An appreciative thrum rolled through Aidan’s chest as he pulled back to look at her. “Tell me yes, Thorn. I need to hear your yes.”
Heartbeat in her throat and between her ears, she gave a shaky, wordless nod.
Ink-stained fingers gently gripped her face. “Say it.”
“Ye-es.” She felt like a fawn instead of the viper she had once been. “But no sex,” she blurted, cheeks crimson as she looked away.
A delighted light came into Aidan’s burning eyes as he turned her face back to look at him. “Define that.”
Her brain stuttered. The number of times she’d imagined his hands all over her body, and now she couldn’t even muster a single coherent thought.
Those same scarred and ink-stained hands slid from her shoulders,grazing her breasts as they moved down, down, down to push against her pants. His hands stopped there, her skin buzzing beneath his touch.
“How about this?” One hand moved back to her clavicle, his finger tracing lightly down her sternum, making her skin goosebump and nipples peak without even a touch. “I’m going to take off all your clothes, and put you in this bath, and rub every inch of your filthy body until it's clean. Yes or no, Thorn?”
She swallowed hard, nodding fast as his rough laugh tickled against her, making her squirm. “Out loud.”
“Y-yes,” she stammered.
“Good girl,” he murmured, and she flushed instantly, heat pooling in her lower stomach.
Hands dipping inside the band of her pants, he held her gaze as he dragged the soft material over her hips, even more slowly down her thighs, and then with the utmost care removed them without ever touching her bruised calf or ankle. He knelt at her feet, still staring up at her, one hand running up and down her good leg as she held on tight to his shoulders. His gaze dipped to her broken bones.
“I told you I could ease your pain, and I can—” Aidan’s shoulders tensed beneath her hands as he warred with himself. “I should have asked you first if you would like me to ease your pain, but I’m selfish, and I didn’t because if I do, then your inhibitions will be lowered, and I won’t be able to touch you.”
Her voice was a rasp. “Bath. Then fix it.”
“Thank fuck.”
Her stomach dropped at his obvious relief. Depositing her onto the dressing chair, he turned the bath knobs, testing the water and adding scented salts until the wafting steam became a eucalyptus mint cloud.
Before her pulse could settle or self-consciousness could kick in, he was lifting her and placing her in the large claw-foot tub. He frowned at her swollen ankle, turned around, and went back intoher room only to return with a small wooden footstool and several pillows.
Elysia lifted herself, trying to stop him. “Aidan, you’re going to wreck those pillows.”
Ignoring her, his brow creased in concentration as he placed the stool and pillows beneath her ankle. When he turned back, she swallowed at the sight of his attention narrowing to only her. His gaze dripped down her naked body from her head to her toes, a slight groan escaping him. The hot water slipped over her pebbled skin, both relaxing and torturous as her blood sang under the blaze of his fiery blue blown-out eyes.
Button by button, Aidan undid his white shirt before tossing it aside and fluidly pulling his undershirt off, mussing the dark strands of hair at the crown of his head. Her fingers clutched the sides of the tub, and a little grin toyed at the edges of his mouth as his hands went to the button on his trousers until he finally removed all his clothing in one motion.
There was no hope for her heartbeat now. It walloped into an embarrassingly loud and heavy beat as she drank him in. Wide, strong shoulders and a lean, defined chest tapered into a hard stomach she knew came from long, disciplined hours on the mat. Her gaze shuddered as it lowered, and she saw all of him. Gods, she wanted to touch him. It had been torture to spar with him and pretend not to notice every stupid line and cut of his body, not to let her hands explore as they rolled across the mats.
Cream candles flickered to life as the dark plum curtain fell in front of the window, blocking the natural light. Suddenly bathed in shadow and cozy light, the mood deepened and Aidan moved, coming to the back of the tub. He grasped the detachable showerhead. Kava may have started to utilize indoor plumbing, but the mix of magic and engineering in the death realm wasluxury. Aidan dropped to one knee, adjusting the sprayer until it was the perfect temperature. His fingers tapped lightly against the line of her jaw. “Drop your head.”
For once she was compliant, tilting her head back withoutquestion, her long brown hair cascading into the tub in a mess of waves, river water, and dirt. The warm water soaked into her hair, running down her back and turning her locks weighted. With a gentle clink, Aidan set aside the sprayer and rubbed shampoo between his fingers, making the sweet almond orange scent burst into the air. Strong fingers massaged her skull, and her eyes automatically closed as her head fell back even further into his hands and she sank deeper into the water. Aidan let out a pleased hum, continuing his ministrations far longer than she knew was necessary. Too soon, he rinsed her hair and lathered the lengths in conditioner, twisting the strands up into a clip to set, and then his hands were on her skin, fingers dipping dangerously over her shoulders, sliding over the tops of her breasts as he rubbed away the tension in her neck and traps. Over and over, his fingers stroked, simultaneously relaxing her body and heightening the need that burned relentlessly below.
The pad of his finger barely grazed her nipple, but a sound still escaped her mouth, making her cheeks burn as her legs clamped together. There was a rumbling in his chest, and then Aidan’s hands slid down her back and under her ass, sending her forward until he could step into the tub and sink into the water. Strong thighs wrapped around hers, and her body tensed as he settled behind her, the length of him hot and hard against her ass and back.
A warm, soapy washcloth stroked down her arm, his fingers massaging both forearm and hand until she relaxed against his firm chest, her head falling back to him. Carrying on, he meticulously washed every dirty part of her before finally rinsing her hair and pulling the plug on the tub. Her heart dropped, but she refused to turn around.Was he done?Sensing her tension, Aidan flicked on the sprayer, resuming his languorous rinsing and stroking of her skin as the used bathwater drained. She shivered against the cold air and made to stand, but Aidan’s hands dropped the shower head and clasped her hips, pulling her solidly into him as he leaned so close his hair tickled her cheek.
“I promised to rub every inch of you, didn’t I?”
Her breath went out in a rush as she nodded, and his fingers dimpled further into her hips.
“I thought you were done.” She dared a glimpse over her shoulder to find his sapphire eyes still blazing in the candlelight.
His voice went low, raising all the little hairs on her skin and sending a fresh wave of heat between her legs. “You’ll know when we’re done, Thorn.”
Tub emptied, he turned the hot tap back on, refilling it with fresh, clean water. “You werefilthy, and the water was full of salt and soap. Couldn’t have that touching what I’m about to,” he murmured against her ear, making her chest rise and fall as she squirmed against him. He squeezed her ass lightly in response. “So impatient.”
