“Let me take care of you.”
He picked her up and carried her to his copper tub. She looked so small as he laid her inside the shining metal.
He ran the water until the warmth enveloped her skin. He took a cloth and didn’t hesitate to start washing her, taking his time with each leg, then her arms, her stomach. When the water turned an opaque red, he drained it and began the process again. He cupped handfuls from the tub, dropping streams down her long locks, combing his fingers through the soaked strands to remove any caked-on debris.
She moaned, a sound of satisfaction that went straight to his core.
“That feels amazing.”
She shivered, clearly enjoying the experience. Every one of Helaina’s muscles eased.
He was equally relaxed. He didn’t have to worry about losing control with her, or injecting his personal brand of fear into her heart. She carried that strange protection of hers. Placing his bare hands upon her was complete and total bliss. That dark power that plagued his life couldn’t find her. To this single soul, he wasn’t a threat.
He allowed the bath to fill again with clean water. As he stood, he began tearing off pieces of his own clothing. He paused, taking in her nearly naked body. She had scars, both outside and in—so did he.
“Helaina,” he said like a prayer, feeling bolder than he probably should.
When she turned, he could have sworn he saw a flicker of trust there. He continued to undress, smelling her arousal. There was so much to discuss, so much ahead of them, yet all he could see was this opportunity before him.
“Can I join you?”
That sweet scent of hers grew stronger with his question. A cocktail of desire, nervousness, and excitement.
“If I say no? If I asked you to leave me?” Her hands squeezed the sides of the tub in anticipation of his next move.
There was such longing in his eyes, and he let her see all of it. “I’ve lived too long to pursue someone who doesn’t share my desires. If you command it, I will walk out that door.”
He waited, but the command didn’t come. She shifted her legs, crossing them tightly.
“Is that what you want... little hellion? For me to leave you?”
“No.” She began torturing her lower lip with her teeth, the action making his mind a puddle. “Why do you call me that? Little hellion?”
He dared a step forward. “Because you’ve been unruly and troublesome since the moment I found you.”
Her fidgeting continued, her fingers making their way between her teeth.
“You’ve also been... surprisingly captivating. I can’t stop wanting you.” His admission was a deep rumble.
He could tell it surprised her. “Is this what you say to all the new recruits?”
“If you’re asking if I’ve been with others, the answer is yes.” He bent down to lower his pants to the floor. Her breathing paused. “The way I have thought of you every second since I discovered you, the way I want to touch you the moment you walk into a room... that has happened with no one else. For that, you are the first.” It was another vulnerable admission, but he wanted her to know.
“Can I join you?” he asked again, softer this time.
She met his gaze. “Yes.” He’d never heard a sweeter word.
His hard body slid in behind her, his chest flush with her back. The water rippled around them in waves and finally settled as he found comfort. Their hearts pounded almost in sync.
“I have wanted to touch you.” He let his hands glide down her pebbling skin. “I have wanted to breathe you in.” He reached for the band of cloth around her breasts and pulled it over her head, flinging it onto the ground behind him. Her nipples hardened instantly with their newfound freedom.
“I have wanted totasteyou.” He smoothed his lips across her shoulder as she shuddered.
He allowed his teeth to graze over the softest neck he had ever encountered. His lips touched right where her pulse was bounding, just below the angle of her jaw.
“Do you still wish to escape this place? To run from me again?”
“No,” she replied with surprising confidence.
