Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen
JASMINE'S POV

The ride back to the house was a whole lot less awkward than when we rode earlier. Safe to say, I was a little more comfortable in his arms.

At some point during the ride, I stopped sitting so stiffly. My back was no longer ramrod straight, and my shoulders were no longer locked with nerves.

The steady rhythm of Gracie’s hooves and the warmth of Damien behind me had somehow slowly melted the tension away.

"you go on in. I'll put Gracie in her stall." Damien said when we got to the stables.

"are you coming in right after?" I asked, and he thought for a moment, before shaking his head.

"there are still a few things I need to deal with before I retire for the day. But it should not take long."

I wanted to watch while he placed Gracie in her stall, but I felt I'd be pushing too hard. And besides, I had already taken up much of his time. I'm sure riding me out to the water fall was not part of his plans for the day. So I decided it was time to leave.

I walked back to my room, and shortly after one of the maids came in with bath linens.

"hello." I said.

"Good evening ma'am." the maid replied ," I came so I can run you a bathe. you must need one after horse back?"

"I didn’t know everyone was aware that I was on Horse back." I said and rub at my skirts, suddenly feeling exposed.

"I… it's not like we make it our business to focus on you and all of the things you do. But then, we have to make sure that you're attended and not left on hold. That sort of a thing. So perhaps, that might come across as not minding our business sometimes. I apologize."

I looked at her and sighed.

"don’t be sorry. I understand what you mean. And Damien is the Alpha, it's not wrong that he would be the center of attention. " especially, not when he suddenly has a luna. I rose and took the linens from her, changed out for my dress and put on the robe.

"please run me a bath. An oil that will be gentle and calming please." I requested, and the little maid, lit up.

"I know just what you need. Lavender will do the trick." she said, so happy to serve, and I smiled a bit.

When she was done fixing me a bathe, I got in and sighed.
The heat wrapped around me like an embrace. Every sore muscle loosened.
The scent of lavender drifted through the air, soft and sleepy. And for the first time all day, I felt like I could breathe properly.

"Do you like it?" she asked, when I closed my eyes.

"I love it." I said with a smile.

I was already falling into sleep when I heard the soft tap at my door.

"go away." I mumbled in my sleep, and struggled to go back to sleep. But the soft tap came back again, forcing me to open my eyes, and I simply had to groan.

But who would be tapping on my door at this time of the night?

The maid?

But what for?

Maybe if I laid in my bed, and didn't say a word, she would get the hint, and simply go away. Or so I hoped she would.

But the tap came again and I was forced to call out to her, "come on in!" I said in a sleepy voice. And If it wasn't all worth it, the girl was simply not going to hear the end of it from me.

But when the door opened up, it was not the sweet young made, that appeared at the door. It was Damien.

DAMIEN's POV

I lied when I said that I had some things to settle before I came into the house. Well, perhaps I can't hundred percent say it was a lie. But it wasn't the entire truth either.

The truth was, all the time I had spent with her, watching her, was doing some very wild things to me on the inside, and I simply needed to evaluate all of it.

So while she walked back into the house, I took the extra time to place Gracie in her stables, and catch myself before I did some thing entirely too stupid.

"they call women like that trouble, Grace." I said and she simply neighed.

"don't get me wrong, she is as sweet as they make them. But the thing is, that kind of woman has been hurt before. I'd hate to be the reason she receives more hurt." I ran a hand down Gracie's mane, and sighed.

I don't know what the goddess had in mind, bringing me a woman who looked at me like she could give me the whole world. But such it was, and I didn't know what to damn do about it.