Page 29 of Held

Wick held them out gingerly, considering. His hesitation was enough.

Briar patted the ground in front of her. It was still damp, but barely.

“Come on,” she said. “I owe you a massage.”

Wick’s wings pulled in protectively. “You will… ‘knead’ my muscles?”

“It doesn’t hurt! I promise.” Briar flashed him a smile. He didn’t seem soothed, which was annoyingly typical of him. Briar had a fantastic track record of making men believe her just by shoving her attractiveness in their faces. But apparently, it didn’t work so well on Skullstalkers.

“It doesn’t hurtmuch,” she amended through a mouthful of apple. She patted the ground again. “Come on! What harm can one itty bitty mortal do?”

This seemed to mollify him. He sat down in front of her, only turning around when she instructed.

Briar finished her apple and threw the core over her shoulder, considering his back. It was huge and solid, ripplingwith muscles and scars. His wings narrowed at the base before blending effortlessly with his pale skin.

Briar tried to look confident. Wick couldn’t see her, but holding herself confidently was almost as good as actually feeling confident. She was a good liar, even to herself.

“Spread your wings,” she said.

With a grunt, Wick did. The grunt was the only sign that he was in more pain than he’d let on. She had caught him wincing several times as they soared down to this cave, but he had denied it when she’d called him on it.

His wings scraped both sides of the cave. Briar didn’t pay them much mind. She only told him that because stretching had to be good after being stuck in a cramped cave all night. Skullstalker or mortal, muscles were muscles.

Briar started on his shoulders. She had to kneel up to reach the top of them, squeezing hard. Most of her massages were to seduce someone. But this was a real massage, and that called for force.

Wick grunted louder. “So, when you saidknead?—”

“I meant it.” Briar squeezed harder, feeling the muscles resist underneath her touch. They were tight, just like she thought. She moved down lower, feeling the pale skin around the base of his wings. The muscles were knotted, and Briar winced in sympathy.

Wick’s wings twitched.

“Stay,” she warned him.

Wick sat up straight, sitting so still she couldn’t see him breathe. Briar kneaded his back harder, basking in having a man listen to her so thoroughly. Especially a man like Wick, with his immense power. Hissize. She had met many big, powerful men, but she hadn’t wanted any of them like Wick. She’d never trusted them enough. But Wick…

Wick was ridiculously sweet. Shockingly gentle. And all too eager to please. A dangerous combination that made Briarwant him to hold her down and do absolutely anything to her. Because, for once, she almost had faith that he would only do what she wished.

Wick made a surprised noise, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

“No,” Wick said slowly. “Not… entirely. It is a strange sensation.”

Briar snickered. “Isn’t it? My first massage, I almost kicked Marigold in the face. Am I getting deep enough?”

She pushed her thumbs into his joints as hard as she could.

Wick flinched. Then he stopped, holding himself so still that Briar wanted to praise him. She held back on it, kneading harder into the stubborn knot of muscles.

Slowly, Wick’s rigid posture relaxed. “Oh.”

“That sounded like a good noise,” Briar said.

“It was,” Wick said thoughtfully. “I feel… looser.”

“That’s the idea.” Briar smiled to herself, moving over to the next knot around his wings.

Wick rumbled. His skin was warming slowly under her touch.

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