But Lainey didn’t care. She got close to him, justified in her concern as she asked, “What happened? What’s wrong?”
Kirov inhaled a deep breath and sighed, leaning down so he could rest his forehead on her shoulder. It was a long way for him to stoop, but Lainey wrapped her arms around him nonetheless.
“Tell me,” she whispered, wanting to make it better. She’d never seen him like this, not even remotely like this.
“I was with my sire,” he told her, pulling back.
“Your…” Lainey trailed off. He’d been with his father this whole time? “Your sire. He’s the one that lives right next door?”
Kirov nodded and Lainey’s brow furrowed, confused.
There was obviously a lot that he wasn’t telling her and when she opened up her mouth to ask another question, he said, “Please,luxiva. I do not wish to speak of this. Not right now.”
Lainey could see that he was emotionally drained and while she had a mountain of questions in her head, she nodded. Even though she was still slightly hurt that he didn’t want to confide in her, she knew it wasn’t the time to bring it up.
“Okay,” she whispered. “What do you need?”
He looked at her. “Come bathe with me,tev?”
“Okay.”
Kirov led her to the washroom on the bottom level. He kept the lights off, since the light from the almost full moon was enough, flowing in through the huge windows. Through the darkness, Lainey could see the steam rising from the top of the bathing pool, curling up towards what looked like a vent in the ceiling.
It was quiet, since neither of them spoke. Kirov’s fingers came to the clasps on her dress and he unhooked each one before pushing the material down her body. Despite the warmth in the room, she shivered, especially when his eyes roamed over her.
“I will send your measurements to a seamstress in the morning,” he said suddenly. “For more coverings.”
Lainey blinked. That was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment. She only wanted to make sure that Kirov was okay.
Kirov made quick work of his clothes until he was just as nude. Lainey swallowed, seeing the moonlight reflect off his magnificent, sculpted body. She would never get used to how…beautifulhe was. She would never get tired of looking at him.
Tall and broad, with a taut abdomen, and muscular thighs the size of tree trunks, he was every bit a warrior. One day, she would make him tell her the story of every silver scar that crossed his flesh, because she wanted to know everything about him.
He led her into the bath and he groaned when the hot water hit him, a sound so primal that it tightened her core.
Lainey felt…a little exposed, truthfully. She didn’t know why bathing with him this way, after he’d obviously had a difficult day, felt so intimate. But it was.
He went over to the ledge on the far wall and out of a blue jar, he grabbed a handful of small soap granules, similar to the ones they’d used in the Golden City, which lathered and exfoliated like crazy, leaving her skin moisturized and smooth.
Kirov approached her, coating his hands with them, and without saying a word, he began to smooth his hands over her body, washing her exposed skin first before dipping underneath the water.
“I am sorry,” he whispered to her, running his hand down her arm, to the tips of her fingers, using those strong hands to massage her and stroke her and wash her all at the same time. “I did not expect to be gone so long. Please forgive me,luxiva.”
“I already have,” she told him honestly, catching his hand, looking him in the eye. “But you will tell me everything one day, won’t you?”
“Tev,” he said, inclining his head. “Just not this night. I cannot.”
She nodded, slowly releasing his hand and he continued washing her body, going over—seemingly—every inch of her skin.
She bit her lip when trailed his fingers over her nipple, around the underside of her breast. He brought her leg up, positioning her against him for balance, as he stroked down her thigh, before switching her leg to do the same on the other. Her cheeks burned when he reached around to her lower back, making small circles that went lower and lower.
He smoothed the soap over the flesh of her ass and she squealed in surprise when he dipped a finger between her cheeks.
“Kirov!”
When she looked up at him, she was relieved to see his crooked grin, though it was small. His eyes didn’t seem as tired, they were dancing with a little mischief.
“I did not think you were shy,luxiva.”
