Page 52 of Dragon's Honor

She quickly escaped into his bathroom. She didn’t want to go searching for another one and she at least knew the landscape in this one. She locked the door, even though she doubted the standard bathroom lock could keep out a dragon, if he really wanted to come in.

She started the shower and then looked longing at the bathtub. It was huge. She would be able to have her legs and boobs in the water at the same time. And it was wide enough that she wouldn’t feel like her hips were pressed to either side.

Finley couldn’t remember the last time she’d comfortably taken a bath. The tub in her apartment was okay, but it didn’t have anything on the luxury of this one. With a sigh, she opted for a bath, not trusting that she’d be okay standing. Whatever had happened to her between the warehouse and now left her weak and shaky, and the last thing she needed was Ash finding her passed out and bleeding in his shower.

The water from the tap stayed piping hot the entire time the tub filled, and she wished she had a bath bomb or bubble bath, to really take advantage as she climbed in. She eased into it, settling slowly. The hot water soaked into her sore muscles, helping her relax as she leaned back and closed her eyes. This was magic she could get behind, even if it wasn’t really magic at all.

She grabbed as wash cloth and some of his soap. It didn’t smell particularly manly from the bar, but when you mixed it with Ash, it was all man. She washed her hair and then just relaxed a little trying to figure out her next move.

If she going to be stuck with this man for the foreseeable future, she didn’t want to be fighting with him all the time. He’d told her everything, shown her even more than that, and he was trying to keep her alive.

She probably owed him a “thank you” at the very least. Unsure of how she was going to do that without getting one of his smug smiles was beyond her, but she didn’t to be a jerk either. Their lives had crashed together and neither one of them really seemed to want what was handed to them. At least he was trying to keep her safe.

He had kept her safe. He’d done everything he could to protect her.

Finley didn’t know how long she stayed in the bath, but once she got out the water was barely lukewarm and her fingers and toes were all pruney. She grabbed a towel and dried herself off. Even the towels were luxurious, thick and soft, and so oversized she could wrap it around her body with room to spare.

When she went back into the bedroom, there were clothes—her clothes—waiting for her on the bed. Two suitcases of her stuff sat at the foot of the bed, as if he’d known instinctively what she’d want while she was there. One was full of more clothes, toiletries, and more of her camera equipment. The other was jam-packed with pairs and pairs of her Chucks.

She was grateful to have the underwear and a bra. She wondered if Ash had gone out to get it or if he had some sort of paid servant sent over there. How had they gotten by her security? There were so many questions.

Now she had to be grateful twice. She was happy to be in her own clothes, a ridiculous sense of comfort and safety. They wouldn’t protect her any better, but the chances of her boobs popping out to say hi were far less likely now.

Even if her libido wanted to find out what Ash would do if they did keep popping out.

She made her way down the hall. Ash wasn’t kidding when he said he liked things big. Judging by the view from his veranda, she had to be on the third floor of his mansion. Part of her wanted to snoop around, but she didn’t want to be rude. She found her way to the kitchen and inhaled deeply taking in the complex aroma of whatever he was cooking.

She pulled up a stool and watched him move around, working multiple pans on the stove with such a rhythm, it almost looked like a dance.

He didn’t seem to know that she was there, he never turned around. But then he spoke to her. “Enjoy the bath?”

“Quite. Your bathtub is amazing.”

He chuckled. “I appreciate it.”

“How did you get my clothes?” she asked.

“Henrik asked a friend. There was some minor breaking and entering but nothing was damaged. Everything is locked back up.”

“Good to know. Do I get to know who was rummaging around my underwear drawer?”

Ash snorted. “It was a female, if that’s your concern. I wouldn’t let a man near your stuff. Least of all your undergarments.”

“Why not?”

“If someone is going to be rooting through your underwear drawer, it’s going to be me.”

“Presumptive.”

“Do you like to be angry for the sake of it? I didn’t go through your drawer. A friend did and I assure you, she has the utmost respect for privacy.”

“I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I’m being a jerk. I should be saying thank you. I’m just a little…on guard, I guess.”

Ash turned around. He lifted a brow when she didn’t say anything else.

“What?”

“You said you should be thanking me. I was waiting for that.”

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