SPELLBOUND

"I… I can manage now. Thank… thank you… for your help." She replied, stammering. "I can definitely do it on my own now."

"Be careful. If you need help, just call me." He said and when she nodded, he tactfully turned and left the room.

The moment the door was closed, Gavriel raked his hand through his hair and exhaled shakily while leaning against the bathroom's door, feeling his legs as unsteady as a new-born foal's. His suddenly stiff fingers fumbled with his cloak and yanked it away as if it were causing him to suffocate from heat.

A muffled groan escaped his lips followed by a curt curse. His control was barely hanging on by a thread. When she grabbed his hair and he looked up to see those dazed pair of amber eyes, only the devil knew how much he had to draw out his legendary iron control to stop himself from grabbing her legs and parting them wide for him so he could… he could indulge and ravage her there and then. He was always a man of control when it came to women, treating them casually and with relaxed ease. He was never the type to pounce on a lady like a starved beast but at that moment he was about to do just that. He was more used to having the ladies throw themselves at him than the other way around. This was really an eye-opening experience. He was certain he wouldn't have managed to stop himself if he didn't feel how ice-cold her toes were and saw her bluish lips and the goosebumps all over her legs.

He realized that the longer he was not allowed to touch her, the more he wanted her. He was literally dying – burning up – just to have her.

"Elias." His voice, deep and dark, echoed out and the bedroom's main door opened. When the butler emerged, he immediately ordered for new sets of clothes while taking of his shirt.

His attention was fully focused on the sounds coming from the bathroom. He had asked Elias to bring him clothes and decided to change his wet clothes by the bathroom's door because he didn't want to leave even for a moment.

He had just put on a fresh and clean trouser when he heard her soft gasp. Whipping around, Gavriel grabbed the door handle, pushing it open.

"Evie! What's wrong? I'm comin –"

Evie's eyes were wide like saucers. She was still in the tub, enjoying the hot bath that was finally melting her frozen nerves.

Her face flushed red like cooked shrimp at the sight of him barging into the bathroom, half naked, and also at the fact that she was naked. Gladly, she realized she was immersed in the hot water and the slightly scented and billowy steam produced from the bath covered her sufficiently. "I'm fine. I just dropped the soap, th… that's all." She stammered and Gavriel forced himself to drag his eyes away from the extremely tempting view and look at the soap lying innocently on the floor.

He approached the tub and silently picked the soap up and handed it back to her. His eyes quickly swept over her before stubbornly locking onto her face and ears slightly reddened.

"I am only not allowed to touch without your permission, Evie… so I'm allowed to look whenever I want." He said, even smirking at her wickedly that Evie couldn't help but drop her jaw in utter surprise.

But then he chuckled in amusement at her dumbfounded reaction and Evie found herself relaxing, suddenly feeling the urge to grab the bar of scented soap back from his hands to chuck it at him for laughing at her. But she just left it as her imagination and took the bar of soap from his hand and looked away shyly.

"Are you certain you don't need any help?" he asked a little hopefully and Evie nodded like a rattle, wanting him to finally leave so she could continue enjoying her hot bath without him in here, the breathing, walking temptation.

"Yes. I'm really doing good, I'll… call you if I need help." She said to make him leave and to her relief (and maybe slight disappointment which she convinced herself must be a mistake), he finally left.

Gavriel leaned against the door again and took another deep breath. He seemed to be taking more calming and deep breaths since his wife came back with him from the human world. His ears remained vigilant while he finished dressing up.

"Your Highness, if you're that worried, you shouldn't have sent the maids away." Elias told him through silent conversation when their eyes met.

"She is not comfortable with vampires yet, and… those maids wouldn't know how to handle a human. I'm afraid they'd hurt her before they even realize they did."