Page 77 of Ruling the Green

“If it stays in longer, will it keep healing?”

“I think so.”

“Okay. So we will stay a while longer.”

I reached out, grabbing a cleaning sponge, wetting it, then carefully blotting at the cuts and scratches on her face. Sure enough, little by little, they faded until they were almost invisible.

“Wow. That’s a handy power.”

“It’s not really my power. It’s the lake’s.”

“But you’re of the lake, so it’s yours too.”

“I guess.”

I knew I should have dropped the sponge then. Let the moment linger how it was meant to—soft, sweet.

But I traced it down her arm, cleaning another barely-there scratch. Then slid over the top of her chest.

Was it my fault that her breath caught and her breasts rose out of the water, just begging to be touched?

I slid the sponge over one, then the other, feeling the way she trembled at the touch.

“Jet?” she whispered, her voice going all soft and breathy like it did when she was turned on.

After the traumatic day she had, who would blame me for giving her a little comfort?

I abandoned the sponge, letting my hand graze over her breast instead, loving the way she sucked in her breath then arched up into the touch.

“I can stop if you want.”

“No, don’t stop.”

That was what I was dying to hear.

I closed my hands over her, squeezing, then releasing to circle her nipples until they were pinched and straining.

“Jet, can you…”

“Can I what? Tell me what you want.”

She couldn’t find the words, though, so she reached up to grab my wrist, pulling my hand down over her belly and between her thighs.

It was all soft sighs and gentle rocks of her hips as I teased her clit for a long couple of minutes before slipping my fingers inside her, fucking her with them until she was panting and moaning, then coming around my fingers.

“Anytime you want me to fuck you with my fingers,” I said, lips near her temple, “just ask.”

“Or your tongue?” she asked.

“Or my tongue.”

Or my cock, I added silently. But we weren’t there yet. I should probably never cross that line. But it seemed we were getting closer and closer to it every day.

There was a knock at the hallway door then, making me sigh as I climbed out from behind Serin.

“It’s time to regroup,” I told her. “We have to talk about everything that happened. Are you okay with that?” I asked, reaching to help her out of the tub. “You don’t have to go into details about what he was about to do. Everyone will fill in the blanks.”

“Okay.”