The Cursed Alpha's Fifth Luna

Chapter 73: How Was He Calm?

"Let me down," Nina yelped as Rodrigo lifted her into his arms and turned toward the bedchamber.

Rodrigo did not slow down.

He carried her through the room as though she weighed absolutely nothing, his arms firm beneath her while water from her damp skin soaked lightly into the front of his shirt.

Nina struggled against him instinctively, embarrassment burning through every inch of her body.

Then suddenly, his steps came to a stop.

His eyes dropped to her face his brows creasing slightly.

"Stop moving," he said, his voice was commanding in a way that made Nina go still. Her movements slowed instantly until she went melted in his arms, her fingers curling unconsciously around the back of his neck.

Rodrigo stared at her for one long second, something unreadable flickered briefly across his face before he resumed walking.

Nina could hear his breathing, her body feeling the warmth of his body through the thin shirt he wore. Her heart hammered harder the closer they got to the bed.

Rodrigo reached the bed and lowered her carefully onto the mattress. The moment he released her, the towel wrapped around her body loosened.

Then slipped.

Nina’s breath caught. Cool air brushed across her bare skin as the fabric slipped down her waist, exposing her chest completely beneath the dim golden light of the room.

She had just stepped out of freezing water moments ago, and the cold had left her skin sensitive, her nipples tightened visibly against the chill.

Rodrigo froze. His gaze dropped before he could stop it, the entire room going painfully still.

Heat exploded across Nina’s face, her hands flew to the towel immediately, clutching it back against herself, but it was too late. She had seen the exact moment his eyes darkened.

His jaw flexed tightly as he turned away abruptly, standing to his feet, he turned towards the vanity.

Nina heart thudded out of control as she held the towel to her chest. She shut her eyes tightly, cursing under her breath. She remained still for a few seconds, then lifted her eyes to his back, Rodrigo turned around just then and Nina turned away quickly, her eyes staring at nothing in particular.

Rodrigo returned to where she sat and then crouched in front of her, one knee touching the floor.

Nina glanced at him. He was holding a small ointment jar in his hand, his eyes lifted to her legs, hanging slightly above the bed.

"Your ankle," Rodrigo said.

Nina instinctively pulled her injured leg back.

"Don’t worry," her voice rushed out quickly. "It is not serious, it will probably heal on its ownby—"

Before she could complete her words, Rodrigo had already reached forward and grabbed her feet. His hand wrapped firmly around her ankle before she could retreat further and pulled it gently towards him.

Nina sucked in a breath, freezing under his touch.

His hand was warm, coarse in a way that made the hairs on her legs stand on end.

He adjusted her leg carefully onto his thigh, his large palm supporting the back of her calf as he unscrewed the lid of the balm with the other hand.

"It is forming a bruise," he murmured, his eyes focused completely on her ankle. "If left untreated, it will swell by morning."

Nina tried to answer.

Nothing came out.

Her throat suddenly felt dry.

Rodrigo dipped two fingers into the balm before spreading the cool ointment slowly over the red area.

The second his fingers pressed against her skin, Nina’s entire body stiffened. A sharp shiver traveled up her spine, and settled in her chest. Her fingers curled into the bedsheet as his hands moved over her legs, her lip going in-between her teeth.

She bit down on her lip hard.

His eyes were focused on her legs, like it was the most important thing in the world, his lashes casting soft shadows underneath his lids. Nina watched him. Every few seconds, his brows would crease slightly then ease again, as he continued to massage her legs.

At some point Nina wasn’t sure what she was feeling anymore. He wasn’t doing anything, yet...

Every slow glide of his fingers across her skin sent warmth curling lower in her stomach.

Rodrigo remained completely focused on her ankle, seemingly unaware of the effect he was having on her.

Which somehow made it even worse.

Nina pressed her lips together tightly as another shiver moved through her. Her fingers twisting harder into the bedsheets.

"Does it hurt?" he asked after a while, glancing up briefly.

Their eyes met.

And she stopped breathing.

His eyes searched hers with a quiet softness that made her stomach tighten. One look from him and her thoughts were already running somewhere dangerous.

She didn’t care about her ankle. Hell, she wanted him to push her into the bed and do things...

A certain part of her clenched at the thought as she instantly looked away from him.

She could feel heat rising all the way to her ears now.

"N-No," she stammered quickly.

Rodrigo’s brows furrowed slightly,

His hand slid higher unintentionally while adjusting her leg, his fingers brushing the sensitive skin just beneath her knee.

Nina jerked sharply. A soft sound nearly escaped her throat before she caught it.

’’Are you okay?’’ he asked, his eyes watching her now, completely unaware.

Nina pulled her leg away and sat up straighter, clutching the towel tighter against herself.

"I think it’s fine now," she muttered quickly, avoiding his eyes completely.

For a moment, Rodrigo said nothing. Then slowly, he leaned back and rose to his feet.

Nina exhaled shakily the second he moved away from her.

He turned toward the closet and pulled out a dark shirt before walking back toward the bed.

"You can sleep in this," he said, holding it out toward her.

Nina looked down at the shirt in his hand.

It was large.

Clearly his.

The thought alone sent another wave of warmth through her chest. She reached out carefully and took it from him.

"Thank you," she murmured softly.

Rodrigo gave a short nod, then, without another word, he turned and walked back toward the bathroom. The door shutting quietly behind him.

Nina remained frozen on the bed for several seconds after he disappeared. Then slowly, she lifted the shirt toward herself.

It smelled like him.

Shit.

She closed her eyes shut, dragging a slow deep inhale.

She was in trouble.

...

Nina tucked herself deeper beneath the sheets and shut her eyes.

Or at least she pretended to.

Every few seconds, her attention drifted back toward the bathroom doors. He had been inside for a long time. She shifted onto her side, then onto her back again, her fingers twisting into the duvet. The room felt too cold. Too quiet. Every little sound made her more aware of the fact that he was only a few feet away.

Then finally—

The bathroom doors opened. Nina’s eyes lifted instantly before she could stop herself.

And she froze.

Her lips parting as her gaze landed first on his chest.

Water still clung to his skin, sliding slowly down the hard lines of muscle before disappearing beneath the towel hanging low on his waist. His hair was damp, darker now, droplets falling from the ends onto his shoulders.

Nina swallowed hard, her fingers tingling with memory.

His coarse hands on her waist.

Her fingers buried into the thickness of his hair.

The hard press of his body against hers.

Heat crawled slowly up her neck.

Her eyes dropped lower before she could stop them, down the ridges of his stomach...

Lower.

Then stopped.

Her cheeks burned instantly as another memory rushed into her head so vividly it nearly made her dizzy. The fullness of him moving inside her. The way her body had trembled beneath him.

Her thighs pressed together instinctively beneath the sheets.

What was wrong with her?

She shut her eyes hard.

No.

She should not be thinking about him this way.

She needed to stop...

She dragged in a slow breath through her nose and tried to steady herself, but her heartbeat only seemed to grow louder the more she fought it.

She heard Rodrigo move across the room, his footsteps disappearing into the closet.

Nina remained perfectly still beneath the blankets, her hands gripping the sheets tightly. Then the footsteps returned, closer this time, until mattress dipped beside her. Her pulse jumped as she forced her body to remain still, but every inch of her body was aware of him now.

The warmth coming from his side of the bed. His scent mixed with the fresh scent of bath.

Nina bit down lightly on her lower lip.

The silence stretched for a long moment, and then her eyes fluttered open, her gaze drifting toward him.

Rodrigo lay beside her with one arm beneath his head, eyes closed casually in sleep like nothing had happened between them at all.

How was he so calm?

After last night.

After the ballroom.

After the bathroom.

Nina stared at the sharp line of his jaw before quickly looking away again. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

She shifted slightly beneath the blankets, and the sheets rustled softly, the sound of it loud in the quiet.

A few seconds passed, then she shifted again, restless.

She shut her eyes tightly, turning away from him as she tried to think of anything that wasn’t the fact that he was barely a feet away from her, and her body was reacting out of control.

She shifted once more, and then again.

And just as she moved for the fifth time, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist.

Nina gasped softly as her back collided instantly with a hard chest.

Rodrigo pulled her firmly against him, holding her still with one arm across her stomach. freёwebnoѵel.com

"Stop moving," he muttered against her hair, pinning her to him.