The burn in my cheeks didn't cease to lessen, even after ten splashes of cold water. The burn whose cause had shifted from the Egyptian Sun to Julian.

Was he... Flirting?

I tapped my wet cheeks to get out of the dazed situation. Given the fact there wasn't a soul except us in this jungle turned me hotter than I was before.

Taking the leaf made bowl he'd handed, I dipped it in the water and drank some. The water was remarkably sweet, with all the plants growing near it, added their nutrients. Having surpassed the RO filters as well.

Julian was still standing atop the huge rock where we were before. The kohl around his eyes was gone after washing the face, but it did nothing to lessen his fire.

Instead, it had increased to ten folds.

His attention was trained on me and easily noticed my discreet ogle. Narrowing his eyes, he raised his million-dollar arms above the head and stretched sideways. Cracking his neck in the process all while staring down at me.

I closed my eyes and gulped the remaining water somehow.

Oh, Lord have mercy.

I had always preferred decent and morally upright men. What happened to my choice that I was choking for barbarian men?

I coughed softly, patting my chest for the heaving breath to go.

"You want to bathe in there or what?" I snapped out the thoughts to see him walking down the muddy path. 

"By the way, it would be a nice idea." Removing the now dried linen from his shoulder, he hung it on a protruding branch nearby.

"Shouldn't we take a bath? It's too hot," he asked casually, looking around the lake. My breath hitched.

Dread crept into me, not because of the possible will he was imposing, but the thrilling chaos that had started to circulate inside me.

Why the heck am I fantasising about this bath already?

He wasn't forcing me to do this, but his suggestive mood, a bit of the I'll-make-this-experience-an-ecstasy-for-you undertone, got a risky desire boiling in my blood.

All thanks to zero experience in men and fantasy novels.

I turned the slightest to see the lake. There wasn't a doubt I would be in the waters with a single push of his hand.

Was I really considering his offer? After all, it was so hot right?

Angel Coretta slapped Devil Coretta out of nowhere.

"Uh... I don't have any other cloth except this one," I mumbled, fumbling with the only linen I wore.

"You are giving me the benefit of doubt there, Althea," he chuckled lowly, trudging a step closer.

"We have plenty of clothes if you want to change," he offered. My heart continued to beat out of the chest.

"Moreover, aren't you already wearing that thing underneath?" he pointed to my shoulder, entertained by the sight alone. I turned my neck to stare in horror at the strap peaking again.

"Oh- Uh, it's nothing." I tucked it back under the linen, blushing profusely.

"Hm, so your decision?" he asked, folding his arms around the chest. I looked up to see any signs of ill intention but found none behind the genuine look he was giving.

GO GO GOOOOOOO! It's so hot, you'll be a puddle of sweat till you reach Romanos. And then everyone would run away from you. HAHAHAHA, Devil Coretta screeched.

No! He could violate you in the water, Angel Coretta exclaimed, scared out of her wits.

Fuck! Who violates anyone in the water, you delusional bitch?! Devil Coretta shooed her away.

"I- you oh.. I mean you could.. bath first, then I-" my foot slipped at the mossy edge of the lake, hurling me into the water, when his arm came around my waist.

I was never this close to him, but now when I was, I could see the rugged manliness etched on every inch of his face.

"Yes or no? I hate to play around Althea," he stated firmly, the genuineness diminishing from his lips.

It was a thrilled chaos. I couldn't deny it.

"Uh, you would go first then I-"

But he couldn't hold longer, given the slippery moss beneath his feet. He glanced down in annoyance at what was slithering underneath. That's when his attention diverted from me.

I held on tighter, instantly regretting.

Because the next second, I propelled us both in the water.

"Zeus!" he exclaimed. His face contouring in a horrifying surprise as we landed in the water with a loud splash. Some birds sitting in the nearby trees flew off scared.

All the time, my mouth was agape like a dead fish. Only when I felt the water gushing in did I press the lips shut.

My arms flailed across helplessly at the green tinge of water. The roots of some surface plants went all the way down to the lake's bottom.

Holy shit. The lake was bottomless?!

I knew well how to swim, but the panic inside made my head topsy-turvy with the green water threatening to enter my lungs.

And where is Julian?

"Althea!" my name was called out from somewhere above, but it felt like a soft jingle in my ears.

I pushed my legs down in a hard stroke, trying to swim upwards. When my head neared the surface, I sighted a rock. It was odd to spot it in the middle of the lake, nevertheless, I swam higher and clung onto it.

"Oh, Lord Almighty!" I breathed out loudly when my head finally came out of the water, numb hands shakily held on the rock for dear life.

It was impossible to keep the eyes open.

I lowered my head on the rugged stone and choked out the water, unable to raise for the heaviness I felt.

"Fuck off Julian," I heaved, "and fuck off your million dollar muscled arms. Couldn't even hold me above the water. Ahh, but this rock saved me!" I muttered, breathing heavily.

I didn't appreciate cursing, but The F-Word couldn't help but come out when something outrageously pissed me off.

The bath, my stupid head, had fantasised, turned into a huge flop.

Suddenly, something started tightening around the waist, making me whip my head back. There was a dusky golden thingy wrapping itself around me.

The understanding of my watery vision came down to only one thing, and I screamed my lungs out.

"Python! There's a python! AAAAHH!"

It was the worst nightmare. Python were snakes but as thick as your thigh. This monster could swallow a complete cow and lay bulged up till it digested everything down.

Which means I'll have to rot for days before I'm retrieved back to my century.

"Python! Help me! Pyth- Mmm," I was whirled around in a jerk as its tail landed on my mouth. I stared down in horrification.

The tail had... Fingers?

"So the soft beauty knows how to curse huh?" a breathy voice entered my ear.

I turned burning hot in the cold water within seconds.

Dumb. There wasn't a better word to describe me right now.

If a human has flesh, it is soft to some extent and I swear I'd held him the tightest, just to feel rock hardness. Moreover, the blurry appearance I saw underwater didn't help. 

But what terrified me was the fact I'd just cursed him in the face.

"Besides," his arms gripped mine from behind, strong legs wrapped around my slender ones, which made me completely unmovable. My heart thumped madly against the chest at his actions.

"You aren't the innocent woman I thought, are you?" he removed the chain from my wrist, clutching my hands in one.

I took in a sharp breath.

His hand travelled up the length of my neck and clasped gently, hot mouth neared my ear, "Coming to your curse, I'll love to convert it into a bliss someday Mila."

That's it. The cold water did nothing to calm me. His hot body pressed onto mine, sent an intense shudder down my back.

"Julian! Julian, where are you, man?!"

A voice echoed in the forest, at which he swiftly turned me around, hiding my face against his chest.

"I'm here Jakov!"

The warrior gave out a humourless laugh upon spotting us,

"Not fair Julian. When we are burning under the torturous Sun, you are having the time of your life," he shook his head, disappointed.

Julian guffawed, "At least you've got one permanent lover Jakov, but me?" he pushed me a little, only to pull back to him harder.

I gasped as my palms fixated on his chest. But he placed them back on my sides, a teasing smirk playing on his lips.

"I have no one to love," his head lowered onto the side of my neck and bit hard enough to gain a scream out of me,

"So I decided to have some entertainment." he kissed my burning spot and looked up at Jakov.

"Whatever pleases you," he shrugged. "Anyway, I had to fix some issues with Axios, but this Althea you told me to have a guard on went missing. I only found her book, so thought should inform you."

Julian chuckled, the sound of his rough laugh vibrated my chest, and I stiffened.

"Don't worry, I've sent her near the Nile for some... fresh air," he blew a shot of cold air around the nape of my neck, sensualizing me further.

"She's enjoying herself Jakov," he whispered. I knew Jakov couldn't hear the low voice but it was for me to listen.

He dragged the tip of his nose across the length of my neck, making me completely paralyzed in his arms.

Jakov rolled his eyes and jogged out of the forest.

My face was pressed against his chest. The sound of his heart, now beating with the same wilderness as mine, warmed my cheek, evoking a forbidden feeling.

"Althea," Julian untangled us, keeping a decent distance when the warrior was gone.

He also saw I knew to swim because he didn't deliberately try to hold me again. The look in his eyes gave it away.

"That was really impressive of you," he started, but noticed my eyes wandering around the lake, my mind too stuck on the things he just did to me.

"Althea," he clapped twice, catching me haphazardly.

"Back there, with the warriors," he finished with a smile.

A genuine smile, the first-ever smile he gave me. And at the moment, he didn't look an ounce like a barbarian.

"Thanks," I mumbled, my eyes still wavering constantly.

"Don't revolve your head too much at what happened right now," he shrugged. "That was to ward off Jakov."

"Oh," I mumbled again. Words weren't forming at what to say. I kept moving my arms in the water to stay upright, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Let's go," I said and turned around to leave, but he held my hand.

Slowly, he pulled me forward, holding both my arms firmly. His wet hairs were splayed on the forehead, giving him a tempting look.

"Did you like your reward?" he asked softly, raising me by the chin to look into my eyes.

When I gave a confused look, he took some water in his palm and splashed on me,

"A cool reward in this hot afternoon silly," he grinned.

"Water is a basic necessity, Julian." I took some and splashed it back on him, laughing freely. Feeling a little lighter at his playfulness.

But it was gone in a flash as he closed on again, his features darkened,

"Or," this time he brought his thumb to caress my wet bottom lip, so sensually I closed my eyes.

"Something else?" he whispered, retracting his thumb only to put it in his mouth and sucked on fondly.

It was the hottest thing I'd ever seen a man do.

"Mhm.. I'll probably have to make you sign a treaty wherein your lips, not you must be disciplined," his voice became huskier, "I believe they are at fault to speak whatever they feel like, not your mouth Mila," And then I realised I had called him by his name.

After the bath, he had shown me a cave nearby where I changed my clothes. It was clever of him to bring the exact linen I'd worn before so no one would notice.

None of the warriors got a wind of what we did, and I thought if he had a reason behind it.

I walked beside him in the long line of slaves, and warriors headed to Romanos. It warmed my heart that he'd opted to walk when he could very well use his horse.

Later that evening, we reached his magnificent kingdom. People stood with torches of light, welcoming him back home.

"We welcome our King, our greatest Honour Julian Romanowski, to his great Romanowskian Empire!" The guards who stood at the entrance of the palace complex announced joyously.

I took in a steady breath.

Here I start, my Rendezvous in the Romanowskian Empire.