed by the sun, a slender waist and full hips, breasts that would undoubtedly fit perfectly into each of his hands, and the jewels piercing her navel had been the icing on the cake. It had taken every last shred of his willpower not to trail a finger from the hollow of her neck to those flimsy little panties and rip them right off her.
But he was a lord of Starstorm blood, born of righteousness and chivalry, and so he’d politely kept his hands to himself.
