I cautiously turn back and see the three of them splashing and washing off the grime, concealed from the waist up by the water. They all have their backs to me, but it doesn’t matter. There’s not a single inch of them that isn’t perfect. I’ve never felt particularly beautiful, but seeing them, however, makes me feel like something ugly and flawed.
I take a few steps away from the river, feeling awkward. Like I’m not sure what to do with myself. Oberon dips into the water and then explodes back out, throwing his hair back, the water gliding over his big arms, his broad chest, and down to his smooth stomach. I force my gaze up, and find him staring back at me, his gaze as hot as flames.
Looking away, I try to ignore the racing of my heart, but all of this is so new to me. The only men I’ve ever seen shirtless were my dad and my grandpa. This is a whole other experience. Glancing back, I see Sylvian’s hands scrubbing his stomach, and my mouth goes dry. The unexplainable need to offer him my help comes and goes when I catch him smiling at me. Instead of finding a safe place to look, I glance at Ashton. He’s leaning down, his ass just barely surfacing above the water. When our eyes meet, he winks at me, and I feel like I’m dying. And then, because I’m a sucker for punishment, I glance at Cassius. He’s cleaning himself methodically, like he wants to ensure each partof him is clean, and there’s something so hot about knowing he’s got such a good attention to detail.
Our gazes meet, and he says, “Alette, you know you can come in the water with us. Right?”
“She’s shy,” Ashton says, his tone teasing.
My blush is painful. “Human women, we don’t… we don’t just jump naked into rivers with muscular fae men.”
“She thinks we’re muscular,” Sylvian jokes.
I thought my face couldn’t get hotter. I was wrong. “It’s… unseemly.”
“Alette,” Ashton says, a smile tugging at his lips. “You know we’ve all already imagined you naked, so this wouldn’t really be that different.”
My jaw drops open.So, the fire fae woman was right. They see me in a sexual way…
“Hey!” Cassius says.
“Tell me you haven’t,” Ashton challenges, giving the water fae a look.
Cassius glances away, suddenly very preoccupied with scrubbing his arm.
“I-it’s not the same thing,” I argue.
“We could look away?” Oberson suggests.
I bite my lip. “I think I’ll just wait until you’re done.”
“Suit yourself,” Sylvian says with a grin.
“But enjoy the show,” Ashton says, standing up taller as the water drops lower and lower until I jerk my gaze away, and his rich laughter fills the air.
I wait until they’re finished, and wait still while they gather branches and make a fire on the far side of the clearing and gather around it, before I finally work up the courage to clean myself. My hands shake as I strip off my filthy shirt and pants, but I keep my eyes on the ground and change fast, bundling myself into a spare blanket before the last layer is even off. Justin case. I dunk my clothes in the river, scrubbing the worst of the dirt and sweat out with a flat rock. The chill of the water makes my skin go numb, but at least it feels clean.
When I’m done with the clothes, I glance back at the men. They don’t look my way, so I release a deep breath, drop my blankets, and rush into the water. I immediately shrink down, so my chest is covered by the freezing water. A shudder rolls through my body, but I force myself to wash myself while my teeth chatter.
Washing my hair, I lift out of the water just a little bit and catch Ashton’s gaze. To my surprise, he doesn’t look away, just stares hungrily, like I’m something good he wants to eat, which is unnerving. He’s still staring when Sylvian looks my way. He bites his lip when he sees me look back at him, and I wonder what he’s thinking about. I keep scrubbing myself when Cassius glances over. His eyes widen when he sees me staring back, and he quickly looks away. I’m feeling all sorts of things when Oberon turns and fixes his gaze on me.
What is it with these men? I imagine they’ve seen more naked women than I can count.
Teething chattering, I say, “I’m going to get out. Can you guys not look?”
“That’s a crime,” Ashton argues.
“It’s a punishment,” Sylvian corrects.
“She’s just asking us to be gentlemen,” Cassius tells them quietly.
“Well, fuck me, I guess I am a gentleman,” Ashton responds, jerking his head toward the fire.
I wait a minute, until I’m sure none of them are going to look, and then I run out and grab my blanket, wrapping it around me. I squeeze the water from my hair and join them at the fire, feeling far too vulnerable as I drape my clothes next to theirs. Oberon sits closest to the flame, his arms wrapped around hisknees, watching the sparks with a kind of greedy hunger. Sylvian is next to him, hair still dripping, blanket pulled tight around his shoulders. Cassius sits calmly, blanket loose around his hips, and Ashton lounges a little further off, staring up at the sky like he’s waiting for something to fall.
I sit at the edge of the fire, careful to keep my blanket pulled high on my chest and low on my knees. The heat feels incredible against my icy body, and I realize I’m shivering.
“Would you like me to dry your hair faster?” Ashton offers, lifting a hand.
