Page 30 of Healer
“That’s not true,” I argued, lifting my head to meet the golden stare. “You fixed my hands, getting rid of the stiffness and pain. Without that, I would have never been able to help Irsay. Plus, your faith in me it meant… a lot.”
It meant more than a lot, although I couldn’t find the words to express it properly. I’d had many people believe in me during my career… my family, teachers, and mentors, parents whose child’s life lay in my hand. Yet, despite the weight of their belief in me, none seemed to matter so much as Hakkar’s. It felt rather startling to realize how much his faith in me mattered.
We took a curve in the trail, stumbling upon the hot springs—like a hidden sapphire amid the craggy rocks. Steam rose from deep blue water, foggy tendrils waving to us in invitation. It felt like stepping into a scene from a romantasynovel, with lush greenery surrounding the natural pool and the sound of trickling water providing a soothing soundtrack. The full pink moons hung low in the sky, casting a soft glow over the small clearing. A sprinkle of stars danced playfully around them, creating a romantic atmosphere that seemed to envelop everything in its warm embrace. The gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze added to the serene ambiance, making it feel as if time had stopped for just this moment.
“This is nice,” I muttered, my throat going dry.
Hakkar sat me on my feet, his golden eyes travelling slowly over my body.
“You should get undressed.”
“What?” I started. He’d seen me naked in my dreams, not in reality. A small, saucy part of me considered giving him a strip tease, although I don’t know what effect it would have with my nasty dress and tattered shoes.
“You do not want to get into the water wearing that.” Hakkar’s brows raised as he stated the obvious.
“True,” I agreed. “But turn around first.”
Hakkar’s brows shot even higher, indicating he thought my request the most ridiculous thing ever, though he did as I bade.
Stripping meant tearing the remaining tatters of fabric from my body. The moonlight glowed over my naked skin as I waded into water with the temperature of a warm bath. The pond was deep enough, allowing me to submerge up to my shoulders. Granted, my twenty-something body was nothing to be ashamed of… but modesty was an affliction of age. Plus, having ALS proved rather denting to one’s body confidence.
Speaking of naked.
I glanced at the shoreline, trying to make the action seem innocent and not an attempt to catch Hakkar disrobing. He stillwore the loincloth—dammit—seemingly unhurried to enter the pond as he dropped a large satchel on the ground.
“What’s that?” I hadn’t noticed him carrying it in the dark.
“Vienda gave us soap and drying cloths.” Hakkar glanced at where the remains of my dress lay in a wad on the grass. “Plus, I brought the clothes and shoes she loaned you.”
“Thanks,” I told him, my cheeks suddenly flaming as I watched his hands drop to the ties on his loincloth.
I tried not to look.
Seriously, I tried.
I turned my back, offering him the same privacy he gave me. Was it my fault I could see him out of the corner of my eye when the loincloth hit the ground?
Have mercy!
Even flaccid, his cock was long and thick with ridges across the top that looked to be in the perfect position to….
Have mercy!
I ducked my head under the water, trying to cool the burning in my cheeks.
When I emerged, Hakkar waded in my direction. While the water covered my body almost completely, the waterline hit him right below his eight-pack abs, hovering where his muscles made the natural “v” that pointed to delights lingering below the murky surface.
Damn! He was freaking gorgeous.
I licked my lips, seriously worried I might drool.
He held something out to me that looked like a pale, round rock. “Would you like the soap? Vienda claims it is soft on the skin.”
“Yes, please,” I said, trying not to sound as awkward as I felt. Thank God my lower half was below water. Hopefully, it quelled the scent of my raging libido. A scent I knew increasedwhen I realized I stood only a few feet from him and that we were both naked.
I took the soap and concentrated on cleaning the dried blood from around my cuticles, trying my best not to pay attention as Hakkar scrubbed himself with handfuls of sand—the blood and gore sloughing from his pelt.
The soap smelled like mint and rosemary, lathered thickly, and made quick work of ridding my skin of dried blood. I wished for shampoo, but when on an alien planet, one must make do. I dipped under the surface again, watching the bubbles float away like happy fishes, and raised the soap to my hair.
