Chapter 48

Elena

After the dramatic turn in the dining room, Rhoda gave us permission to take our dinner upstairs. She seemed almost pleased that Killian had taken out the man who was harassing me.

“I see chivalry is not dead,” she told me with a wink.

We ate in relative silence in the parlor room our of suite. Killian was ravenous, pointing out his previous lie about having no appetite. While I tried to focus on the delicious sustenance in front of me, my eyes kept falling to the folded blanket and pillow that sat on one end of the couch.

“Obviously,” Killian said as he saw my line of sight, “I can sleep out here.”

“If that’s what you want,” I said, at the moment not sure what I wanted.

I had never seen or expected Killian to stand up for me, in words or in actions. But between his threats against Jaxon and his assault on a man who was threatening me, I trusted that he was acting from the heart.

“I thought that’s what you would want,” he said, testing the waters. There was a hint of sadness in his voice.

“I want,” I said looking into his eyes. I was startled by how bright the brown irises seemed when his adrenaline was high. “I want to take a bath.”

So I filled the tub with hot water and some of the bath salts that I found in the cabinet. They were lavender-scented, explaining the aroma I smelled when I entered. There was a dissolving kind and a bubbling kind, and I chose both. It was my honeymoon after all.

As my muscles relaxed and the strain of the day of travel melted away, I closed my eyes and sank my head back on the rim of the tub. My thoughts wandered like the bubbles that floated upwards and popped in the steamy air of the bathroom.

Natalie’s face was lurking, sinister and snarky, as if she knew I was coming and was waiting for me. Alice, her mother, is sick in a hospital bed. Killian, his chest heaving as he stared down at the man he had brought to the floor. I shut my eyes tighter, hoping to wipe away their faces.

A new image appeared, a woman with white hair. At first I thought it was me, older, but the nose was slightly different. She looked kind, and without realizing I felt a yearning to go to her. She opened her mouth to speak…

There was a knock on the bathroom door. My eyes flew open, stinging as they adjusted to the light and the sudsy atmosphere.

“Elena?” Killian’s voice was apologetic and tired. “Sorry, but can I brush my teeth? I promise I won’t look.”

I hesitated, until I realized that the frothy bathwater hid my body from view.

“You can come in,” I called out.

He opened the door slowly, a hand over his eyes and he made the same realization I did. His face was a bit flushed as he saw my soapy vessel then quickly looked away and walked to the sink. He was shirtless, and my heart rate increased as I watched his muscular back move as he wet the bristles and squeezed out toothpaste.

He caught my eyes in the mirror over the sink, and there was a questioning smile in his eyes. I was mad at myself when I felt my cheeks blushing from more than just the heat.

He splashed water on his face when he was done brushing, and spoke to me again without turning to face me.

“The bath looks nice,” he said, making small talk.

“It is,” I said lamely.

An awkward silence.

“It’s funny,” he went on, “growing up I would hate when my mother would try to make me take a bath. I thought I could just dump a bucket of water over my head and call it a day. Now, I long for the days when I can afford to lose time and relax in a tub.”

“Mm…” I listened, my chin resting just above the water line. “I can’t say I had the same experience.”

“You never fought Alice when she made you take a bath?”

“She never let me take a bath,” I corrected him, hearing the pain of the memory in my voice.

“But, wasn’t there a hug tub in the family bathroom?” He turned to face me, keeping his eyes on my face though it seemed a challenge for him. “Natalie used to love bubble baths, she told me she had a basket of toys and would plan adventures of pirates queens.”

I scoffed. “Well, whenever Natalie was finished with her bath,” I told him honestly, “guess who had to clean it up? Me. And by the time I was done, Alice always said it was too late to draw another one. I could rinse in the outdoor shower or go to sleep dirty.”

His face dropped so quickly I thought he might harm his jaw. “Elena…”

“It’s fine, it’s in the past.”

“Is that true? I had no idea.”

“Well,” I said with a shrug, “it isn’t exactly a fun anecdote of childhood that I love to share. I became so used to their neglect, their disdain for the adopted child. I don’t know what they expected me to be, but I always knew I was a disappointment.”

“They treated you like a servant.”

“Yes, but luckily now I can till a garden and mend a broken fence and can cook a meal that would put a chef to shame.”

It sounded like I was boasting, but really I was proud of these things. I was hardened by those hardships, but they’d made me a stronger person. Until I married Killian and let myself become weak and useless again.

“Do you miss the gardens?” His voice was sweet when he asked.

“Sometimes, yes.”

“Well,” he said, a hand rustling the hair on the back of his head, “I know we have a team of groundskeepers, but I’ve always just let them do their own thing. Maybe they would benefit from having you as their overseer. Luna’s Garden.”

I was stunned by his thoughtful offer. “I’d like that.”

“I’d like to make you happy, Elena,” he said, pushing himself off the sink where he was leaning. “I know I haven’t always been the best husband or Mate, but I can only hope that I can make amends for my past mistakes.”

I nodded, realizing the heat I was feeling was coming from within me and not just the water that surrounded me. He wasn’t trying to be seductive, but his honesty and humility was making my cold heart melt.

“Don’t stay in too long,” he said with half a smile, “you don’t want to get too pruny.”

He left without another word, and I practically held my breath so I could hear his movements in the other rooms. I spent a few more minutes in the tub, but could no longer relax.

I lay down in bed but could hardly even close my eyes without seeing Killian’s bare torso, the drops of condensation that collected on his toned stomach as he took in the steamy bathroom.

I wanted him, and it scared me.

But such was the force of the bond between Fated Mates, a force I had been suppressing ever since I came back from my future death. Now though, in this suite far from home, I decided I didn’t need to fight against my instincts anymore. I could have what I wanted, as long as he wanted it too.

I didn’t even put on a robe to cover my silk nightgown as I tiptoed across the suite to the parlor room. The sound of the door opening jolted him awake, or maybe he hadn’t been sleeping either.

“Elena? Are you alright?” His eyes were huge, almost glowing in the dark.

“I was wondering, “ I said shyly, holding out a hand, “if you would come to bed with me.”

I had never seen that man move so fast. Before I knew it, his mouth was on mine and he was picking me up and carrying me to the bed.

I turned off my mind, and gave in to the desires of my body and soul.