Forced into Fantasy
Chapter 9 - Confusion

Adomis;

She doesn’t seem to notice me at first as she goes about with slowly washing every inch of that voluptuous body of hers.

I can do nothing but stand and watch as her hand moves along her left arm, up over her shoulder and then across each of her delectable breasts.

I don’t need to check myself to know that I am rock hard beneath my training gear and armour.

I feel about ready to burst.

That’s when she finally sights me and gasps loudly.

“Holy shit!”

I hear her curse as she quickly moves both of her arms across to cover her breasts from my sight, though they barely cover anything.

I grin at this pointless attempt.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her brows furrowed as she stood in the scented waist deep water.

“I think the more important question is, what are you doing down here?” I retorted.

Not only had her surprising visit caught me off guard but it also had me concerned about the fact that she was being allowed to walk around the castle freely in my absence.

I would have to speak with her guards after I dealt with her.

“I was having a bath…” she spoke defiantly with her left brow raised, her supple lips pouting.

“I thought that was rather obvious.”

My eyes narrowed.

She wanted to play… and I would gladly oblige.

I reached across and began to remove each piece of my armour one at a time, dropping them down onto the floor beneath me while my eyes remained fixated on her.

Once my armour was gone I began to remove each article of clothing I wore, one piece at a time.

By the time I was down to my boots and pants I could see the look of concern building in her eyes as I took my left boot off and threw it to the floor.

She watched me for a while before apparently gathering up enough courage to finally ask.

“Wait, what are you doing?” her tone showed her unease.

I stared right at her as I pulled off my right boot and replied.

“I’m having a bath…” I purposely pause before dropping the boot to the floor and then add, “…I thought that was obvious.”

She huffs while glaring back at me defiantly. Such a feisty little one.

Rest assured, I would teach her just who was in charge here.

Ivy;

I’m panicking!

Fuck, I'm panicking!

He’s down to nothing but his pants and now he’s about to remove those as well!

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours I’m about to see this god-like man naked and the worst part of it is that I want to!

And I can’t even get out and run away, as I’m in the nude as well! I don’t want him to see me in such a vulnerable state… at least not until I choose it to happen…

IF I choose it to happen.

I force myself to look away as he grabs the hem of his pants and pulls them down to reveal himself in his full nakedness, standing by the edge of the pool I am currently submerged in.

I hear him chuckle to himself as he casually strides across the stone floor and steps down into the heated water to join me.

The truth is I’ve never been so embarrassed and at the same time turned on in my entire life, but I would rather die than allow him to know this.

I need to remind myself that this man threatened to torture me, he had every intention to follow through with it before… whatever it was that happened in the field yesterday evening.

I still have no idea of what that was.

Had I imagined it?

Was it just some strange reaction to having spiked adrenalin or something? If so, then why had he reacted the same way I had?

Something deeper was going on here and I was determined to get to the bottom of it… somehow.

I watch him out the corner of my eye as he strides through the warm water until he too is waist deep.

He then begins to lower himself down until he is fully submerged by the water.

Only a second or two afterwards he rises up out of the water and flicks his head back in an effort to remove stray hair from his face.

The entire thing happens as if in slow-motion for me, as if he is in a movie playing the part of a steamy hunk.

Rising up out of the water with droplets trickling down over his firm, sculpted pecs, down the length of his chiselled abs and eventually towards his…

I have to shake my head to rid myself of the thoughts and the next time I look towards him he is grinning back at me, from ear to ear.

The egotistical bastard!

As I frown and turn my back to him, I suddenly feel the waves of the water shifting and realise he is wading across towards me.

My heart is racing into overdrive and my eyes widen as I can feel the pressure of the water coming from his long strides hitting me from behind.

And then I feel his touch on my back as he grasps at my long, damp hair and gently gathers it together, then lying it over my right shoulder.

I can feel his warm fingers brushing up against the skin between my shoulder blades and I suck in a sharp, nervous breath.

His hot breath is on my back with each breath that he takes, sending goosebumps across the skin of my entire body. What is he planning on doing?

I turn my head to the left, to glance at him over my shoulder as he suddenly speaks.

“This marking… how long have you had it?” he asks.

I am confused, to say the least. If he could see my expression he would know that.

“What are you talking about?” I ask, turning around to face him but still attempting to hide my ‘assets’ from view.

“What marking?”

“The one on your back, Ivy.”

I frown, shaking my head from side to side.

“I… don’t have a marking on my back. You seem to be confusing me with someone else.”

He purses his lips tightly together, as if I have somehow annoyed him.

The truth is, I have no idea of what he’s talking about. I’ve never had any marking, tattoo or mole on my back.

Why would he ask me such a random and practically stupid question?

As I go to walk away he grabs me by my right shoulder and turns me back around so that we are face to face once again.

“Don’t walk away from me.” he warns.

I can’t help but gasp as I am forced to look up into those intoxicatingly sexy chocolate brown eyes of his while his large fingers remain wrapped around my upper arm.

“Adomis let me go…” I whimper.

“…please.”

With that his expression softens and he surprises me by releasing his grip on my arm, allowing me to continue striding through the pool until I reach the steps and make my way up them one by one quickly before he changes his mind.

Water trickles off of my skin as I quickly grab the crimson dress from the floor and pull it back over my head, redressing myself as rapidly as I can possibly manage.

I need to get out of here, before I agree to do something stupid. Something I will later regret.

That man is far too tempting, even for me.

Adomis;

And just like that, she’s dressed and gone from my sight having disappeared along with her two guards around the corner.

I’m left alone and confused more now than I was before as I stand in the warm water, wondering what I did wrong or perhaps said to frighten her away so suddenly.

It’s strange.

One moment I feel as though there is some overpowering connection between us, and then the very next she tears away from me as if I would wish to harm her.

Does she fear me, my fearsome reputation or is it something else?

Once my bath is finished I decide not to take my sexual frustrations out on some random handmaiden after all and instead, once dressed I make my way up to visit my loyal Mage, Zarkin Lacidious in one of the high towers of the castle.

Zarkin has always been more of a loner and is well versed in the mystical arts, having been a Mage for over forty years now.

I was rather lucky to have his allegiance if I am totally honest.

Not only is the Mage powerful, but he is also extremely wise when it comes to anything relating to the mystics.

Just the person I needed to discuss this whole Ivy situation with.