“I—I need help.”
He walked to her, placed his hands at the base of her neck.
Click. One snap undone.
Her throat bobbed at the sound. She kept her hands nervously fisted at her sides as his fingers wandered lower, over the clasp near her breast.
Click.
She wouldn’t dare look up. She got lost examining the small outlines of faint pale scars marring his tan skin. All the various shapes and sizes cutting through his arms and abdomen.
His hands took on a lazy pace as they glided down her stomach. The lower his touch traveled, the hotter she felt. Like a raging inferno was blazing under the fabric and she might burn alive.
His fingers paused on the last clasp at her navel.
She willed her eyes to look up.
Theodon’s gaze penetrated her with eager intensity. For this encounter to be over... or something else entirely, she wasn’t sure. He didn’t blink—he didn’t break eye contact.
Click.
The leather fell to her sides, leaving just a thin cotton wrap over her breasts. Her chest heaved as he kept those calloused fingers right at the hemline of her undergarments. She felt one of his knuckles languidly smooth the skin of her lower abdomen back and forth. Gooseflesh rose over every inch of her body.
Why was she allowing this? Was she that mentally worn down? Or was it that his eyes and his touch made her actuallyfeel? She had begged the gods to let her feel something, anything other than this hollow ache that had built a home inside her.
Was this their answer?
Then the moment ended. He cleared his throat, lifting his hands away from her.
He didn’t say anything, so she whipped her body back around to face the pool.
She heard his footsteps retreat.
What just happened?
She tried to gather herself—tried to erase the image of those sunset and hailstone eyes out of her head.
She removed the rest of her layers and folded her arms across her breasts, attempting to achieve some semblance of modesty. She looked down, appraising her naked body in full for the first time since she was healed.
She was healthy. Scarred and badly bruised, but she was healthy.
She braved a glance over her shoulder.
Theodon hadn’t left. To her disappointment, she saw his eyes begin to dart to either wall. Why wasn’t he trying to sneak a glance? Wouldn’t most men do so? Had her bare body been that hideous? And further, why did she care?
With newfound embarrassment, she plunged into the inviting spring.
“Mmm,” she hummed with delight. Her aching muscles were instantly soothed as the musical sound of falling water filled her ears. The elation was short-lived as she heard the thumping of boots hitting the ground. Theodon had kicked his off, and was dropping his pants to his ankles. His firm ass was on full display as he tossed the pants and undershorts aside.
“Wha-what are you doing?” she stuttered.
“Bathing, what does it look like I’m doing?”
“here?” she shrieked.
“Yes, Highness. Right here,” he replied curtly.
“Why can’t you go somewhere else?”
