After a breathless moment, Roya began picking at the food, sampling bits and pieces.
“I can make something else . . .” My words dangled hoarsely.
“It is fine.” Her voice sounded so far away, her focus far off. “I think . . . my stomach has settled now that I’m away from . . . that place.” Her lips trembled a bit. “And off the boat.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know if I’d reach you in time.” The stone from earlier lodged itself against my windpipe, taking up residence there.
She nodded that time, a frown settling between her brows. Then she shook it off and reached a hand to cup my jaw.
I closed my eyes at her touch, swimming in the sensation I had missed so much.
“I didn’t think you even knew I was gone.”
I clasped a hand over hers and stared at her. “I knew it every single day.”
A puff of air left her, and she peeled her hand from under mine.
She started in on the morsels of food again, eating the grapes, layering the cheese and olives on the bread.
“Aren’t you hungry, Aris?”
I shook my head.
My only appetite right now—my hunger to take care of her—would be assuaged just by being this close to her again.
When she’d had her fill, I took the tray away then I picked her up.
I carried her through the main bedroom and into the bathroom where I spun the jets on in the shower. After the water rained down nice and hot, I turned to her.
She stiffened then shrank back.
“It’s okay. I’m not going to touch you like that,” I said gruffly. “I’m dirty and I imagine you want a shower too. I just want to get us both clean and make sure you don’t slip or anything, Roya.”
After she assented, I took my clothes off first.
I hated that my cock started getting hard, but there was nothing I could do about that. The stupid thing had a mind of its own.
Roya’s eyes dipped down then scanned back up, and I cupped my hands over myself.
“You can trust me. This particular part of my anatomy doesn’t always control me.”
An almost-smile appeared on her lips.
Cautiously, oh so carefully, I undressed her too. I tried not to blanch at the cuts and bruises. I unwrapped the gauze bandages and then ushered her beneath the warm spray from multiple heads.
“Is it too hot?” I murmured.
“N-n-n-o.” And her voice broke.
Shebroke.
Capturing her in my arms, I held on.
More tears dissolved, mixing with the water; whether they were hers or mine or both of ours, I couldn’t say.
After the wracking sobs eased, I washed her, gentle at all times. Never getting too close.
I cleaned up too, hurrying through my scrubbing so I could get her out of there. Get her somewhere she’d be more comfortable.
Once we exited the shower, I handed her two warmed towels and wrapped another around my hips. “I’ll give you some space.”
I retreated to the bedroom, softly shutting the door behind me. I’d just dried off and pulled on a pair of briefs when the noise of the bathroom door banging against the wall pulled me around.
With a towel tucked around her, Roya stomped straight for me.
Fire blazed from her onyx irises, lit from inside with an incendiary glow. She slapped at me, scratching and shouting garbled words. The almost lethargic shock she’d been in had been burned away by a seething rage, and I just stood there, taking it.
I welcomed her fury because I fucking deserved to take the full force of it and all the blame.
“You abandoned me! I am not going through that again!” Fiery anger coalesced in her snarl, and she beat her fists against my chest. “Six days ago, you just dumped me at the palace like an old discarded nothing! Like I didn’t matter at all!
“I didn’t ask you to rescue me!” she railed out.
The pain from the truth of her outburst hurt more than her strikes.
I let her smack my face and gouge her nails down my shoulders, her shouts reverberating.
“You were going to let me get married to that awful fat monster!” she screeched, voice shaking.
“I’m sorry, Roya,” I whispered bleakly.
“Sorry?” Shoving at me, she was magnificent in her wrath.
“I can only ask for your forgiveness. I won’t leave you again,” I swore in all earnestness, still keeping my hands at my sides. “I always had a way to find you. How do you think I located you all the way in Iran of all places?”
“How?” Her anger defusing, she stepped back, the towel threatening to unravel with each of her strident breaths.
Cautiously, I gathered her hands in mine.
Flipping her palms up, I drew my long fingers to the gold bangles. “These. I had Yas fit them with a tracking device. I knew I’d never be done with you. That’s why they’re locked.”
She let me close my fingers around hers, staring up at me with widened eyes.
“If you decide you don’t belong to me”—I gave a shake of my head—“belong with me, I’ll give you the key right now. You’ll be free. Just know that if you don’t accept the key now, I’m never letting you go again.”
“Aris,” she whispered, her irises shimmering with unshed tears.
“I’d envisioned showering you in gold. Covering your body in jewels, but that’s not what you want, is it.”
“No.”