Page 58 of Crimson Born

“I’m freezing. No respectable Amish girl would be caught dead in this.” I glanced in the mirror, turning side to side and attempting once again to stretch the sexy suit into a more chaste one before putting on a cover-up.

Heather scoffed. “Well, you’re not Amish anymore. And you’re dead tothem, so get over it.”

“Good point,” I admitted.

“Now,” she said with a shark-like grin, “let’s go find your boyfriend.”

* * *

Many membersof the Bastion community spent their leisure time bathing in the cavern’s communal pools.

Formed millions of years ago by underground rivers, the cavern’s lakes were clear and inviting. Some of them were no more than eighteen inches deep and served as glass-smooth mirrors, reflecting the fascinating multicolored stalactites hanging from the ceilings above them. They were decorative only.

Only one was deep enough to swim in—Fairy Lake. Its mineral content was purported to work wonders on sore muscles.

Perhaps that was why the Bloodbound went there every night for a soak after training.

Tonight, we’d be joining them. Heather and Kelly donned swimsuits and cover-ups of their own and we set off for the natural pool. When we reached it, I stopped and stared in surprise.

“Great vampire minds think alike,” Heather said, readingmymind. “Or at least the female ones do.”

Apparently Bloodbound-ogling was a popular event at the Bastion. Dozens of women were in the pool or lounging on the sides of it—all within view of the tall, fit warriors taking their evening hydrotherapy.

Though Kannon had told me the Bloodbound vows included forgoing romantic relationships, it was clear not all of the warriors werehappywith that state of affairs.

Quite a few of the men were reacting to the sight of the scantily clad females in exactly the way the women were hoping they would. Nudging each other to look. Staring. Practically drooling.

I was happy to note Reece was not among them.

Oh, he was there—in all his bare-chested, wide-shouldered, perfect-featured glory. But he wasn’t looking at any of the girls at the pool—including me.

Which was a problem. How was I supposed to get his attention if he wouldn’t even look in my direction?

“They won’t even notice us in this crowd,” Kelly said, drawing the same conclusion I had.

“Oh yes they will. Follow me.” Heather strode directly toward the end of the pool where the Bloodbound had congregated.

Some of them, like Reece, swam laps. Some sat on the pool’s graduated entry steps or the rock seating ledge that jutted out of the pool’s walls below the clear surface. Others stood in the waist-deep water, fanning it with their hands and talking with one another.

While the other women were following the rules and keeping their distance, it appeared Heather meant to jump right into the middle of the Bloodbound group.

“Wait,” I hissed. “I don’t think we should...”

She simply tossed a naughty smile over her shoulder at me and kept going. When she reached them, she didn’t jump in, but she did something just as bold.

Dropping her cover-up at the edge of the pool, she stepped down onto the first level of the entry steps.

Speaking to the two warriors seated on the next step, she said, “Excuse me. Could I get by? Thanks so much.”

One of them ran his gaze up and down her long legs and scooted to the side. Slightly. The other smiled widely and made a grand gesture with one hand.

“By all means. No problem—atall.”

Now Heather turned her attention to Kelly and me as we stood paralyzed on the side of the pool where she’d left her cover-up.

“I was right. It’smuchwarmer down at this end,” she announced in an overly loud voice and beckoned with both hands. “Come on. Get in.”

I strongly considered turning and running back to my chamber, but then I spotted Reece. He was still doing laps, ignoring everyone around him as he knifed one arm then the other through the water.

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