He dipped forward in a bow. “It is my pleasure.”
I flitted us to our bedroom, silencing Reyla with a quick kiss before she could issue a protest.
She tilted her head away from me, narrowing her eyes. “You know, one of these days, you’re going to tell me how you perfected the skill I should've mastered long before you.”
I didn’t bother hiding my grin. “My only goal is to take exquisite care of you.”
“That remains to be seen,” she said with only a hint of her usual pertness.
“Once you’re well-rested…”
“You'll pounce.” She gave me a silly smile. “And I'll pounce on you.” I placed her on her feet, and she slumped against me as I guided her into the bathing chamber. There, she sluggishly undid her weapons' straps, her fingers fumbling over the buckles.
I caught her hands and kissed her knuckles. “Let me.”
“I think you enjoy stripping me,” she said, but the breathlessness in her voice clenched in my chest. Her strength hadn’t failed her, but she’d come far too close for my liking.
“That I do.” I kept my touch gentle as I removed the armor and weapons she wore like an extension of her skin. One blade strapped at her thigh. The ones I'd given to her at her waist. Three bound to her calves. A few in her boots. And one hidden along her back that brought a soft chuckle from my throat. Her long dark lashes dropped as I worked, her shoulders sagging.
“You carry more steel than a smithy on market day, love,” I said.
“I'm prepared to fight at all times, and don't you forget it.” Her voice wavered at the end.
“Never. Though perchance, for tonight, the fight can wait?”
“Yeah, we can battle again tomorrow.”
I peeled the leather from her body, tossing it aside, leaving her standing wearing only her practical linen undergarments.
Her chin lifted, and she met my eyes, turning back into my formidable warrior once more, even after stripped of blades and armor.
Her exhaustion hurt me. It was one thing to wield power, but it was another to see the one you loved fraying under the weight of heart and duty.
I traced the line of her jaw, tilting her face toward mine. “You give so much of yourself, but even the fiercest must rest. I’ll watch over you.”
She smiled and leaned her face into my touch. “I'll try not to collapse before you finish. You’re rather efficient.”
I poured my magic toward the tub. Warm water filled it quickly, and steam curled up from the surface in lazy tendrils.
While she sagged against me, I released the fine straps of her undergarments, freeing her until there was nothing left but all her naked beauty.
Her cheeks pinkened as she motioned toward me. “Aren’t you going to…?”
Before she could finish, a flick of my fingers sent my pants and weapons to an untidy pile on the floor. Her gaze swept over me, and for a moment, it was hard to tell who was holding who hostage with a look.
“Efficient enough for you?” I raised a brow and lifted her into my arms. Her body melted against mine as I climbed into the steaming tub and lowered us both into the water.
She settled on my lap, her sigh brushing my throat as hot water lapped around us. I scooped up some cleanser and gently massaged it into her hair. The rich scent of herbs filled the space,though it was nothing compared to the sweet scent clinging to her skin.
Water sluiced over her in rivulets as I poured magic into the task. My fingers worked through the knots in her hair, then along the planes of her back, her shoulders. She leaned into my touch like I alone could tether her.
“You move through this world like it owes you nothing,” I said as I delicately washed the grime from her face with a soft, wet cloth. “Yet you deserve more than it has ever tossed your way. You give, again and again.” I kissed her forehead, breathing her in. “If you’re this world’s queen, then I am its crown, worn only for you.”
Her laugh came out low, tired, but real. “That was a lot. Even for you.”
I smirked, cupping her face to tilt it toward mine. “Pretty words suit me, don’t they?”
“They do.” Her smile softened as her eyes fluttered shut. “But the bath and your hands? They suit me better.”
