I make him a hot bath upon our return to the mountain. It took several trips to the waterfall with a cast-iron pot, and Tegwyn watched the whole time I ran up and down the tunnels like a headless chicken, an impish smirk slowly returning to his face.
On top of collecting the water, I also had to boil it over the hearth, and to say I was tired at the end of it all would be an understatement. I sense his prickling gaze on my back, wisps of pale blonde hair floating about my face as I’m still catching my breath.
“Do you need a hand?” he asks.
I blow a particularly bothersome strand from my eyes, trying to focus on my task. The water’s not even close to boiling, and the tub is only half full.
“No. I’ve got this. You just let me take—”
I jump when the water bubbles behind me, and I glance over my shoulder, gasping when I spy swirls of steam curling from the brass tub.
“Tegwyn! I said I would fill the tub for you.”
He sighs, stepping closer to inspect the water. “Well, you were taking too long, and if you must insist that I get inside this wretched tub, then I would like to do so quickly.”
It looks as if the frost has finally thawed, metaphorically speaking, of course, and now he’s returning to his old, chipper self.
Well,almost.
He’s still jaded, still unimpressed by my fruitless attempts to make him a hot bath. Really, I think he’s just looking for an excuse to show off his skills.
I startle when he bends over the tub, flicking water at me. “Hey!”
He chuckles, and I can’t help but return the smile as I step towards the cupboard where we store the dried herbs. I’m sure we have lavender or rose petals. Anything that would infuse with the water and give it that sweet, aromatic smell.
Not that he needs it. He already smells amazing…
Ooh, rosemary!
He looks a little concerned when I return to the tub, sprinkling several sprigs of rosemary from a glass vial into the boiling water.
He picks up a leafy twig. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say you were trying to cook me up, Ivy.”
I glance at the small green twig in question. “Of course not. Mama used to put rosemary into my bath all the time when I was little. It always made the cottage smell so warm and welcoming.”
He flinches when I mention my dear mother, and I cock my head. “Are you all right? You’re not still cold, are you?” The faerie heaves a sigh, then starts removing his cloak. I take it from his hands, draping it across a chair. Then he peels off his long leather coat and unfastens his cravat and tunic until he’s in nothing but his white blouse and breeches.
My eyes pop when I cast my gaze over his tapered waist, and I lick my lips, eager to see what he’s hiding beneath.
I’ve given him my virtue, yet not once have I seen him naked. Nor has he seen me naked, for that matter.
We were still fully clothed on that high knoll in the village, and I’m still wearing Bannog’s diaphanous dress of glistening gossamer, although the vines and flowers have long since wilted.
They didn’t survive the storm.
Tegwyn pulls his sleeves up to his elbows, and I get a glimpse of the corded muscle beneath. My mouth waters.
He smirks, his golden eyes molten when they settle on me. “NowI see... This was all just a ruse to get me naked.”
I stammer, shaking my head as I leave him to bathe in peace. “D-don’t be silly…”
I don’t make it two steps before he grabs me by the back of the neck, pulling me flush to his chest.
Only his blouse and my thin tablecloth of a dress separate us now. My nipples peak as they press against the hard muscle of his chest, and he shuts his eyes, breathing in the scent of my arousal. “Fuuck…you smell fantastic right now.”
My own eyes are closed as I lose myself in his heady scent of pine and woodsmoke.
“I’ll give you a deal, Ivy,” he whispers, his voice a dark caress down my spine. “I will get in this tub on one condition.”
