It was drying into my hair, making me feel crusty all over. Not to mention it smelled horrendous, like a mixture between rotting fruit and spoiled meat.
I gripped the edge of my shirt, about to lift it up when Sebastian placed his hand on mine and stopped me, shaking his head.
“For the love of everything holy, female. Let me do the heavy lifting.”
I remembered when he said that exact phrase earlier, and the fact that this male wanted to keep me safe in any and all ways—even risking his own life to ensure that—had my heart softening.
It was hard to pretend like I was more focused on getting out of here than being close to Sebastian.
Because with each passing moment all I wanted was to throw myself into his arms, especially when he showed me this devoted side.
“Heavy lifting, huh?”
He scowled at me, and gods did that make my heart beat a little bit faster.
He exhaled harshly and walked toward the pool of water. It was maybe fifteen feet across on all sides and looked like a damn oasis. The water was crystal clear and blue, and I could see the rocky ground below.
The fact that it wasn’t very deep was also a plus, which made me feel a little bit better that there probably weren’t any strange-ass creatures slithering around down there.
I was busy staring at the water and listening to it splash into the basin from the waterfall when I heard the sound of clothes rustling beside me. I glanced over just as Sebastian peeled off his shirt and dropped it to the ground beside him.
My eyes widened as I took in all that tanned, hard male vampire flesh that was revealed. And my body instantly reacted.
I clenched my thighs together when I watched his hands go to the button of his pants. I held my breath when I heard the zipper being pulled down. And I swore my heart palpitated when he pushed down his jeans and his hard ass and muscular thighs were revealed.
And then there he was, standing completely naked just feet before me, so much power in his body that I felt so dainty and breakable in comparison.
Where I was pale and freckled all over, he was all olive-toned skin ripped with power. And gods, the vampire was covered in tattoos, shapes and designs, lines and artwork that was permanently etched into his skin and hidden beneath his clothing.
He lifted his arm and ran his hand through his hair, mussing the short black strands until they stood on end, which I realized was because, despite the fact he didn’t have clothes on, he still had that creature’s goo all over him.
Same as me.
But my brain once again got its wires crossed as I stared at his bicep and how it bunched and flexed, how big it got from just that small motion.
“Ada,” he growled and I felt the vibrations in his voice all the way from a distance.
My spine snapped and I glanced up from his bulging, too attractive bicep to his face, only to see him already staring at me.
His eyes flashed red, and he turned to face me fully, showing off all that rippling, defined male power and a massively hard—
“Come here and get a better look, Ada,” he all but taunted in that deep, harsh voice that turned my insides to liquid.
I realized very quickly I was a lush for anything that had to do with Sebastian.
The sight of him hit me in all the right places.
His touch started this fire in my body that I knew only he’d be able to tame.
The way he looked at me was like I was the air in his lungs, the blood in his veins… the very thing that gave him sanity.
I wanted to be selfish and ignore everything else around us. I wanted to just strip naked, present my primed, ready body to him, and let all that dark and delicious deviance I felt pouring off him corrupt me.
Gods, I want him to corrupt me.
I could play off what I felt for Sebastian as nothing more than the connection mates had between each other, that we had this undeniable bond that pulled us together. It was only fate, destiny, whatever you wanted to call it, making sure we were ultimately attracted to each other because we were meant to be in the other’s life.
But it was something more. Yes, the attraction was undeniable and all-consuming, but there were things about Sebastian that enticed me and had nothing to do with sexual attraction.
He was intelligent and witty. And his snarkiness matched mine. We butted heads and had this love-to-hate vibe going on.
I got under his skin, but it seemed to attract him even more, and in turn that aroused me.
We were so different, and it was clear that we were opposite ends of a magnet, meant to be pulled closer together until we were one.