Grace and Fury (Grace and Fury #1)(61)

“How did you sleep, Nomi?” the Heir asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“Very well,” she replied, clipping the words. “You?”

“I slept quite well.” His voice deepened. “A good storm has a way of clarifying things, doesn’t it?”

Maris turned away from the water. Cassia cocked her head.

Nomi could only smile awkwardly and push at her food, her appetite gone. As soon as the plates were cleared, she stood up. “Excuse me.”

She escaped to a spot near the water. Her hands shook as she pulled off her sandals and dropped them into the sand. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, the sunshine bright and hot against her face.

“Do you enjoy swimming, Your Eminence?” Cassia’s voice floated out over the crash of waves.

Nomi stepped into the water. It was cool against her flushed skin, and the waves were gentle. Out here, she didn’t have to pretend. She didn’t have to see Malachi’s satisfaction at claiming his prize. Maybe he thought her gift of the gloves meant she had resigned herself to him. But he was wrong.

Suddenly, there was a giant splash behind her. Nomi turned, just as the Heir pushed through the water toward her. “Very refreshing,” he said.

Nomi’s mouth dropped open. “Your Eminence.”

Malachi shot her a little smile before diving into the water, submerging completely. When he surfaced, he shook like a dog, spraying water at her. “Can you swim?”

Nomi shook her head. In Lanos, there had been no need to learn.

He reached out and put his hands on her arms. She was so shocked at his touch, it took her a moment to realize he was drawing her slowly into deeper water. She resisted. Her toes dug into the sand as little swells lapped against her collarbone. Fear blossomed in her chest. Too deep, too deep. “Please, Your Eminence.”

Did he enjoy scaring her? Nomi’s heart beat faster.

Malachi stopped moving, his hands still loosely encircling her wrists. “When I was five,” he said in a conversational tone, “my father threw me into the water. I figured out pretty quickly how to float.”

Nomi’s breath caught. That was horrible. What if he’d drowned?

Is that what the Heir was going to do to her?

“We’ve no place to swim in Lanos,” she said, her voice trembling. She stood on her tiptoes as a bigger swell pushed at her, sending panic shooting through her. “I’ve always thought it would feel nice, but—but it’s frightening.” She took a step back toward shallower water.

His hands released her, but instead of backing away, he moved closer, his skin sliding against hers as he wrapped his arms loosely around her. “That’s what I’m trying to say,” he said, in a different, softer tone. “I don’t think it has to be frightening. Here—put your arms around me. I’ll show you.”

He’s toying with me.

Reluctantly, Nomi lined her arms along the tops of his, letting her hands rest on his shoulders. She stared fixedly at his throat, where his wet skin glistened.

“Look at me.”

Slowly, she raised her chin. His gaze found hers, as intense as it had been when she’d first seen him, when he’d caught her in the hall. “I promise. I won’t let you go.”

He pulled her closer, until their bodies slid against each other. Slowly, he moved into deeper water. Heart in her throat, Nomi felt the sand fall away under her feet. Reflexively, she tightened her arms around his neck. Too deep, too deep.

But she was floating. His embrace kept her head well above the water, and the rest of her flowed. She kicked her feet a little, feeling the rush of the current.

Her eyes widened.

He smiled. “See?” he said softly. “It’s not so bad.”

The tightness in her chest eased a little. “I feel so light. Like a—a cloud. I could float away.” How she wished she could.

“Well, let’s not float away quite yet.” He grinned, and for a moment, he looked almost playful. “It was a hard start for me, but I love swimming now.” Something about the way he said it, the warmth in his eyes, sent heat through her body. His hands slid down her back and the current pushed them closer together, so close her legs drifted around his hips of their own accord. She was holding on to him everywhere.

Everywhere.

Nomi drew in a breath. She was still looking him in the eye, their faces a mere inch away. Her stomach turned over. His eyes darkened; the intensity was back, all playfulness gone. The world reduced to the silken slide of their skin, the shrinking space between their lips.

“Have you found the gift I left for you?” he asked softly.

“Gift?” she asked stupidly. It was suddenly very difficult to think. What was wrong with her?

“The book.”

The book? Nomi’s body went rigid. Asa had given her the book. Hadn’t he?

“Why in the world would you give me a book?” She tried to sound unperturbed, but her voice shook, betraying her.

“Your sister could read,” he said, his body swaying with the insistent prodding of the current. “I thought maybe you could too. I was hoping…” He didn’t finish the thought.

The moment—any softening she’d felt toward him—shattered.

A trap, a trap, a trap.

Nomi wasn’t walking the high wire anymore. She was gripping the line with a single hand. Falling wasn’t a question of whether but when.