But it’s when he crouches down and traces his finger along my thigh, that I have to look away from him. Because he uses his free hand to hold my hip as he focuses, his thumb finding the strip of skin that’s exposed between the waist of my pants and the hem of my top. It slides beneath the fabric and caresses back and forth over my skin, making it pebble.
My breaths grow heavy as those little movements blaze through me like fire, so hot that I picture walking away and finding burn marks right where his thumb touched me. Caressing my hip as if it’s the most precious part of me.
‘All done,’ he says, though it comes out more like a growl with how raspy his voice has turned. I’m glad his touch not only affects me. Now, how the hell am I supposed to turn around and face Isla after that? How am I supposed to keep a straight head and focus on training when I feel like I’m burning up and need to get out of my clothes.
Isla and I make our way down to the baths together. Both limping, exhausted and littered in bruises and smeared blue paint. I told myself I wouldn’t come back down here unless I was with someone else or I had my dagger with me. Right now I have both. My dagger strapped to my leg, where it was the entire training session, and Isla walking beside me.
I feel like ever since the forest, we’ve become closer. There’s a sense of camaraderie and respect between us that Moira and I never would have managed to reach. We’re almost equally matched for strength, but our skills vary enough that we get to learn off each other and when we do need to fight, it’s never boring.
We go our separate ways once inside the bathing chambers. She’s called over by two other girls and I go off to find a quiet place to rest my muscles and wash all this paint off me.
I spot a familiar face next to an empty pool. Jed’s eyes open lazily just as I’ve stripped down to my black underwear and bra and my toes are dipping into the water of the vacant bath next to him.
‘Hey, Silver.’ Even his voice sounds lazy.
‘Hey, Jed.’ I hiss as I lower myself down and breathe in a waft of salty steam.
‘Why are you blue?’ he asks, humour dancing in his eyes.
I look down, watching as some of the paint starts to flake off and separate from my body. I rub at my skin. ‘Training exercise. You never had to do this?’
‘No, I can’t say I have,’ he chuckles, ‘and by the looks of it, I’m glad for it. You look ridiculous. It’s all over your face.’
‘It is?’ I groan, then scoop up some water in my hands and use it to rub at my cheeks. When I look back at Jed, he bursts out laughing. He swims over to the edge of his pool and leans over so he can help.
I hesitate for a moment before deciding that I trust this person. He was special to my brother and if Lukas trusted him, maybe I could as well.
‘Here.’ He reaches across and rubs his thumbs across my cheekbones and over my forehead. I find myself watching him. His wet lashes that look darker than usual, his high cheekbones and square jaw. There’s always some kind of smile etched onto his face and a jovial glint in his eyes. I wonder if that’s what Lukas saw and liked in him. I start to wonder if he ever would have told me about Jed, or if he worried that I wouldn’t like him.
I do.
‘This looks … cozy,’ Sebastian’s deep voice says from above us.
Jed ignores him as he rubs at my temple one last time before pulling away. Meanwhile my eyes can’t help but rise to his.
‘Jed was helping get the paint off my face,’ I say, feeling like I need to explain why his friend was touching my face. Which I can picture looks rather intimate from where he’s standing.
‘Is that so?’ He sends a sharp look in Jed’s direction.
‘What can I say? I’m a helpful kind of guy.’ Jed shrugs, grinning from ear to ear. Cocky little shit.
‘Oh yeah? You want to wash mine off too then?’ Sebastian strips off his shirt and drops it at his feet, right on top ofmyclothes. A claim if I ever saw one.
‘Don’t eventhinkabout getting in my bath and putting paint in here. Plus, I’m naked.’
My brows raise. He is? ‘Hownaked?’ I hear myself ask.
‘I can stand up and show you if you want.’
‘She doesn’t want that,’ Sebastian growls, pinning Jed with a dangerous look that has my thighs clenching.
‘I don’t know,’ I say thoughtfully, feeling a little mischievous. A smile tugs at my cheeks as the calming effects of the crystals beneath me start to work their way through my body. ‘I think I want to see if he’s telling the truth.’
Jed shrugs again and starts to rise. ‘Very we—’
‘Show her your dick and I’ll cut it the fuck off,’ Sebastian bites, pointing at Jed to sit down.
My core floods with heat. Oh Stars, why do I like that so much? I turn so my back is to Jed and rest my head against the edge of the bath, trying and failing not to look out of the corner of my eye at Sebastian’s naked torso.
