He dipped in his hand and flicked several drops on her face. "A lot.”
“Excellent," she said with a grin. "Half of a lot will be very nice."
"Diabolical woman," he muttered. "Thinking of leaving me already when I came bearing a gift.”
“A gift?" She straightened, clapped excitedly. "For me? Really?"
"No, for my other pseudo-wife.”
“Let me see, let me see."
Grinning, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small black box. It couldn't be, she thought. Surely wasn't ... he flipped the lid, and her eyes widened in shock. Not a ring—she was not disappointed—but a ... she leaned closer. A necklace charm, she realized. An emerald, like the one she'd given Macy. Only bigger. And shinier.
"I noticed you returned hers," he said, no longer sounding as confident as he had before. "If you don't like it, I can—
"I love it. Give me!" She snatched the box before he could put it away and clutched it to her chest. It was the sweetest, most thoughtful present she'd ever received. Her chest was aching, and it had nothing to do with the thorns or the fire. "Thank you."
His gaze met hers, a gleam she couldn't read in his eyes. He coughed, clearing his throat as if he were uncomfortable. "You're, uh, welcome. I'll get you a chain for it. I just didn't have one handy.”
“Thank you for that in advance." She bit her bottom lip. "I don't have anything for you."
"Don't worry," he said, flicking a little more water on her face. Those amber eyes were practically sparkling with sensual intent now, whatever else had been resting there gone as if it had never been. "I'm sure I'll think of some way for you to repay my amazing generosity."
Her body instantly reacted, her stomach quivering, her blood heating. She was beginning to love his inflated ego and insatiable appetite. "Ah, yes. That wouldn't happen to involve my wifely duty in your bed, would it?"
He didn't whisk her from the tub and carry her to said bed or even slip into the tub with her, as she'd halfway expected. Rather, he tilted his head, his lips dipping into a frown. The desire in those magnificent amber eyes even died.
He pushed to his feet. "I have some things to do." His voice was flat, faraway. "You'll be fine on your own." O-kay. What had she said? "Sure you can't join me?" she found herself asking. She might have told him there'd be no sex while she was relaxing, but she hadn't meant it. Not really.
"I'm sure." He left her without another word.
Wifely duty, she'd said. Wifely duty.
Which meant, Devyn had a husbandly duty. According to his father, that duty involved respecting her body, mind, and soul. You don't follow your father's rules anymore.
For the moment, she was his wife, and he did want to do right by her. That had become clear when she had not used his last name while introducing herself to Dallas, as was custom for humans. Her cheeks had even darkened with color. She hadn't known how to introduce herself, hadn't known her place in his life, and had most likely been embarrassed by that. That embarrassment had shamed him, even though he didn't know her place in his life. He'd thought, She is my responsibility right now, and I have failed her.
He didn't want that proud woman embarrassed in front of anyone. Even himself.
He didn't know what to do with her. Didn't know what he felt about—or for—her. All he knew was that he didn't want her thinking she meant nothing. Every moment he spent in her presence, he liked her more. When they'd returned from her apartment, he'd spent an hour thinking of ways to make her smile and laugh. That's when he recalled the emerald charm he'd purchased after meeting her. He hadn't realized at the time, but he'd bought it because it had reminded him of her eyes.
He'd given it to her and gotten the reaction he'd craved. He'd thought to spend a few hours basking in that reaction. In bed, of course, naked and straining for release. Then ... Wifely duty. Husbandly duty.
Though she no longer showed any signs of it, her previous insecurity still haunted him. He had caused it, He had destroyed her delightful self-confidence. Before, he'd even made her cry—and he'd wanted to die! Had he not been so angry, he might have.
When he'd decided to ignore his guilt and shame all those years ago, he must have muted all his other emotions. No wonder female tears hadn't bothered him. No wonder he could kill so easily.
Now that Bride was in his life, now that he had another wife, the guilt was returning, so his other emotions must be making themselves known, as well.
Damn this. He had to give Bride something to prove he wasn't the barbarian she assumed. It was his husbandly duty. And he knew of only one way to show her that he did respect her, he did value her, and he would care for her properly while they were together.
Devyn stripped and jumped into the pool in his backyard. He swam lap after lap, not stopping until he was panting, sweating even though the water was cold. To respect a female, a male did not press his baser urges on her. He did not press his baser urges on anyone.
"I'm telling you, Macy, after that bubble bath, everything changed between us, and by the end of the week, what I knew would happen, happened," Bride said into the phone. Devyn was gone, again, doing God knew what.
"What's that?" her friend asked.
"Devyn's grown tired of me." She tried to keep the pout from her voice. They hadn't slept in the same bed. Not once. She slept in his room, and he crashed in the bedroom next door. "He feeds me once a day, but that's it. That's the only time he touches me."
She'd tiptoed inside his chosen chamber that first night, meaning to slide in beside him and have a little fun. He'd been hard as a rock, yet he'd picked her up and carried her back. And he hadn't stayed with her! He'd immediately stomped back to the other room.
"Oh, Bride. I'm sorry. Is he seeing someone else?"
"I don't think so. I mean, he's churlish, like he's not getting any at all. Even from himself, if you know what I mean." She flung herself on the mattress, the beads on her harem costume clinking together. She, Devyn, and Dallas were due to attend the slave auction in just a few hours, something she was both nervous and excited about. Finally, she would meet another vampire. "Plus, he's not the kind to cheat. Yeah, he's a slut, but he's also brutally honest."
"What are you going to do?"
"I've offered to leave. Several times. He just hands me wads of cash and tells me to buy something pretty."
"Do you?" her friend asked with a laugh.
"I horde it, of course. But that's not all he's done. He even bought me a bowl of apples and cherries because I mentioned I liked their smell. I don't understand him!"