“But the hero must protect the heroine, yes? To prove his worth.” He sounded teasing.
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
He looked embarrassed all of a sudden. “That book you were reading when I came to your home. I borrowed it.” He left and returned with it in hand.
She blinked. “Sothat’swhere it went. I looked all over the place for it!”
“I read it.” He paused, his cheeks pink. “Do you have the next book, maybe?”
“Wait. You readStorm Lords: The Viking Who Loved Me?”
“I just said so,” he said, sounding testy.
Which made her laugh. “Yes, I have the next one. You want to borrow it?”
“Maybe.”
“You liked it, didn’t you?”
“I just wanted to see whatyoulike about it.”
“So reading the next one will show you that?”
“Ja.” He sounded so worldly. “You love romance books, so I read them, and I learn that the hero saves the woman, and he gets hurt many times before she sees he’s worthy of her.”
“But you don’t have to go pick fights, you big doofus.” She started the bathwater, her belly fluttering and her heart thudding, wondering why his interest in what she loved made her feel so funny.
“I will always pick a fight to keep you safe, Rena.”
She turned to see him smiling down at her, though the expression pulled at his bruised face and caused a slight wince.
She sighed, aware she was falling in love with the man, wondering if that would turn out to be a good or bad thing. Because this guy could seriously break her heart if he left. Or, worse, if he turned out to be the villain instead of the hero.
“Do you have any Epsom salts?” she asked.
He pointed to the cabinet under the sink.
She poured a bunch into the tub. “Oh, smells like eucalyptus.”
“My mother always said it was good for soaking tired muscles. I have mint salts and milk-and-honey salts in there too.”
“Nice.” She adjusted the bath temperature. “This is more like a mini pool. Jeez, Axel, how long does it take to fill?”
“Not long.”
She just looked at him, and though he had to be sore, he apparently couldn’t help responding to her nearness. His cock thickened.
“Wow. You are just big all over,” she whispered.
“Would you join me in the tub?”
He had plenty of room. “But I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re hurting me now.”
“I am?” She was confused.
He took himself in hand, his eyes dark with pleasure or pain, she couldn’t tell which. “I am aching here,Liebling. I need release. Will you help me with that?”
