Letting my robe slide to the ground, I slip into the tub, and my head rests against the cool metal. Yes, this is heaven. This is almost worth what he’s asking me for.
Opening my eyes again, my gaze lands on the exposed beams above me, and I inhale, smelling cedar and vanilla and something else I don’t recognize. It’s something not of this world, but it’s hard to care where it came from when it makes me feel this good.
I can feel each muscle loosening as I sink deeper into the fragrant water, and I let my eyelids rest again. God, I could sleep like this. I could die like this and feel entirely fulfilled.
After a short eternity of letting myself simmer in the hot water, a low hum meets my ears, and Rathyn’s voice fills my head.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking a bath,” I reply, using my voice. “I deserve it.”
The humming stops, and that’s when I feel someone staring at me. My right eye peeks open for a split second, and I let out an annoyed huff when I find him hovering over me.
“What? Don’t look at me like that. I’m sore, and whatever this stuff is for the water, it’s amazing.”
“It is avlise. It’s for after battles, to relax the body and recover from wounds.”
That tracks. I wasn’t necessarily in battle, but I feel like it. “I never want to leave.”
He hums again, and I can’t help myself. I open my eyes and lock gazes with him. He is very…strange-looking, and yet terrifyingly beautiful. I want him to touch me again, despite how exhausted I am.
His ears flutter, and it’s then that I see what he has in his hands. A coffee cup and a brown pastry bag. It smells sweet and delicious, and for a moment, I fall a tiny bit in love with this whole arrangement.
I adore my best friend, but Zane is definitely not the type of guy to bring me coffee and croissants while I’m in a glorious bath.
My bubbly hand lifts from the water and reaches out to him. “Gimme,” I say as Rathyn moves toward me.
He hesitates and looks almost nervous, which is unlike him. “We have an appointment.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Fuck appointments. I need a minute. Please,” I add, begging him with my tone to understand that I’m fragile and need time to recover.
After a beat, he sets the coffee in my hand, and without even sniffing it, I take a big sip. My eyes roll into the back of my head, and I let out a filthy moan.
“Oh hell yes. This is delicious. Where did you get it?”
“I asked the human downstairs for it,” he tells me, sounding overly pleased with himself.
I peer inside the bag and moan again when I see a large pastry with chocolate stuffed inside. I start to reach for it when I realize the scented bubbles will contaminate the flavor.
I move back away from him and sit up a bit straighter. “Feed this to me?” I say. “My hands are wet, and I don’t want soap to ruin it.”
Rathyn stares at me, and I swear I can feel the low hum in the back of his throat moving all around me. I half-expect him to tell menowith the way he’s staring at me, but after a moment, he takes the bag from me and kneels beside the tub.
I force my expression into something neutral as he reaches in and pulls the pastry out with his long, blue fingers. His claws are extended, and he spears the pastry delicately and holds it in front of me.
Part of me wants to tell him to peel part of it off for me, but instead, I part my lips and take a bite.
He watches me intently, almost hungrily, as I chew and swallow, a low, pleased groan escaping my throat. “That’s fucking amazing.”
His eyes meet mine again, then he gives me a subtle nod. “Finish up quickly.”
The moment between us shatters, and I’m back to being annoyed. I roll my eyes and make sure to take an obnoxiously slow bite. “Don’t rush me. I need to be in peak form before I leave the apartment.”
“Your form is fine.” He eyes me appreciatively. So appreciatively that I begin to blush.
“By the way, just so you know,” I add as I swallow another bite of pastry, then chase it down with a long swallow of coffee, “I’m just as tired as I was before. That ruenox doesn’t get any easier to take.”
“Some humans are weaker than others.”
