Whispers of Love

AYA

Alexander’s hands firmly held my hips, spinning me around. His fingers gently tugged at the remnants of my clothes, stripping me bare. I was a mess, covered in blood—mine and others—it was hard to distinguish.

His gaze was on my back as I stepped into the inviting warmth of the bath. A soft sigh escaped my lips as the water caressed my skin. I was healed; I could feel it, but exhaustion had taken its toll.

As I prepared to sink into the water, I noticed Alexander was already undressed. He moved closer, taking my hand, his other hand on my back guiding me into the bath.

I slid into the tub, glancing up at him in surprise as he knelt beside it.

“Aren’t you joining me?” I asked.

He shook his head, scooping up water with his hands and gently pouring it over my bare shoulders.

“Alexander, you’re just as dirty, if not dirtier than I am,” I gently chided.

A hint of amusement played on his lips, but he shook his head again.

“After. I want you to be relaxed, clean, and safe first,” he murmured.

“Alex,” I whispered.

“Please, don’t, Aya,” his icy gaze met mine. “I need to make sure you’re okay. That you’re not hurt.”

His words were soft, filled with raw emotion. I didn’t need to read his emotions like he could mine to know how he felt.

I wanted to comfort him, to assure him that it wasn’t his fault. “I’m healed,” I reassured him. “I’m not hurt. I’m a vampire; I’m not that easily broken.”

A small smile played on his lips as he poured more water over me, the tub quickly turning a dark red.

“I’m aware.”

I leaned back, allowing him to drain the dirty water and refill the tub. He grabbed a washcloth and one of Anthony’s fragrant soaps, lathering it up.

He took my arm, gently lifting it out of the water, running the washcloth slowly up and down my skin.

“There was a moment I thought I had lost you,” he confessed. “And when I realized they had taken you, that they had stolen you from me, I was ready to burn the world down.”

“I heard you slaughtered the henchmen who had captured you,” I said, watching him move the washcloth across my shoulder.

“Fools,” he muttered. “I killed a lot of vampires.”

“I killed a human,” I admitted.

He arched a brow, his lip curling up, clearly unimpressed by my feat. I couldn’t help but smile back at him as he guided me forward to wash my back.

“He claimed to be part of the Shahalia family, that they adopted him,” I explained.

Alexander scoffed. “Of course, they would do that now—how better to create loyal slaves?”

I hummed in agreement, leaning back again. Alexander moved his hand slowly, dipping between my breasts. My breath hitched for a moment, the soft feel of his skin brushing against the underside of my breast.

I heard him whisper a curse. When my gaze met his, his eyes were a brilliant crimson. His fingers brushed against my nipple, and I found myself arching into his chest. My heart began to race. I could hear his as well—beating deep and slow in his chest.

He ran the washcloth over my breasts, moving in soft, slow circles—twisting and teasing my nipples with each pass. I found myself leaning back in the tub, my thighs pressed together, almost panting.

“Oh,” I gasped as his hand traveled down over my belly—in the same small circular movements.

“You’re so beautiful,” he muttered. He leaned in, pressing his lips against my forehead. “I could never resist you.”

His other hand slid into the water and parted my legs—which I hadn’t realized I was clenching together so tightly.

The amused smile was immediately lost as he lifted my leg and ran the washcloth against my skin.

“Alex,” I whimpered—his movements unnecessarily slow—washing the inside of my calf.

He shifted position, so he was facing me. His gaze held mine as he guided his washcloth up my leg, back into the water, and brushed it against my throbbing core. His crimson eyes were like molten lava, alight and burning into me.

As he gently ran the washcloth over my sensitive spot, his fingers lightly grazing the insides of my thighs, I couldn’t help but gasp. My heart pounded in sync with the throbbing sensation between my legs. My hands instinctively reached out of the water, gripping the edge of the tub as he teased me with the washcloth once more.

“I’m pretty sure this particular part of you doesn’t need cleaning,” he teased. “It’s self-cleaning, after all.”

His words were met with a low growl from me as the washcloth moved upward. Alexander’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

His hand landed on my knee, gently pushing my leg apart as he guided the washcloth back to my center. The wet fabric pressed against my sensitive spot, circling slowly. I moaned, letting my head fall back, my eyes closing as I subtly rolled my hips against his hand.

“No.” His voice, rough and commanding, cut through the mounting tension. I blinked at him, surprised. “Eyes on me,” he instructed.

Oh. My eyes locked onto his, and it felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the room. All I could feel was him. I could sense him manipulating my emotions, pushing his love, his desire, his raw lust toward me, filling me up.

My entire body was buzzing, and I wasn’t even sure if I was breathing anymore. His gaze, intense and fiery, held mine captive. He discarded the washcloth, now using only his fingers. I gasped, my nails digging into the side of the tub to keep myself from moving too much.

His thumb pressed down on my sensitive spot, making small circular movements. I was hyper-aware of every move he made—the hand gripping my knee, holding my leg open, the other slipping a finger deep inside me.

I broke our eye contact for a moment, glancing down to see his finger moving inside me.

A growl erupted from his chest, causing my gaze to snap back to his. As punishment, he curled his finger inside me, making me gasp. My grip on the bathtub tightened, causing the ceramic to crumble.

He increased the pressure on my sensitive spot, and I was floating, unable to focus on anything but the pleasure and his intense gaze. I was panting, my fangs heavy on my lip, my nipples tingling as they broke through the surface of the warm water.

“Cum,” he whispered, his command clear.

He held my gaze as I came undone on his hand, a soft moan escaping my lips. My thighs clamped together, trapping his hand.

He maintained the pressure on my sensitive spot, forcing me to maintain eye contact as I rode out the waves of pleasure. He leaned forward to press a kiss against the top of my knee, and I finally released his hand. A small smile played at the corners of his lips.

I let my head fall back against the tub, releasing the crumbled ceramic from my fingers. Alexander chuckled as the pieces fell to the floor. When he stood, I saw his arousal.

Damn. His thick erection curved upward toward his stomach as he stepped closer to me. When I tried to reach for him, he dodged my grasp, laughing.

I huffed in annoyance.

“Let’s get you all clean first,” he murmured, his hands gently pushing me back into the water. I curled up, allowing him to pour water over my hair before reaching for the shampoo.

His strong fingers massaging my scalp felt heavenly. His low voice telling me how he wanted to clean me, wrap me in a blanket, and hold me all day was lulling me into a peaceful state.

By the time he was satisfied with my cleanliness, the sky outside was beginning to lighten, warming the room. Alexander wrapped me in a towel and guided me across the hall to the room Anthony had left for us.

It was small, with most of the space occupied by a massive bed. I quickly pulled down the blackout curtains, plunging the room into darkness. I lit the bedside lamp and dropped my towel.

A small chest of drawers was tucked in one corner, and I hurried over to it. There wasn’t much inside—Anthony clearly didn’t spend much time in this cottage—but I found an old slip that would have been fashionable thirty years ago and slipped it on.

I was already snuggling into bed when I heard Alexander leave the bathroom, politely informing Anthony that the bathroom was now free. The door creaked open, and I turned to watch him enter, a towel wrapped snugly around his hips.

Water dripped from his dark hair onto his sculpted shoulders. He didn’t say a word as he dropped the towel and slid into bed beside me, switching off the light in one smooth motion. His large hands gripped my hips, pulling me against him.

“Why are you all dressed up?” he muttered, his firm warmth pressing against my back.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“Shouldn’t I be in a nightgown?” I teased.

“No,” he grumbled, his arm like a steel band around my waist, pulling me closer into his sturdy body. He nestled into me, his breath tickling the back of my ear.

“No, you should be bare. Always,” he clarified, just in case his intentions weren’t clear enough.

I chuckled quietly into the night, burrowing deeper into my blankets, enveloped by Alexander. Sleep claimed me in no time.