Chapter 31

Caspian Storm

Eventually, I moved. The air was cooling, and her skin was beginning to tremble faintly. She needed warmth. I needed to do something, anything, to take care of her.

I carried her to the bathroom, brushing strands of hair from her face, my fingers trailing across her cheek with reverence. The tub was wide, carved of stone and polished to smoothness. I filled it with warm water and stepped in with her, settling her gently between my legs.

The heat seeped into us both.

She sighed faintly.

I took a soft cloth and began to wash her. My hands were steady, respectful. Reverent. I moved slowly, cleaning dirt and sweat and pine needles from her skin, whispering apologies she couldn’t hear.

I was washing her arm when her body tensed slightly in my hold.

Then her eyes opened.

She blinked up at me, dazed and flushed, lips parted. When she realized where she was—and that I was naked behind her—her entire face turned red.