Page 149 of The Demon's Pet

“I must say I don’t approve of this,” he said. “Master Samael needs rest, not company. But as it’s his request—”

“Stop bothering Cleo,” Sam called grumpily. “You’re overstepping your place.”

Orpheus shot him a look that said they would be having a discussion about this later, but he left the room.

“You didn’t have to be rude to him,” I said, following the sound of Sam’s voice toward a door at the end of his bedroom. “He was just trying to help.”

I opened the door to see a huge copper tub filled with steaming, soapy water. Sam was in it, his shoulders and arms exposed above the water, his head back in a relaxed pose, his tousled golden-brown curls already wet.

He looked over at me, and I noticed the bruises on his face had already lightened quite a bit. They did nothing to deter from the natural beauty of his high cheekbones, full lips, and strong brow.

The tattoos on his arms caught my attention, and I had to admit I found them sexy.

I winced at a huge bruise on his chest, the size of a foot.

He looked down. “Yeah. He stomped on me a few times.” He grimaced as he propped his hands on the edge of the tub, moving and trying to get comfortable. Then he rested the back of his head on the lip behind him and turned to look at me. “Well? What are you waiting for? Sponge bath?”

I breathed in through my nose, inhaling the fragrance of the bathwater as I came closer. Jasmine and woods, unexpectedly.

I knelt by the side of the tub, grabbing a sponge that had been placed in an attached delicate silver tray and next to a bar of elegant soap.

I picked up the soap and lathered it against the sponge, heart beating as I realized this was really happening.

This demigod incubus was really going to make me wash his body.

The worst part was I couldn’t wait.

Sam sent me a glance as I wrung the excess soap out of the sponge, then looked forward again with a smirk as I leaned over him, unsure what to do. “Well? Wash me,” he said flatly. “I’m too sore to do it myself.”

I summoned all my courage and put the sponge on his defined, huge shoulder, scrubbing lightly as he let out a little laugh.

“You can push harder than that,” he murmured, closing his eyes as he leaned back.

I did, scrubbing over his shoulders and chest, pleased as I saw dirt and blood wash away. I knew he could have had Orpheus do this, but I was glad he trusted me to take care of it instead.

It felt like he was letting me do this to make things up to him, to help with my guilt.

But I knew if I asked, he’d deny it. Plus, I was probably giving him way too much credit.

But it was hard not to give someone credit when they’d saved your life and paid so much for it.

His eyes opened as my sponge paused on his bicep, and he sighed as he looked up at me. “You don’t actually have to do this, Cleo. I just wanted to see you.”

I smiled. “I like doing it. I still feel really bad.”

“I thought you would,” he said. “It’s not your fault, though. And believe me, I’d be the first to blame you if it were.” He sighed as I rubbed the sponge over his collarbones, gulping as I moved down into the soapy water to his abs. I had to lean over the tub to do so, and something inside me clenched as his abs flexed under my hands. I couldn’t see them, but I could feel them.

That was almost worse.

Sam at least didn’t seem to notice. He kept his eyes closed, head tilted back to the ceiling, utterly relaxed. “At worst, I thought we’d have to do a bonded mate challenge in the underground arenas. I could have gone easy on him then. I still might have murdered him, but it wouldn’t have been the same. But what he did, it’s forbidden even to demons.” He shook his head. “So, no, it’s not your fault.”

“It’s my fault you had to get involved,” I said.

He opened one eye to peer at me, and my hand paused at the bottom of his abs. “I chose to get involved with you. As I said, I think you’re special. And I need you. Pets sometimes need watching. That’s all. And if someone else tries to take your pet, or threatens your pet, you protect them. That’s all.” He closed his eyes and leaned back again.

My hand, and the sponge I was holding, inched closer to forbidden territory. Lower. I glanced up at him, unsure if he really wanted me to wash him all the way.

His full lips turned up in a smirk, and I could see he wasn’t going to help at all.

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