Garden of May

Chapter 53

Where light seeps in, there’s a problem. It means the rain’s getting through.”

“So that’s what you’ve been looking for.” It wasn’t a question, but an observation. Vanessa followed River Ross’s gaze across the ceiling. She pointed out the few places where faint light filtered in, and he meticulously patched and nailed boards over them. After a thorough inspection, Vanessa turned in the dimness. “I think that’s all of them.”

“We’ll know for sure when it rains, but for now…”

“Isn’t it dangerous? What if it collapses?”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Come inside the castle. You could share the servants’ quarters.”

“I don’t much like being around people.” Though the darkness obscured his expression, his unwavering resolve was clear. Vanessa worried her lip before composing her features. The building was dilapidated, yes, but not on the verge of collapse. It had held up well enough for years, despite being abandoned.

“Can I open the window now?”

“Go ahead.”

She pulled back the curtains and opened the window, letting the sultry air rush into the stuffy room. Vanessa gulped the fresh air. Even though the days were getting hotter, it was a relief from the stagnant heat trapped inside. She turned, letting the breeze dry the sweat from her hair.

And then she saw it. The sudden appearance of his bare chest. Well, not exactly sudden, but unexpected enough to feel that way. River Ross had shed his bothersome shirt, his upper body slick with perspiration.

Her gaze was captivated, unable to look away. Not that there was anywhere else to look. The hallway was crammed with belongings, and the bedroom, barely large enough for the bed, would be crowded with two people. It hadn’t been designed for living, and they were already so close…

Her thoughts became excuses. His muscular torso resembled the famous Notos sculpture. Just looking at him made her thirsty.

“Can I touch you?” Unconsciously, her hand reached out, only to be caught at the wrist. His hand was large and firm. A man’s hand.

“After I wash up.” He raised an eyebrow, as if surprised, but his answer was casual, like it was no big deal.

“Now. Like this.” A faint heat colored Vanessa’s insistent voice. She’d never seen a man’s body like this before. The last time they’d embraced, she’d been too distraught, and he hadn’t been completely undressed.

Thinking about it, she felt a little cheated. At her insistence, River Ross cupped her cheek in his warm hand. His green eyes, catching a sliver of sunlight, gleamed.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. Now lie down. Here.” She pushed him with a touch of force, and he obligingly collapsed onto the bed, more of a practiced fall than a genuine push. Propped up on his elbows, he looked like an ancient god, a himation-clad deity casually accepting the breath offered by a priestess.

Vanessa straddled his taut abdomen. His Adam’s apple bobbed. She watched it for a moment before remembering her purpose and taking in his upper body.

Everything about him was different, wondrous. His broad shoulders, thick neck, the long muscles sculpted as if meticulously carved, the veins tracing their path, the strong, almost straight bones.

She placed her hand on his chest, rising and falling with his breath. Everything she touched was hot and smooth. His body seemed forged from bronze, freshly drawn from a furnace, hard and supple, pulsing with a life breathed into it by the gods.

His narrow waist flowed into a tightly defined abdomen. Like this, a little more, just a little lower…

“Vanessa.” His voice, deep and low, stopped her hand as it explored lower. His breath hitched. Only then did Vanessa notice the heat in River Ross’s eyes, and the desire that had been stirring within her.