The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

Early the next morning, as they had planned, Damian and Eilika made their way to the natural hot spring.

Before stepping out, she had changed into a simple, white ankle-length robe, leaving her long hair tied in a bun. When she finally entered the cavernous bathhouse, a thick steam had already risen from the water, turning the surrounding view soft and misty.

Through the white haze, her eyes fell upon Damian. He was already settled deep within the spring, his muscular torso bare to the damp air while he wore only a pair of dark satin trousers beneath the water’s surface.

Hearing her quiet footsteps, he turned his head and found Eilika standing at the edge, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

”Get in,” he said softly, a welcoming smile playing on his lips.

Eilika took careful, deliberate steps down the smooth stone incline and lowered herself into the enveloping warmth of the spring. She settled directly beside him, though a small, hesitant gap still remained between their bodies in the water.

She moved her hand through the water and lifted it slightly, watching the liquid droplets slip easily through the gaps between her fingers. ”The water is incredibly warm and refreshing here.”

Tilting her head, she found his dark eyes fixed intently on her. ”Would you like me to give you a shoulder massage?” he asked.

”What?” She stopped blinking for a second, a heat rushing to her cheeks that had nothing to do with the surrounding steam.

Damian shifted closer, his hand rising from the water. His thumb gently found the faint scar remaining on her forehead, his touch incredibly light. ”Does it hurt anymore?” he inquired softly.

”No,” she whispered. Her heart thumped furiously against her ribs, and a sudden, vivid recollection of the intimacy they had shared the previous night flooded her mind. Unable to maintain eye contact, Eilika’s gaze lowered to his bare chest, captivated by the way the glistening water droplets clung to his skin.

”How long must we remain here?” Eilika asked, lifting her head quickly when a laughter escaped him.

”We have only just arrived,” Damian replied, amusement dancing in his eyes. ”Are you worried that we might misbehave out here in the open?”

”How can you speak of such things so aloud?” She quickly cast her gaze around the misty cavern, terrified that anyone might overhear his scandalous words.

”No one is permitted near this place while we are here,” he assured her, leaning his head back against the smooth, damp stone of the spring’s edge.

The careless posture only heightened his sharp appeal, causing Eilika’s heart to skip a beat. Driven by a sudden, inexplicable impulse, she leaned across the small divide between them and pressed a soft, brief kiss directly against the prominent bob of his Adam’s apple.

The moment the skin left her lips, reality flooded back. Horrified by her own boldness, she retreated instantly, pressing a trembling palm over her mouth.

Damian’s eyes flew open.

He touched his throat with his fingers, tracing the spot where her lips had just been, before slowly tilting his head to look at her.

”What was that, Eilika?” he murmured, his voice laced with a dangerous sort of fascination.

”Ignore it,” Eilika pleaded hurriedly, turning her entire body away from him and staring into the thick steam, internally cursing her sudden lack of restraint.

She felt the water shift violently as his massive frame moved through the spring, the heavy warmth of his chest pressing flush against her back a second later. His large hands settled firmly onto her shoulders, pinning her in place.

”I cannot ignore it,” he murmured, his breath hot against her damp skin.

His clean-shaven jaw brushed her cheek as his lips found the sensitive curve of her earlobe.

Eilika convulsed at the sudden, intense contact, a sharp, small yelp escaping her mouth before she could think to suppress it.

He nipped the soft flesh of her earlobe with a playful, possessiveness, then used his hand at her jaw to tilt her head back, claiming her lips in a deep kiss.

His other arm wrapped securely around her belly, pulling her tightly against his torso until there was no space left between them.

Submerged in the natural spring, the rising heat of their bodies began to match the sweltering temperature of the water, growing more intense with every passing second.

Breathless and burning from the intensity of the embrace, they finally parted just enough for Damian to press his forehead firmly against hers, his ragged breathing matching her own.

”I love you, Eilika,” he whispered. ”The designated two months of our arrangement have not even passed, yet you have utterly compelled me to fall in love with you.”

”I am glad you finally permitted yourself to feel this,” Eilika stated softly, her eyes shining through the rising mist. ”I—I have been waiting for this day for so long. Now, I can proudly declare to everyone that you are mine. That no one, no matter their status, can dream of separating us. That my husband adores me so much that I do not regret even once that I married him. That doesn’t mean I ever regretted after I got to know you. Even in the beginning, when you refused to truly accept me as your wife and wished only to perform the roles of a wedded couple before the eyes of the world, I did not regret marrying you,” she continued, her voice trembling slightly with the weight of past hurts. ”I was merely aggrieved that my fate seemed so pitiful, to have my own husband harbor no desire for me.”

Damian gently wiped away the solitary tear that had gathered at the corner of her eye, his touch remarkably light before he leaned down to kiss her once more, sealing his devotion against her lips.

”Eilika, I give you my promise to provide the very life you have always desired and dreamed of,” he murmured against her skin, his hand lingering on her cheek. ”I cannot claim to be perfect, but I will strive to be everything you deserve. For you.”