Claiming the East Wind Read Online Free Page A

water.
    There was a wild explosion of bubbles around her.
    Suddenly she was yanked upward.
    Skye flew through the water, broke the surface. Air hit her face. She had a dizzying aerial view of the lake before she coughed, water spilling from her lungs. She clamped her eyes closed and focused on trying to get air into her chest.
    She was crushed against a hard male chest and seconds later she was being laid out on the terrace. She looked up at the cloudy sky. The clouds weren’t quite so dark or dense as before.
    Hands scraped her hair back off her face. “Skye? Skye?” Soren’s handsome face leaned over her. “Tell me you’re okay. Per favore .”
    She tried to talk and ended up in a coughing fit. Gentle, gentle hands helped her sit up.
    “I’m okay,” she managed.
    “ Madre di Dio .” Soren released a long breath, his gray eyes boring into her, taking in every inch of her face. “Come on.” He scooped her up into his arms.
    Too tired to do anything else, she slid an arm across his shoulders and leaned her head against his neck.
    He took her into a bedroom decorated in shades of dark blue. A huge wooden bed dominated the space. His room, she realized.
    He carried her through to the adjoining bathroom and her jaw dropped. The space was enormous and covered in creamy travertine tiles. One wall was covered in mirror that reflected back how small she looked nestled in his arms.
    A large claw-footed tub sat against the back wall. He set her down, urged her to sit on the edge of the tub while he sat on a stool. He flicked on the water. “We need to get you warm.” Soon steam was rising and he sprinkled some fragrant oil into the water.
    Then he turned, reached behind her and slid down the zipper of her dress. Inch by slow inch. Her breath caught in her chest.
    His gaze moved to her face as his hand gripped the neckline. Slowly he pushed the dress until it slipped, baring one shoulder.
    When his hand went to the other strap, she grabbed his wrist.
    His fingers brushed her collarbone. “I won’t hurt you. I want to take care of you.”
    She trembled and a curl of heat snuck through her belly. Now or never, Skye.
    “They sent me here to seduce you.” The words blurted out of her. “Aurae are supposed to soothe the vices of a WindKeeper. And sex is usually the quickest way.”
    His eyes narrowed and she held her breath. Ready for his anger.
    Instead, he smiled. “You haven’t done a very good job of seduction.”
    Her nose wrinkled. “I know. Because I don’t like sex.”
    “Somehow I don’t think you’ve experienced making love.”
    She stared at his face and swallowed. Instead of her seducing him, he was seducing her . “I didn’t want to…be intimate with you under false pretenses.”
    “No pretenses now, Skye. Just you and me.”
    She released his hand.
    Soren pushed the dress down. It pooled at her waist, leaving her breasts bare. She’d taken her wet underwear off earlier after the storm. The air made her nipples tighten. Through the swirling steam, she saw their reflection in the mirror and it stirred her desire.
    Then he pulled her to stand and the dress fell to her ankles, baring her completely to him. He glanced down, his gaze tracing her limbs, before he looked back at her face. “Let’s get you warmed up.”
    He lifted her again and set her in the tub. Skye blinked. That wasn’t what she expected at all. He urged her to sit down and she sank into the warm water. Sighed.
    “I’m sorry he took you.”
    She splashed some water on her chest and face. “It’s not your fault.”
    “It is. You warned me.”
    “You’ve lost your memory, Soren.”
    “Well, it’s time I remembered.”
    “Give yourself a break.”
    He took a cloth from a drawer in the vanity and dipped it into the water. Then he brought it to her back. She enjoyed the rhythmic strokes on her skin. Wished it was his bare hand against her.
    “Do you give yourself a break?” he asked.
    She glanced over her shoulder at him.