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“Get on it then.”
Hades closed the door and leaned against it, his eyes shut.
“Are you well?” came Eloise’s worried voice.
Ah, she was awake. “Yes,” he rasped. “Thank you for taking care of me last night.”
“How is your wound?”
Hades pushed off the door and walked slowly toward the bed. Eloise still sat on the chair in her semi-transparent nightshift, palming her disheveled hair.
“It burns still. Just needs a change of dressing, I wager. But I need the bath first.”
“Oh.” Eloise shifted uncomfortably. “Do you need help?”
Hades laughed, but it was a bitter, rusty sound. He was so unused to laughing he’d forgotten how to do it properly. “No. I wouldn’t want to offend your feminine sensibilities by appearing undressed.”
“But… your hand is burned. I doubt you could wash properly.”
“It’s just one hand. I’ll manage.”
She frowned. “And you’re still weak….”
“I’ll ask Verity to help me.”
Eloise reared back as if offended at the mere idea of another woman washing him. “You don’t like people touching you.”
“I’ll persevere,” he retorted.
“You didn’t seem to mind my touch last night. I can do it again.”
“Very well.” Hades conceded. She was so adamant about bathing him that Hades couldn’t refuse. He was curious, though, if she was just as tingly at the prospect of watching him bathe as he was at having her by his side. “I’ll let you do this for me. But in turn, you let me do something for you. After.”
Eloise swallowed. Her lips parted, and her eyes darkened. What was she thinking about?
He couldn’t pursue that line of thought, though, as, at that moment, the door opened, and a bath was brought inside.
* * *
Eloise stepped into the closet and washed her face. She performed her morning ablutions and pinned her hair neatly before peering into the looking glass.
What in the world was she doing? Had she just begged Hades to bathe him?
He’d be completely naked in the bath, and she’d willingly volunteered to wash his skin. Everywhere.
She squeezed her eyes shut and dipped her head, trying not to imagine him completely naked and failing horribly.
But the truth was simple. She was drawn to him. She wanted to be able to touch his hot skin. She wanted to alleviate the pain brought on by the cruel people who had used him when he was but a child and show him that touch could be used to heal, to give rather than take. She wanted to show him passion.
Eloise did not understand passion. All she knew was that when she stood next to him, she wanted to feel what true passion was. She wanted to learn all those things that happened in private chambers of brothels. And she wanted it with him and only him.
She tried to get the thought out of her head, but she couldn’t. She would be a married woman soon. She needed to save her virtue for her husband. But was it fair that her fiancé hadn’t saved anything for her?
She didn’t want Hunter. He was a fine, reliable gentleman, but spending nights with him would be hell. And she wanted to feel a little bit of heaven.
It was ironic really, seeing how she was hoping to taste paradise with the man who called himself Hades. Keyon, she reminded himself. His true name was Keyon.
She stepped out of the closet to see that the bath was filled with steaming water.
