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Goddamn idiot. Did he not possess any self-control? It was as though his body had a will of its own. His head screamed at him to stay in bed, but he stood and walked to her.

“Don’t look, okay?” she said.

Don’t look?

“Aye,” he said, ogling her.

She sat in the water hugging her knees, her bare back to him. Droplets rolled down her shoulders. He picked up the soap and the washcloth that swam in the water and squeezed it over her back. She hissed as water flowed down her back. The sight of them made him ache all over.

He ran the cloth down her back as gently as he could. The crusts opened up in places and bled a little. Poor lass. At least now he wasn’t thinking of how much he wanted to be inside her.

“’Tis done,” he said when he’d washed as much as he could without irritating her wounds.

“Thanks.” She took the cloth from him without turning around. He imaged how she’d gently run the washcloth over her breasts, her chest, her neck. Then down her stomach, and farther down…

Getting hard again, he looked away and went back to the bed. As he reached it, water spattered loudly on the floor, and without thinking he swung his gaze to the bath.

Big mistake.

Amber stood naked and wet.

Their eyes met.

“Mother of God,” he muttered.

He was wrong. She wasn’t a heroine from a fairy tale or a legend. She was a goddess. Her skin glowed golden brown. She had full breasts with dark nipples he ached to taste, a small waist, and wide hips. Between her thighs was a black triangle of curls. She had long, sculpted legs with powerful muscles.

She was the image of femininity and strength. His pulse beat in his temples like small drums, his cock swelling even more.

“Lass, do ye want my heart to stop?” he said.

She didn’t cover herself. She didn’t waver. She showed no sign that she wanted him to turn around now. She reached for the fresh cloth that hung on the edge of the tub and wrapped herself in it, leaving only her sculpted shoulders and arms out.

“Don’t get any ideas.” She climbed out of the tub and walked to the bed. “Hope you enjoyed the show, but nothing is going to happen. Get in while the water is still warm.”

She climbed to the other side of the bed and under the blankets. The clean scent of her skin reached him, teasing him, setting his blood to boil. Now that she lay right next to him, with nothing on but a piece of linen, the last thing he wanted was to leave the bed. He longed to reach for her and make her his.

But being with her would cloud his judgment and lead him to lose his head. He couldn’t afford any mistakes while the future of Scotland may be in his hands.

“Aye,” he said, and using all the willpower he had, he climbed out of bed and went to the tub.

Chapter 15

Amber peered from under the blanket at Owen. His powerful back was coiled with muscle and flowed into a gorgeous, round male ass. A beautiful ass she wanted to dig her fingernails in while urging him to plunge deeper into her.

Her back hurt, but her body felt clean and fresh after the warm water. The sight of naked Owen stirred unrest deep within her and impaired her thoughts. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, and muscles deep within her clenched.

He got into the tub without looking at her, but as he turned a little, she saw his hard erection. She bit her lip at the size of it. Was he so aroused because of her? The thought of her making him hard ignited her own desire even more.

Owen lowered himself in the bathtub, still with his back to her, and began washing himself. He sank down into the tub until his head was completely under the water and then rose back up. Droplets trickled down his skin, and Amber wanted to lick them off him.

She closed her eyes, willing herself to think of something else, to distract herself from the heat between her legs and the bubbles of excitement in her stomach.

Just go to sleep, she told herself and closed her eyes. But even though she was tired, she couldn’t doze off. The sound of splashing kept her thinking of a naked, wet Owen. Of Owen inviting her to join him. Of Owen guiding her to straddle him, kissing her, grabbing her thighs, growling with pleasure.

Then the mattress shifted, and he was in the bed.

Amber stiffened. The brush of the blanket against her skin felt like a caress. It augmented her sensations, making the small hairs on her body stand up. She realized their breathing had synced up. The simple linen blanket tucked between her thighs felt coarse against her skin, and his presence was like a warm force field over her.