Page 49 of Kidnapping Their Third

“Maybe,” she teased, making him huff out a laugh. “You know, you’re so much happier now. It’s nice.”

He went silent for a moment, then spoke in a hushed tone. “I almost died for us, angry and anxious. That was bad. Better that I live for us instead, happy and loved.”

Oh damn, that wasn’t what she was expecting. Her philosopher vampire.

“Good choice,” she murmured, tucking her head under his chin. “Very good choice.”

***

While Pike helped Cora stand, Kimble stripped her out of her cotton pajamas and tossed them into the nearby hamper. The bathroom was cozy and warm, softly lit by a dozen candles and jazz music quietly playing from Pike’s phone on the counter.

Cora had a moment where she felt mildly self-conscious, but it vanished when Kimble surveyed her body with lust sparkling in his eyes.

“Beautiful,” he murmured as he ran his gaze over her.

She beamed at him, then let Pike lift her into the steaming tub. She moaned as hot water enveloped her. “Oh, this is nice.”

Pike had brought in a stool that he sat on before reaching for a washcloth and a bottle of body wash. “You just wait, because it’s going to get better.”

She watched through half closed eyes as Kimble knelt next to Pike and reached for another washcloth, then accepted the bottle of wash from Pike. With soapy cloths in hand, the two of them went to work.

Cora didn’t know what she expected, but the slow, sensuous rubbing wasn’t it. Kimble started at her feet, running the cloth over her skin and then setting it aside to start massaging her.

She’d had a massage exactly one time in her life and hadn’t been impressed. If the masseuse had been even half as good as Kimble, she would have gone back every other day.

“Very muscled,” Kimble commented as he worked his way up to her calf. Pike was working on her shoulder and right arm, but she barely noticed as Kimble’s magic fingers found all her knots.

“Sorry,” she whispered. Then gave a little gasp and moaned, “Oh man, right there!”

“Muscled good,” Kimble told her. “Strong survive.”

“That was the truth in my household,” Cora agreed with a grin, then opened her mouth and sucked in a breath. “Right there please, a little harder.”

“If you didn’t love him before, this might do it,” Pike teased. “Could you scoot forward and dip your hair to get it wet?”

Kimble stopped massaging long enough for Cora to get her hair wet, then he went back to finding all her tense spots. She wasn’t sure what felt better, Kimble’s magic massage or Pike’s fingers on her scalp as he worked in the shampoo.

“We need to make this a regular thing,” Cora said. She meant the words to sound funny, but they came out needy instead.

“Any time you want,” Pike promised with all seriousness. She opened her eyes in time to see him swoop down to lay a kiss on her lips before going back to washing her hair.

She didn’t think it was possible for her to love these two any more, but as they cared for her body with the sole intent of making her feel clean and relaxed, she fell for them a little more.

By the time Kimble had washed and massaged most of her, Pike had finished with her hair. It had required getting a bowl from the kitchen as well as draining and refilling the tub once, but he’d been determined.

She barely felt the aches she’d been dealing with for the last few days, and her headache was completely gone. She felt clean, warm, and relaxed.

The relaxation was so complete that when Pike pulled her out of the tub and set her on her feet on the bathmat, her knees wouldn’t lock, and she started to fall.

“You’re not an equine shifter, so no falling asleep on your feet,” Pike said after catching her and holding her to his body while Kimble dried her off.

“That was a first,” she admitted, turning her head to rub her face against Pike’s damp shirt. His muscles always needed to be worshiped. “I’ve never felt this relaxed.”

But they weren’t done there.

After she was dry, Kimble started applying lotion to her skin. As with his washing/massage, he took his time to rub every part of her, paying special attention to all the spots where he’d found knots. This time, his touch was everything gentle and soothing as if apologizing to all the muscles he’d worked on earlier.

Most guys would’ve taken advantage, especially when running their hands up the inside of her legs. He didn't ignore her sex, but he only gave the damp curls at the apex of her legs a quick kiss before concentrating on spreading lotion on her belly.

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