Following his motions, I worked him more vigorously. Determined to not let him do it.

Not this time.

He tipped his head, waiting.

I shook my head in answer. But in that same moment a lightning streak burned through my spine sending my back curving forward until it almost bent in half. My knees shoving down into the bottom of the washbin. My wrists straining at the ropes as my body jerked in tiny tremors. Emerging from where the inside of my body gripped him and stroked along his length. Before bursting through me in white-hot heat.

My head fell back, and I was racked with the violence of my climax. Something I hadn't had in months.

He held me down against him, piercing deep as I reached my peak and then subsided from the dizzying heights.

Only then did I realize he'd entirely stopped moving.

"Damn you." I said angrily. Knowing he'd caught himself before sating his pleasure. Leaving me feeling strangely unfinished.

And even more like he won.

He proved, yet again, that he was strong.

Where I am weak. I'd come all over him. Slicking his length with my pleasure and my body collapsing atop his from my weakness.

But he's as unemotional inside me as he is outside.

I wanted to beat on his chest in frustration. But I couldn't.

So, I did the only thing I could. I opened my teeth and hooked as much of that smooth flesh as I could. Sinking my teeth in deep.

He groaned in his throat at the pain but only lifted one hand to hold my face against him.

As if offering me more.

When I felt the trickle of blood on my lip, I released him. Flushed and furious. "You're the most vile, loathsome, infuriating-"

"Yes. Yes." He said dismissively. Turning his head to look at something far off to the side.

As if bored of me now.

"You've cried all the same before." His tone indicted pure boredom.

I flailed in the water. Trying to gather off him but struggling to get on my knees with him wedged beneath me, inside me and me belly deep under water.

He caught my hips and held me there.

"In such a hurry to hop off now? Didn't seem in quite such a rush a moment ago." He taunted. Eagerly reminding me of my shame.

I growled in frustrated feminine fury. Only stopping when I realized I was in too precarious a position to get out on my own. I huffed in exhaustion.

"Finished?" He lifted a dark brow.

"Just leave!"

"I will. When I'm ready." He rose from the wash bin. Standing and letting the water pour off us. Lifting me with him and sliding out of me as he straightened. Scooping a hand under my ass while the other held my back.

When the water subsided to a slow drip, he took me from it to the bed where he tossed back the blanket.

"Are you going to untie me?"

He snorted. "So, you can bolt?"

Yes.

Absolutely.

"No."

He gave an amused snort. "Like hell you wouldn't. Do you think I've forgotten who you are...Baby Girl?"

He sneered the nickname.

"You're vile." He lifted me over his shoulder. Throwing back the coverlet he tossed me onto my side.

I yelped slightly. I tossed my weight forward to roll onto my feet, but he snatched me around my waist as he crawled into the bed.

"Always running from me, aren't you Fiere?" He purred against the back of my ear. Mirth in his tone. Nuzzling the tender area.

I was breathing raggedly. Chest heaving at how close I'd come to landing on my feet and making a run for it.

"Should I slide back in you? Fall asleep nestled in your heat. Imagine then how every man in the land would envy me."

"It is always about the envy, isn't it, Gray?" I sneered without looking back at him. Knowing he was still far too close. "You always have to be the best. The fastest. The strongest. The most feared."

He snickered behind me. "So determined to fight with me. Is being at peace next to me truly so terrifying?"

"It's impossible."

"Mmmhmm." Clear disbelief marked his voice.

"I don't understand the rules of this bizarre truce."

"Yes, you do."

"When does it end?'

"When you crawl out of my bed in the morning."

"What if it is you that crawls out?"

"It never is with you, Baby Girl. You're always on your feet. Like a cat trying to spring away from the jaws of the wolf." He clucked disapprovingly. "Though you should know better by now."

"Should I?"

"Why don't you just drag me back to your precious king?"

"And miss out on having you warm in my arms?"

I didn't respond. I don't know what to say.

"A man, especially a vicious one, is entitled to be greedy on occasion."

"Do you think the good king Liam would agree?"

"King Eternus is no longer Liam but his son Malachi now."

I blew a malcontented breath. Not much caring.

In my eyes they were one and the same.

"Do you know," He remarked. "I can still remember the first time I made love to you."

"Charming." I said dryly.

"You were so welcoming. Such a different woman. Before your heart iced over."

"And why did that happen again, Gray?"

"You didn't call me that, then."

"No, but I was always Baby Girl to you, wasn't I?"

"It was what your brother called you. And you hated it so much." He admitted to the taunting.

"You liked reminding me I was smaller than you."

"And slower. And weaker. You still are." He said gleefully as he plucked at the knots on the rope behind my back. Freeing my wrists which I quickly brought toward the front of myself. Happy to be able to grip some manner of weapon against him.

But he caught it flying over my hip and held it up so we could both see it. "Look how slender and delicate you are."

He turned my hand up toward the candlelight. As if inspecting the fine bones in my hand.

I tried to tug it away, but his hand curled around front and wound his fingers back through it. I lifted my side to pull the other arm from beneath me, but it jerked to a stop. I glanced down and quickly assessed why.

He tied me to him.

When I'd thought he was undoing the fabric wrap he'd merely undone one wrist and put some slack around the other. Binding it to him behind me.

So I can't get away.

Damn him!

His other arm swept under the crook of my waist to sweep around my stomach and scoop a breast in his palm. His legs folding up behind me to cradle me in the nook of his body. Allowing me to feel every inch of him against my back. He twisted the other hand which was locked with mine and dropped it over my stomach. Pinning his arms across my chest.

And outlining my whole body so I can't move.

He burrowed his face into the top of my shoulder. Pressing a soft kiss there. So tender that it made my emotions rise because of the cold mockery in it.

"I hate you, Jackson Gray."

"I love you too, Baby Girl." He said dryly. Before falling asleep. His deep breaths rolling over my skin and making fine hairs along my body dance.

I despised the man. But I knew better then to waste one of these nights.

My sleeping hours were few and far between.

Monsters are always coming for me.

There was almost no place safe to rest and when I did then Craven came for me.

But not when I'm with Gray.

I'd learned long ago that none of the other monsters could quite reach me when I was next to him. It was as if his very presence warded them off. It was the only time I had any peace, so I needed to take advantage of the moment and get some rest.

I closed my eyes and in minutes was lost to slumber.

As my breathing evened and I stilled, Gray leaned up over my shoulder. His hand slipping from mine so he could rub a curling tendril of red hair from my forehead to better inspect my profile.

His gaze flicking over the dark lashes resting on my cheeks. Highlighting the high bones. My lips red and relaxed as I slept. Their color every bit as vibrant as my hair. My throat was long and white. Highlighted by the feminine chords. Every part of my body wound with slender womanly muscles from fleeing and fighting to protect myself. My body exhausted from constantly being unguard.

I had no idea of Gray's careful inspection because I was lost to the dark peace of sleep.