Page 163 of Smoke and Lure

He worked in every place he could reach while holding her, moving in a steady, fast pace and doing his best to go easy over the multiple scrapes and darkening bruises peppering her body.The water would warm again while it was still running.Sliding his slick hands under her arms, he coasted over her breasts.

She moaned as he grazed across her nipples, but Chanin kept his touch on her body more clinical than seductive.

Fuck, he always wanted her, and caressing her now had his dick hard and pressing into the softness of her belly between them.But he denied the lust raging inside of him.

From her stomach he rounded her hips and stroked the supple curves of her ass cheeks then descended her legs.If there was any dirt from the fight on her, it had long been doused and run down the drain.He added more soap to his hands before sliding them between her stiff, quivering thighs, washing those intimate parts that were his alone.Lastly, he fingered her soft, soaked curls.Not concerned with cleaning her hair, but checking for hidden bumps or scratches.Once he got her to shift, her wolf would heal everything in time, but he needed to know everything for himself.

Adding more of the cleaning bar residue to his hands, he let the stream of bubbles dash away not just the grime from the forest travels, but also swiped away the stench of the other shifters that always seemed to cling to him after a meeting.

Done with them both, Chanin reached for the dial and shut off the water.

Shivers ran through her petite form, urging him to draw her closer.

Morlie whimpered and released a broken hiss.

He shifted his hands to make sure he wasn’t gripping too tightly and increasing her pain.If she’d won and was battered this badly, he could only imagine how Minsi fared.

Right now, Morlie was his only concern.

“Come on, love.Let’s get you out of here.”He kept one arm around her waist as he led her from the stall.Once she was standing on the bathroom rug, he released her just long enough to grab a couple of towels from the linen closet.

Water ran down her body and dripped from her face, fingers, and breasts to the floor as she still shook and her teeth chattered loudly, whether from the cold or pain, he wasn’t sure.One thing he knew was that it took a lot for a wolf-shifter's body temperature to dip so low that they became cold.

Stepping back before her, holding two towels, he tucked one towel under his arm as he began wiping down her body briskly, trying to bring warmth back into her blood and extremities, which would help reduce her unusual chill.When he was finished, he swiped the towel over his own body before dropping the large, damp cloth to the floor.Next, he began wiping the water from her face, then draped the towel over her head to soak up some of the excess water in her hair.

Why, mate?

Silence.Morlie kept her words and thoughts to herself.

Two heartbeats passed before her golden-brown eyes lifted to his, her head still shrouded—a fierce nun.There were shadows in her gaze, emotions he couldn’t pull apart and examine.

“Shit,” he roared low as he saw the split and swollen top lip.

Chanin slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her bare flesh against his naked body, adding his warmth to aid in elevating her core temperature.

She shook her head and glanced away.“You wouldn’t understand,” she said.

He cupped her chin and brought her face back around, not willing to let any distance remain between them.They were one in every sense of the word, and he wouldn’t allow anything to break that.“Try me.”

She began to step back, but he held her in the space and felt the heat in her body returning.

Instead, she drew the towel from her head and then tossed it to the counter.

“There’ll be no secrets between us, Morlie.”He stroked down her back to the top of her ass.Tightening his core, he refused to let his desire blaze at the feel of her silky skin.“Know I am always on your side.”

She nodded, pressing her palms to his chest.After an inhale, she began.“I’ve been sheltered and protected all my life by one person or another, in one way or another.”

Morlie studied his face.

He kept his features locked.

Even by you, mate.

Chanin arched a brow, but remained silent.

She exhaled and pushed against him.

He didn’t want to let her go.She still wasn’t as warm as he liked, but he understood she needed a little space, so he lowered his arms.

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