After her hair was saturated, he worked in the cleanser, massaging her scalp with the tips of his fingers. It felt so good she moaned again.
“I can do this regularly too,” he offered, his voice low and husky.
It was almost worth the risk to stay if she got this every day!
After he finished massaging the shampoo through her hair, he washed it out and started with the products to soften and help detangle.
He was so methodical she was sure not a single ringlet was left unconditioned.
“Should I try to comb it out now or after I’ve washed this out?” he asked.
“Good question,” she murmured. “Now is better.”
“I’ll be gentle,” he said, and she heard him searching the bag for her comb. Despite his words, she braced herself when he first moved the comb through her hair.
She shouldn’t have been surprised when he did it almost perfectly after she explained it once. He started at the tips and worked out each tangle individually, pulling hair strands apart to reduce the snarl.
“There’s still sand in your hair, even after the first rinse,” he murmured.
“I’m surprised there isn’t sand embedded in my skin,” she said with a smile. “I might be part sand now.”
“I’ll get it all out,” he promised.
When he was done, he went back to pouring water over her hair. It was disappointing that the experience was almost over, but she was also starting to get pruney and should probably get out of the tub soon.
Finished with her hair, he was fiddling with something near her head. She turned her head to say something only to find his face right in front of hers.
Her mind flashed back to the shuttle. The taste of him. The feel of his skin against her lips.
She went from sleepy to fully awake and aroused.
“Nova?” His voice was barely audible, more a whisper of sound than a word.
Her response was to press her lips to his. She wouldn’t be with him much longer. What better time to find out how good it would feel to finish what they’d started yesterday?
Chapter 9
Miran
Nova’s action took him by surprise. It shouldn't have, she was the one who initiated the kiss on the shuttle, but he’d been so focused on caring for her that sex hadn't entered his mind. Especially so soon after being hurt by the sand and having an injured ankle.
He shouldn’t be doing this. She was vulnerable and believed something horrible about him and his team. She could be kissing him in an attempt to manipulate him.
Except he couldn’t believe it because this kiss was as all-consuming as the one yesterday. Nothing this amazing could be a tactic. She had to feel the connection and heat between them.
When he tried to shift his position, she lifted a hand out of the lazily swirling hot water and wrapped it around the back of his head, forcing him to be still. Heat flashed through his body at her possessiveness, making him moan.
She tried to turn her body, but accidentally slipped lower in the water, pulling her face away from his and ending the kisswith a splash. She made a little annoyed sound and let go of his head to sit back up in the tub.
“This isn’t going to work.”
Her sudden displeasure at the kiss gave Miran emotional whiplash. It was her right to refuse a warrior at any time, but her sudden rejection still hurt.
Without a word, he stood up and took a step away, dejection making him want to rush out of the room. He kept his eyes on the base of the tub because he didn’t want to see any hint of displeasure on her face.
“Are you finished with your bath, or would you like to soak in the hot water longer?”
“Either help me out of the tub or get in here with me,” she said, her voice light. When he looked up, she was smiling at him.
