AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I leaned over the tub and turned on the water, waiting for the cold to be flushed out of the pipes so I could set the temperature the way she liked it. Her muscles would start to stiffen up soon, and it wouldn't be long after that before they ached. This was what I could do for her. I took care of her, got to hold her in my arms, and she made me feel like I washermonster.
But I could never quite imagine her wanting me on my own. Oh, I could fantasize about doing many things to her, but my daydreams always stopped halfway. Like, I could visualize kissing her so hard I had to hold her up. I could imagine her naked under her sheets. I'd jacked off to plenty of images of her, but I was never in them.
The water finally reached the perfect heat, and I plugged the tub. She had a little glass container with minerals and salts for the water. I measured that out, added a little extra, and put it in. The smell of violets wafted up in the steam, and I inhaled. It was perfect for her.
"Hey," she said, dropping a pile of towels by the sink. "Did you want to grab some clean clothes while that fills?"
"Sure." I stepped back to make room for her. "I can get a bath at my place, too."
"Mine's bigger," she teased. "And I was kinda hoping you'd help me out of this shirt. My arms already ache."
"I'll be right back," I promised.
Because she had a point. About both things, actually. My bath was only big enough to get the job done. I had a shower nozzle, but it was more like a fine mist than anything useful. Just enough to get clean. Hers was made for two people, had twice the water pressure, and looked like it was designed for entertaining.
And her "shirt" was more of a corset, with laces that ran up the back. I wasn't sure if Eladehl or Talin had helped her into it, but I was pretty sure she hadn't done it alone. Besides, running across the hall would give me the chance to make sure those guys weren't making too much noise.
Leaving Nari in the bathroom, I hurried out the door, pausing only long enough to hear Talin's voice, but it was too soft to make out the words, and then into my room. And that was when I started second-guessing everything. I'd been with Nari for three years. In all that time, I'd never felt as stupid as I did right now. I couldn't even decide what clothes would work.
I had a comfortable pair of pants, but they were a little too short now, and faded. I had some things that fit better, but they were a pain to get off and on. My brain couldn't decide if I was going to make a move or act like a proper guardian. In the end, I gave up, grabbed the short pants, a set of clothes for the morning, and headed back to her place.
Just in time to hear her turn off the water. Dropping my clothes on her dresser, I rapped on the door to the bathroom and stepped in. Her boots were sprawled across the floor. Her socks were balled up worse than mine ever were. Her hair was down, she had her pants open, and her back was to me.
"The guys are talking," I said, moving closer to gently tug free the bow between her shoulders.
"Done already?" she asked, glancing back.
Those golden eyes of hers were beautiful. I swore they'd turned a little brighter each time she was submerged in Zeal's tears. When we'd first met, they'd been a pale, warm brown. Now they matched Ela's hair.
Then I realized she'd asked a question. "I think they haven't made it that far yet."
"I'm sure they're nervous," she said.
No,Iwas nervous. As I slowly unlaced her top, I realized there was nothing under it but skin. Evidently, this was one of the pieces that had been designed for combat. Completely functional, she'd said. And fucking hot as hell. As the corset parted, the lace down her back was revealed.
After her Choosing, her marks had been beautiful. These were a masterpiece. From a few feet away, it looked like finger-wide lines that curved around into beautiful spirals and intricate decoration. This close, I could see the pattern that made up each line. When I reached the center of her back, I paused to let my finger trace the pattern. It was... perfection.
When my fingers paused, Nari reached behind her to pull the rest of the laces free, proving her arms weren't quite as sore as she claimed. And then she dropped her shirt on the ground. Without shame, she pushed her pants over her hips, not caring at all that I was gaping at her like a fish. When she tossed those into the pile, she stood back up, giving me the entire view. My eyes dropped to the thick, sharp lines that ran up the backs of her legs.
"Baby?" I asked. "Did Saval show you the drawing of your marks?"
"Yeah?" she asked, looking back at me again.
"I think the pattern down here..." I paused. "Never mind."
She paused to glance back. "Finish that thought?"
But my eyes were stuck on her long, luscious, amazing legs, and the lines that seemed like the mirror image of mine. Granted, I could only see them in my reflection, and I was probably wrong. Someone would've noticed if they were the same, wouldn't they? They'd checked us for matches. Then again, all of her marks were made of so many smaller ones.
"Take off your boots while you remember," she teased, seeing my distraction. "My tub is big enough for two."
Yeah, it was easier to think about her marks than being both wet and naked with her. Still, I bent to unlace my boots. "It's just that the line up your legs looks a lot like the band that connects both of my arm pieces across my back. I mean, the general shape, not the miniature ones inside it. Or close. Probably not an exact match or anything."
"Probably is," she said as she lowered herself into the water. Then she sucked in a breath as her skin accepted the heat. "This is perfect. And I mean the view, too. Come on, I wanna lean against you."
That made me chuckle. "You make me nervous when you stare."
"You have been nervous since we walked into this room," she pointed out. "Wraythe, your desire and my guardian are fucking. You're spending the night with me because I'm a spoiled little brat, and my suite is better than your room. So what's the problem?"
