Romancing Lady Stone (A School of Gallantry Novella) by Delilah Marvelle Page B

open door but slipped against the wet boards. “ Ah !”
    He jumped toward her and grabbed her by the waist hard to keep her from falling and hitting her head against the nearest plank wall. He stumbled against the wetness of the floorboards, realizing he had dropped the towel. Though he tried to balance himself with his own weight, he couldn’t.
    They fell back.
    Turning his body to better take the impact, he savagely held onto her to keep her from getting hurt as the wooden ledge slammed against the back of his legs, stinging his flesh.
    He tipped backward with her into the water.
    She screamed, trying to grab for something other than him as soap suds and water rose up around them from the large round tub like a massive wave crashing to shore. Liquid warmth drowned out both air and sound upon impact, dunking them both.
    He couldn’t breathe as water rushed up his nostrils and burned his throat.
    Konstantin scrambled to sit in the tub, sputtering out water and yanked Lady Stone up and out of the water by her arms. He coughed, trying to get the water out of his throat.
    “ Pffff !” She blindly staggered on her knees in the water between his well-spread legs.
    He sucked in a breath knowing his cock was fully visible through the soapy water and that she was between his legs.
    Her hands pushed away pasted strands of long dark hair from her forehead as water cascaded from unpinned sections that flopped down onto her shoulders. Pins plunked into the water one by one by one. She stumbled and steadied her hands against his bare chest.
    She stilled, her velvet gown billowing around them as it covered almost every inch of the water. Except for where he and his cock were.
    Her glistening face was now barely inches from his own.
    “Do not look down,” he offered in a low, cautionary tone.
    She intently held his gaze. “Duly noted.”
    For some reason, she wasn’t scrambling to get out. She also wasn’t removing her hands from his bare chest. In fact, he felt those slim fingers slowly tighten their hold.
    Konstantin searched her face, trying to remain calm. Her long dark hair floated around their waists in the water along with her gown. She looked very different. She looked less prim and more provocative.
    He lowered his eyes unwittingly to her wet, parted lips, feeling trails of warm water trickling down his face and chin from his own hair.
    The rustling of water and their unsteady breaths were the only sounds.
    Her lips parted as she searched his face.
    It was as if she was waiting for him to do something.
    His cock hardened. He could feel his erection pointing rigidly toward her in the water, demanding she be the one. And although, yes and yes, he wanted to grab her and fuck her until all the water left the tub, he knew that would be taking advantage of a woman who had just been drugged and robbed barely thirteen hours ago. Hardly a nice thing to do.
    He leaned back, trying to regain control over his lower half. As casually as he could manage, he rasped, “Do you require assistance getting out?”
    She searched his face. “Uh…no. Thank you. No, I…” She glanced away and fumbled to get out of the wooden tub. The weight of her gown kept pulling her back. She stumbled against him in the water.
    Konstantin steadied her. “Close your eyes. I have to get out.” He rose and pressed both hands to his erection, trying to cover it.
    She glanced up at his nudity, her eyes jumping to his protruding erection.
    He shot her an exasperated look. “I asked you to close your eyes.”
    She slapped her hands over her face.
    And he thought women of status were respectable. Ha. Climbing out, he snatched the towel up from the wet floorboards and used it to dry himself, wishing his erection would subside.
    He scrambled to gather his clothes, yanked on his linen shirt and donned his undergarments and dark wool trousers, before shoving his feet into his boots without stockings. Fully dressed, Konstantin approached the tub she still sat in