147 The Underground Pool
“Swimming?”
Anna blinked in surprise at his strange offer, “your highness I....”
“Too formal.” His clipped tone stopped her mid-sentence, indicating she shouldn’t use that word, most especially when they’re alone like this.
Apart from that, he has no interest in being part of the royalty, and secretly hates being addressed as one.
Annalise awkwardly cleared her throat, noticing his not so pleased reaction and she instinctively kept her gaze lowered.
She was flustered, no doubt and Roshan wasn’t oblivious to it.
“Let me in.” He really had no interest in stepping inside her chambers in the first place, he just wanted to steal a little piece of her time with a little swim, but seeing his annoying woman act so flustered for no particular reason, at least to his knowledge, he was curious about what she was carefully hiding from him.
As expected, her eyes widened in dither at what didn’t sound like a request, but an order, coming from the glacier himself. Out of conscious will, she nearly backed away due to how authoritative his tone could be.
“But you can’t...”
.....
“One...”
He didn’t even count to three before pushing the door open, leading the flustered human to hide behind the door as her palms impulsively covered her face, silently wishing she could turn invisible or disappear from his presence.
Anna didn’t dare raise her head to look at him the moment he walked in, the sound of his boot as he surveyed her chamber made her heart race and each step mystifyingly electrified her trembling nerves.
Roshan’s mind had predicted one of his useless cousins to have invaded his mates room and he was already planning what coffin to buy the bastard if he found anyone inside, but fortunately for them, it was just his annoying woman, dressed in a....
His eyes slightly widened after turning around to look at the frangible woman, hiding behind the door, but instead of acting shocked, his sinful lips curved to the side in a mischievous approach, sizing her up as he remembered this dress vividly.
Anna wasn’t even looking at him, but she could feel his burning gaze trace her from head to toe.
“I see..” his deep amused tone jolted Anna back to reality and when her hands mistakenly peeled from her eyes, she was staring at the glacier whose dangerous eyes were fixed on her, except he was enjoying the flustered reaction he got from her.
“Was this the mess you created?” This wasn’t just a mess, but a very hot one, because it had left his mind jumbled with all sorts of primal thoughts, a very thirsty one that nearly summoned his fangs, but he kept his control in check, unwilling to let himself break loose just like that.
Anna was half tempted to chase the naughty demon out of her chambers, but recalling what happened at Euphrasia and the fact he’s already touched her, she saw no need to drive him away, or maybe she should before he swallowed her whole at the last minute.
Puzzledly, she noticed his gaze was fixed on a certain part of her body and she didn’t dare to follow it, he was currently eating her up with those glinting eyes of his, it was enough to stimulate her insides further.
“W_what are you staring at?”
“I’m proud of you,” he humorously responded, “your breasts seemed to have gotten slightly bigger from the first time I saw you.”
“You pervert!” She had completely forgotten the jacket of her nightdress didn’t come with a strap, she foolishly got lost in his captivating gaze that she didn’t realize she had fully exposed her nightdress to his demanding eyes.
“I had a feeling you bought this to seduce me, guess I was right, it looks....” His eyes greedily roved over her, from top to toe, then up again before meeting her gaze with a sexy, yet taunting smirk, “...rather provocative on you.”
Anna’s face flushed at his genuine, yet dishy comment, her heart fluttering like they were pretty butterflies dancing around them, “I_ I didn’t wear this for you, you’re certainly mistaken on that little concept of yours.”
“The concept that every word of mine turns you on?”
He took a step forward, leaving Anna to take one step back and she looked away from him, unwilling to let herself fall straight into his trap and get eaten mercilessly.
“You’re delusional.” She denied.
“But you’re already red,” he pointed out, “I did say the color red suits your face, but I was mistaken,” he tsked, “it doesn’t suit your face, but the whole of you instead.”
‘please stop talking.’ she wanted to plead, she’s never had a man compliment her to this extent and hearing them come from the indifferent Roshan only thrilled her nerves.
Was it just her, or is the room starting to burn with something hot?
“Pardon but you aren’t even supposed to be here, the males are separated from the females for three days straight, so you should leave before anyone sees you while I head to bed.”
She wanted to escape from his sight and using the last act of escape she could come up with, she tried to walk past him, only for her hand to be abruptly grabbed by him and he gently pulled her back, sliding his hand down until his long beautiful fingers wrapped her wrist.
“Where are you going? I did make mention of swimming, princess.”
“First it was a baby girl, then an annoying woman, now I’m a princess.”
“I know, you happen to surprise me in the craziest way that I have a list of nicknames lined up for just you.”
“Leave my chamber’s.”
“I own every chamber.”
She seriously hated how he has suitable responses to her every word, and her stupid heart won’t calm down, satisfying the glacier cause she knew he could hear it.
They can’t do this anymore, he’s meant to pick a mate within three days, she doesn’t want to end up being the third wheel that ends up ruining the relationship of two people.
“Roshan..”
“Still playing hard to get?” He tilted his head at her before releasing her grip, “fine then, we’ll do it your way.”
Seeing as he backed out, Anna’s suspicions grew, knowing he had something else planned, “what do you mean?”
“My aunt is approaching your chambers and she should be here in the next two minutes.” He informed.
“What?!”
“Let me help you complete that, what will she think seeing us both here, in our night clothes, she can assume the worst of the night don’t you think?” He inquired with a wicked smirk plastering his face.
She hadn’t even realized it until now and truly, he was dressed in his royal black robe and the straps were done to her relief, else she’d be expecting a hypnotizing sight that’d leave her redder than a ripened tomato.
“She can’t see you here!” Anna panicked after noticing the gravity of their situation, knowing how big of trouble things could get if they were caught together, not just by anyone, but lady Odette!!
“Then come with me,” he cooly suggested, looking the opposite of Anna who was really panicking, “let’s go swimming, or do you want us to wait here and she barges in?”
“You..!!..”
She cursed the being silently in her head, keeping her mouth shut as her head was the only safe place she could kill him countlessly.
“Time is ticking.”
“Fine, swimming.” It was a hasty decision Anna had to make.
A triumphant smile adorned his lips and he held her hand, only for the two of them to instantly vanish out of sight and like Roshan had predicted, Lady Odette barged into the room, but with Roseline by her side and the angry look on Lady Odette’s face switched into bafflement.
“Where is she?”
“She’s not here?” Even Roseline was taken aback, “believe me Aunt, I swear I saw his highness walk in here.”
Roseline tried to prove her point, but after seeing the chamber empty of their presence, she didn’t want to believe that something like that was possible.
“Let it be Rose,” Lady Odette dropped the issue, “your mind is probably playing tricks with you, Roshan can’t possibly be interested in a simpleton.” She stated.
~
When the whole blur that swept through Anna’s vision gradually dissipated, she could feel her naked feet touching the smooth, cool sand.
Regaining her sight properly, before her very eyes was a green forestry behind her, but there was no water around as the place she happened to be drawn into was an underground cave.
Surprisingly, they were standing outside the cave.
“Where is this place?” She whispered after figuring her voice echoed through the walls of the cave, but Roshan only found her reaction adorably funny.
“Hmm, I think we need to explore deeper in order to find out.”
“Like an adventure?” Her eyes glistened with half curiosity but he didn’t utter a word and just walked straight into the cave.
Despite it being beautiful and peaceful where she stood, Anna couldn’t possibly let herself be left alone and followed the glacier into the cave.
Trailing behind him, her legs were no longer touching the smooth sand the moment she walked in. The cave was mystifyingly bright with fireflies lazily lingering about.
She wanted to ask where exactly he was taking her to but just remained quiet and obediently followed.
After a few minutes of walking, they stepped into an open area and in the middle of it was a huge pool, Anna’s brown eyes widened in stupefaction at the sight of the pool in front of her.
The pool was filled with gem-blue sparkling water that left a mesmerizing sight, as tiny strands of soft light bathed the top with its little sparkles, like a diamond blessed with inner fire. She’s heard of how streams and rivers were the liquid soul of pure beauty, but this one was glowing.
Many fireflies fizzed through the beams of the light, their wings, a glitter that looked so magical, Anna could hardly believe it.
Was all this real?
The air, so refreshing she let out a satisfying breath as she closed her eyes, not until she felt a certain someone standing behind her.
“Like what you see?”
She nodded with a genuine smile, “it went past my expectations.” Her face suddenly turned cautious as something clicked, “but I don’t know if my fear of water still haunts me.”
“Don’t think about your fears Anna, just enjoy it.”
Slowly, he reached and pulled the loose jacket of her nightdress off her body, exposing more of her skin to his greedy gaze and to Anna’s shock, he snaked his hand around her waist and pulled her body against him, so close that she could feel her back pressed against his hard chest.
He leaned in, dropping a soft kiss at the nape of her neck and his silky dark hair draped on her shoulders, tickling her skin.
“Ready?”
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