CHAPTER 88

LAYLA

"Is this necessary, Your Majesty?" I asked, clutching the towel tightly around my body as though it were my last line of defense against the madness unfolding before me.

He was sitting there, in the tub, completely unbothered by the fact that I was standing a few feet away, half-naked, with my mind frantically trying to process the situation. The warm water did little to conceal the chiseled planes of his chest and abs, every ripple of muscle accentuated by the soft glow of candlelight.

Strands of his dark hair clung lazily to his damp skin, making him look less like the intimidating ruler he was and more like something out of a scandalous daydream. He leaned back slightly, his arms resting casually on the edge of the tub, and raised his gaze to meet mine.

"Why should we be having a bath together?" I demanded, my voice higher than I intended. My cheeks burned hotter than the steam rising from the water.