Page 8 of Veil of Shadows

I held my hands up in mock surrender. “I read you both loud and clear.”

“Uh, huh,” she said as she slid her stare down my body. Then she turned her attention back to Bexley. “I’ll be back in half an hour to check in on you, all right? I’m just going to have myhealers do their rounds to make sure no one got injured in all of this shit.”

Bexley nodded softly. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Merida finally moved away from the tub, staring me down as she walked toward the door. “Will do.”

I nodded my head as I opened the bath house door for her. “Merida.”

She narrowed her eyes softly. “Hands to yourself. She needs rest.”

I slid my hands into the pocket of my suit pants. “I’ll be an absolute gentleman.”

Bexley giggled. “Sure about that?”

“I am,” Merida said flatly.

Then, she exited the bath house, leaving me alone with Bexley, while the sound of her giggling wrapped around my heart. It pulled me toward the tub where I found a wooden stool sitting right where Bexley’s head rested against the copper tub. I hiked my pants up and straddled the stool, reaching for a small cup that I was sure Merida used to pour water over Bexley’s naked form.

I wet her hair down and reached for the shampoo before I spoke. “Lean up a bit, your hair’s pretty long.”

She did as I asked, like the good little girl she was. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

I simply squirted some of the shampoo into my hands before rubbing them together. I ran it through her hair, listening to her sigh and groan as I massaged her scalp. Her back was exposed to me, and I got my first glimpse of her skin. I mean, not that I hadn’t already seen her skin twice. But, I’d never really studied it. I let my lust get the better of me on both occasions, and now I had a chance to study her naked form right there in front of me.

I didn’t like the scars that littered her body.

“What are the scars on your back from?” I asked as I lathered her hair with the soapy suds.

She snickered. “Which one?”

I continued washing her hair. “Any of them. All of them.”

“Maybe some other time,” she whispered.

I nodded softly. “Fair enough.”

I washed her hair twice before I reached for the conditioner, and she stayed silent the entire time. I coated my hands in the slippery substance before I ran my fingers through her hair, working out the knots as I went along. She let her head tilt back. Her body leaned back against the copper tub as I gathered her hair on top of her head. I wanted the conditioner to sit there for a little while, if nothing else than because she deserved to be pampered.

After all, she had a ruthless vampire after her, and we still had to figure out why.

Which meant she needed to be comfortable talking with us about things.

“Thank you,” Bexley said softly after I piled her conditioned hair on top of her head.

I swished my hands around in the milky bath water. “Hey, sometimes aftercare is necessary, even without a scene.”

That turned her head slowly over her shoulder, and I found those piercing amber eyes of hers staring back at me.

“The fuck did you just say?” she asked.

But all I did was toss her a playful wink.

“Oh my God,” she said as giggles fell from her face, “you really did say that.”

I chuckled along with her. “Yes, I really did.”

She leaned back against the tub as her laughter grew. “Oh my God.”

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