AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re flushed. Are you okay?”
“I’m still floating around Jupiter, I think. You?”
“I have a buzz from that release. Hannah, it’s never been like this.”
“For me, either.”
All talking ceased and eventually her breathing evened out, as well as his.
He lay on top of her for a long time, supporting himself on his forearms, yet still connected. He laid gentle kisses now and then on her throat, her cheeks, even her shoulders. When she started to doze, he lifted her from the bed and carried her into the shower. He held her as he washed her body in cool water since she was still warm from the release of her fire-gift.
“That cold water is heaven.”
“Thought it might be. You’re all pinked up again.”
He soaped her gently between her legs and kissed her.
He must have felt her overall fatigue and weakness, because when her shower was done, he toweled her off then carried her back to bed where he tucked her in.
As she drifted off to sleep, she heard the showerheads crank up once more.
~ ~ ~
Late that afternoon, Jude woke up to an empty bed, but he caught the smell of bacon frying which sort of made up for it. Crisp bacon, one of his absolute favorite aromas. That, and coffee.
He also heard laughter and knew that Nathan was probably telling Hannah stories about him, no doubt revealing a drunken episode or two. He hoped his Executive Castle Coordinator was keeping it clean.
He slipped into a dark blue, silk robe only because he wasn’t sure how Hannah would feel if she came back to the room and had to face all his nakedness first thing at night. Maybe she wouldn’t have minded, but he didn’t want to chance it.
He searched for and found his brush across the room by his dresser, no doubt having become dislodged the night before when he’d gotten rid of the comforter. He sat down on the end of the bed and began stripping his hair of tangles, usually a long process.
A knock on the door and Nathan entered with the Kellcasse Chronicle under one arm and looking worried, but bearing a cup of coffee.
As Jude took the mug, he asked, “What’s going on?”
Nathan handed him the paper. “See for yourself. But I think we might need some big guns tonight to help us out of this one.”
He set down his brush and laid the newspaper next to him so that he could see the entire front page. “Shit. Who took the picture?”
The shot was from Chelana and the groom was holding his bride, still unconscious. The photographer had zoomed in to show the two cuts on her neck with wound still seeping and the groom’s white shirt covered in blood.
The headline didn’t help. ‘Near Massacre at Chelana while the Mastyr Plays in Love-nest with Human Bar-Maid.’ Hannah must have hated reading that.
There was a picture of them kissing in the kitchen. Damn long-range photo lenses.
“Holy fuck.”
“Yeah, that was my reaction.”
He met Nathan’s gaze. “Has Hannah seen this?”
“Of course. Her cheeks turned red, but her comment was to the point and ran something like ‘This is so fucking unfair’.”
“She said ‘fucking’?”
“Actually, she did. It was awesome.”
“Okay, thanks. Tell her I’ll be down in about half an hour. If anyone calls, just –”
