Bash grumbles but doesn’t argue.
“It’s probably for the best if we lie low while we’re here,” I say through a yawn. “We’ll be gone in a few days, and then we’ll never see him again.”
“Stop being the logical one,” he argues as he turns me and tugs me against him, wrapping his arms around me. “That’s my job.”
I hum happily and snuggle in. “You know I always liked it when you held me like this.”
“I know, princess.”
“We need a shower,” I say as I nuzzle in deeper.
He chuckles as he grabs the blanket and tosses it over our bodies. “It’s been a long couple of days. Get some rest. We’ll worry about getting clean later.”
“You just want me covered in cum,” I argue in a mumble.
“Yeah, maybe,” he agrees, and hugs me tighter as I drift off to sleep.
Xeni
Thesoundofrushingwater stirs me awake, and I grunt as I sit up and lift my arms in a stretch, joints popping softly in the quiet room. Beside me, the bed is empty, and I frown toward the closed bathroom door. The faint hiss of running water seeps through, and as I’m getting ready to go investigate, it opens.
Bash’s head pops out, hair damp and a playful smile on his face. “Hey, sleeping beauty.”
“What time is it?” I ask, not fully awake yet.
“A little past dinnertime.” Right on cue, my stomach growls, and Bash grins as he walks over to stand beside the bed. I grunt and slump against him, laying my head on his stomach.
“This used to be softer,” I complain as I poke him in the belly.
He chuckles as he guides me to my feet. “Come on, princess. Let’s get you clean. I ran you a bath.”
We walk into the bathroom and my gaze falls on the tub of steaming water. It’s a stark contrast to the extravagant tubs I grew up bathing in. They were miniature swimming pools with scented oils and expensive loofahs, and enough room for a few people to sit side by side.
This one is small, designed for passing humans to rinse off the day and nothing more. The water will only cover half my body, and my knees will have to bend in order for me to fit.
Tears prickle behind my eye as I chew on my lip.
Bash is infinitely soft as he wraps his arms around me. “I know it’s not much—”
“It’s perfect,” I interrupt, voice thick. “Everything is perfect.”
He kisses me, and I grimace at my morning breath, but he doesn’t complain, only gives my nose a peck before he releases me and nods toward the sink.
He steps out of the room while I brush my teeth and empty my bladder, then taps his knuckles against the door before peeking back inside with a smile.
“Are you getting in with me?” I ask.
He laughs as he glances at the bathtub. “There would be no water left if we both tried to fit in there.”
“Your loss,” I tease.
Heat surrounds my feet as I step in, and I lower myself into the water.
“Oh, holy shit, I needed this,” I groan.
Bash kneels beside the tub as I recline, one leg hooked over the side so my body can stretch out in the warm water. His eyes roam my frame, taking in every inch with a kaleidoscope of emotions that shift across his face.
There’s anger when he looks at my ruined eye, and warm fondness at my sleep-rumpled hair. Lust at the dewy expanse of my chest, and devastation at the inky, gnarled mark on my hip. Remorse and crushing guilt as he tracks the scars on the insideof my thighs, and unfiltered need at the smooth swell between them.
