I’m about to exit the room, but then I hesitate and turn back around. “Do you need to?”
“What?”
“Have a bath?”
He pauses. “Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll make one up for you after.”
“Thank you.”
I heat up the water as usual, undress, and soak in the tub. This isn’t a good distraction, because all I can fucking think about is Daegan sitting out there while I’m naked in the tub, and how he’ll be sitting in the same tub soon, also naked.
I’m sure his large body will fill the whole thing.
I shake the thought away and climb out, tying my robe.
When I emerge, I immediately smell something in the air. I find Daegan sitting back, relaxed, smoking a small rolled up joint filled with spices.
He looks at me with his head tilted back, his lids heavy. “Hope you don’t mind,” he says.
I shake my head. “No. I didn’t know you did that.”
“Not often.”
“Oh.”
He sits up, patting between his legs. “I’ll braid your hair.”
It felt too nice last time for me to turn it down. I kneel in front of him without question, sitting back on my heels.
He smells different tonight. His usual smoky scent mixed with the spices makes for an intoxicating combination. I can’t help that my body is having an intense reaction to it. He reaches around, offering me the joint, and I shake my head at first. But as he pulls away, I grab his forearm, stopping him, and take it from his grasp.
He chuckles behind me. It’s a smooth, delicious sound that warms me all the way to my damn core.
His fingers gently graze my head before he grabs on and tilts it back, pulling gently on my hair. I close my eyes. Then I feel him lean in a little closer.
“Hmm.”
“What?” I ask.
“There’s a coast not far from Torrynth I used to go to as a kid. We have a small fortress there. The air has a small bite to it, but it smells salty and… sweet. I loved it there.”
“Sounds amazing.”
“Yeah. Anyway, that’s what you smell like.”
A fluttering in my chest nearly steals my breath. I think he meant that in a good way?
I take a puff from the joint I’ve been holding and knowing damn well that one hit will be enough for me, I offer it back to him.
“Just set it on the table.”
I do.
Then I close my eyes and enjoy the sensations. I fall into an almost euphoric state as he pulls and grazes his fingers along my scalp. The spices might be kicking in, because it feels so good I let out a small moan.
He freezes, and my eyes pop open.
