I nodded.
“Great. I’m going to go hunt down something fun for you to wear tonight. Just in case you want to look special for someone.”
She didn’t give me time to protest before she escaped back outside with another one of her grins. I just sighed and turned back to the bath, recognizing that there was little I could do to stop her friendly meddling.
Besides, there was something more enticing in front of me. Within seconds, I’d torn off my clothes and stepped down into the bath.
And it was just as heavenly as I’d imagined it would be.
Ary was right—the naturally heated water feltamazing.My sore, aching muscles relaxed collectively as the warmth enveloped me, and the sweet, floral scent of the bath oils drifted soothingly up my nose, inviting me to unwind and forget about all my worries. An involuntary sound of pleasure escaped my lips.
The water came up to my belly button when I was standing, but there were stone ledges along the sides of the bath where someone could sit. I happily perched on one of them, lowering myself until the water hit my chin and the bubbles tickled my lower jaw.
Forget the bed. I might just nap here instead.
I tilted my head back, leaning it against the stone side of the bath, willing myself not to think about manticores, or the Circle, or any sort of “fight to come.” It was easier than I expected, probably because I was so, so tired.
I drifted at the edge of consciousness, slipping in and out of a light doze, and for that reason I had no idea how long I was in there before the sound of the door opening jerked me back into full awareness.
I blinked, remembering where I was, but before I could say anything heavy footsteps carried a familiar figure deeper into the room.
Octavian.
Sitting as I was, with my body buried in bubbles to my chin and my head below the lip of the bath, it was no wonder he hadn’t noticed me yet. I knew I should make a sound, let him know the bath was already occupied, but my voice froze in my throat.
And then he pulled off his clothes.
31
The Bath
Saysomething!my mind screamed.
But my voice was caught in my throat, completely useless as I watched Octavian strip down to absolutelynothing.
He was facing away from me, giving me a dead-on view of the rippling muscles of his back…and his hard, perfectly shaped buttocks.
Sweet jesus.My skin went from pleasantly warm to scalding, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the hot spring beneath me.
I had to say something. I couldn’t let him turn and—
Too late.
He turned, and I sank lower into the bubbles, trying to will myself to look away…but it was an exercise in futility. And hestilldidn’t notice me as he stepped down into the bath, his muscled legs disappearing into the aromatic foam. While the water had come to my belly button, he was so tall that it only reached his hips.
Meaning his junk—every glorious bit of it—was right at my eye level.
Something snapped in me then, and my body became un-petrified with a jolt. I jumped up, meaning to spring from the bath, snatch my towel, and run like hell—but instead my feet immediately slipped out from beneath me.
I only had time to let out a squeak—and glimpse Octavian’s eyes widen in shock—before I fell ass-backwards into the scented water.
As I scrambled to find my feet again, two strong hands came down through the suds and grabbed me by the arms, hauling me up to a standing position.
Which was almost worse. Because now, not only was I still staring at a very-naked Octavian, but as the suds sloughed off my dripping body, he was getting an eyeful of a very-nakedmeas well.
He seemed to realize it at the same moment, because he released me abruptly. I stumbled back so quickly that water sloshed over the edge of the basin. Too embarrassed to climb out and reveal even more of myself, I lowered myself back into the water so that I was covered up to my chin once more.
It wasn’t that I’d never seen a naked man before—I was a virgin, sure, but I wasn’tthatinnocent—but this was different.
