Lilith fisted her free hand and tightened her grip on the sponge, scrubbing him there while he let out a low groan of satisfaction. Against her better judgment, she lifted her gaze, and immediately regretted it. His head was tilted back, neck exposed, Adam's apple visible and slick with water. It was maddeningly tempting, and she caught herself staring.
"Don't stop," he murmured, and she jolted, realizing her hand had stilled. Embarrassed, she cursed herself silently and shook off the intrusive thoughts. What the hell was wrong with her? She was getting distracted by him, the same man who kidnapped her. If she wasn't careful, she would end up with Stockholm syndrome before she even saw it coming.
Thankfully, the sponge was a shield. At least she didn't have to feel him directly. Still, the bath dragged on, with him barking out orders like a damn king. If he wasn't satisfied with one part, he would make her go over it again, draining her both mentally and physically.
After a horrific thirty minutes, he finally seemed satisfied. Without warning, he stood, and her eyes flew wide as she spun her head away just in time, refusing to look at what was hanging right in front of her.
She heard him move toward the shower. But instead of the sound of water, there was only silence. Her brows furrowed, and just as she was about to sneak a glance, his voice came low and dry, "Am I supposed to do this myself?"
Her heart skipped. Seriously?
"Ah! I am coming," she blurted, rising quickly and walking toward him, head down, sticking to her side like she was glued to a wall.
Once she reached him, she asked, "Please direct me to the shower," keeping her voice even.
He smirked, clearly amused, tempted to toy with her. "Here," he said, pointing to his left.
She risked a quick glance, only to find nothing there. Her face tightened. "It's not funny," she muttered, still bent awkwardly, already on edge from the whole ordeal.
"It's here," he said again, this time pointing to his right.
She followed the gesture and spotted the actual control. Finally! Moving toward it, she reached out to turn it on but her foot slipped. Her body pitched forward, but before she hit the ground, strong arms caught her and twisted her around, pinning her gently to the wall.
Breathless, her eyes dropped, wide with shock. She hadn't hit the floor. Thank god. That could have ended badly. But then she felt something hard firmly against pressing her stomach. Her breath hitched. She looked up and locked eyes with him.
"Did you do that just so I could hold you?" He whispered against her ear, voice deep, breath warm against her skin. Her body tensed as chills rushed down her spine, every nerve fully alert.
"You clearly saw me slip. I would never pull something that stupid," she snapped, trying to wriggle free, but his grip only tightened around her waist. Then he leaned in, closing the distance like he owned the space between them.
"Uh… can you move back a little? I can feel your…" Her voice faltered when her eyes locked with his. That look…it was intense, amused and it unsettled her. He was annoyingly attractive, and he damn well knew it. That arrogance? That confidence? It was all part of the package.
"Your what?" He murmured with a smug smile that made her want to slap it off his face. He was playing her, and it was working more than she wanted to admit.
"Please let me go," she said, her voice quieter, breath shaky. Their eyes stayed locked, tension thick between them.
"And what if I don't want to?" He said darkly and before she could react, he picked her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he pinned her to the wall.
Caught off guard, she clutched his shoulders for balance, heart hammering. "You said you wouldn't force yourself on me," she blurted, panic creeping in, convinced he was about to break that promise.
"Oh, I remember. But fuck, I want to tear that promise to pieces right now." His voice was husky, rough with restraint, and she froze. What was in those eyes? Lust? Need? Something more dangerous? Whatever it was, it was definitely affecting her, and she feared not in a positive way.
"Why?" The question slipped out before she could stop it. A stupid question. Or maybe not.
"That answer…" he said, lowering his head until their lips were barely apart, "can only come while I am inside you."
Heat crashed through her. She hated how her body reacted, how her eyes fell to his lips, wondering how they would feel, taste, burn.
But just as fast as he started, he let her go. Dropped her. He turned away like nothing had happened, reached out for the shower control, and turned on the shower himself.
Lilith stood frozen, mind spinning. What the hell just happened? Why did he stop? Not that she wanted it anyway, but who stops in the middle of something like that…just like that?
Was he playing some twisted game? Her gaze drifted to the maids, and their backs were turned against them like they had seen this kind of scene before. Maybe they were trained to ignore it. Maybe he made a habit of this. Bathroom fucks with the maids? It wouldn't be so surprising but the thought turned her stomach.
Disgust curled in her chest. Men like him had no morals, no limits, just power and ego. And she had almost fallen for that? For him?
She was losing it.
Escape. That was the plan. Not becoming another name on his fucked-and-forgotten list.
Snapping back to reality, she walked toward the maids and motioned for them to step outside and wait. Thankfully, once he was done, he dismissed everyone, including her, sparing her the task of drying and dressing him.
Still, that shift in his mood… that sudden coldness… it dazed her. But she shoved it aside. She had bigger things to worry about like getting the hell out of this place.