“You can just change behind the screen.” He indicated to the area. “I promise I won’t look.” Because he wouldn’t. Imagine, sure, but not look. She deserved the bath without him acting like a lust-struck fool. This was about her. Not him.
“Won’t disturb you either,” he added, meeting her skeptical gaze. “You can just sit in there, in privacy, and enjoy. I promise.” As if to show her, he retreated to the far side of the bed, giving her plenty of room to go, undisturbed.
Hannah stared at him, lips parting almost as if she was going to say something. What he didn’t know, however, whatever his senses imagined, made his heart twist and long to reassure her somehow. To hold her. Foolish as that was.
But instead, she merely rose and moved out of his view. Which was almost certainly for the best. Sol, in turn, grabbed the book by Smith and flipped to the most boring section, working to focus on his responsibilities instead of all the images that the rustling on the other side of the room was inspiring. Or memories of what had occurred on the bed. Or shadows of a future that could never actually be.
“This is lovely,” she called several minutes later. “I’ve never… it’s very nice.” There was a bit more splashing and sloshing and more unsuccessful attempts to tamp down the images in his head.
Light laughter flitted over the screen, the most beautiful and erotic sound he’d ever heard. Oy. He forced himself back to the pages. This was about her, not abouthim. It should be as if she had her own, personal time, not with him intruding. Because it wasn’t as if she wanted—
“Sol?” she called a moment later.
“What?” he asked, his voice a bit thick even to his own ears.
“This is, well, an experience,” she teased. “But I think I’m going to come out smelling like you.”
He frowned, parsing the words. “Oh, the oils. Yes. Lime and sandalwood. Not a ladies’ scent, unfortunately.” He cursed himself. She deserved that too. Something that would be right for her.
“Don’t worry, I like it,” she returned. “You should be proud; you’ve guaranteed that I’ll keep thinking of you. At least until I get all grimy again.”
And the twisting was back. The regret at the fleetingness, and the fact that he couldn’t give her more. They would each go back to their own lives, his that he’d most certainly not earned, and hers that had been foisted upon her by an accident of birth, a few bad choices, and a touch of bad luck.
Two rather bold, proud people, but one could afford these emotions more often than not, while the other had to pay for them. Sol swallowed again and again as the water sloshed, and the garments that had been placed atop the screen slithered back to the other side.
When she emerged, her hair was a little damp at the edges. She crossed the room and retrieved her cloak, fastening it over her garments, her face flushed, probably from the remaining heat of the water.
“Well, thank you,” she said, finally facing him, hands clasped in front of her, posture stiff as if they were strangers again. “That was, that was wonderful.”
“My pleasure,” he returned, rising off the bed.
She reached out a hand to him, fingers twitching, but they didn’t touch. “You’re covered in shvitz.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll clean myself off.” He brushed at his shirt.
“I like you both ways,” she told him, before glancing toward the window, the moon already beginning to fade. “But I should go. Your house will be waking, and I can’t be here.”
“I don’t suppose I’ll find you under my window again?” he asked as he hopped toward the door to hold it for her.
She halted and gave him a sad turn of her lips. “My work doesn’t usually take me this way.”
“Right,” he said, because there was nothing else to say, was there?
This was just one last stolen moment between two people whose worlds were splintering farther and farther away.
“Be safe, Hannah,” he told her, a tightness in his chest.
“You too.” She gave a nod before she slipped out and down the stairs.
Sol closed his eyes and forced himself not to run to the window and watch her disappear. Instead he pictured her, in the chair across from him, and wished for more.
