Page 56 of Taken By the Blood God

I stopped next to the shower, dragged her dress over her head, and reached in to turn on the shower, making sure the water was nearly scalding. Just the way Minerva liked it.

When I turned around, she was leaning over the freestanding bathtub, running a brush through her hair. Grass, twigs, and dirt scattered in the bottom of the tub as she used the brush vigorously. I winced at the sight of so much grime coming from her beautiful hair.

“I’m sorry I took you in the dirt,” I murmured, walking over to help. There were bits and pieces still stuck in the back of her head, and she kept missing them with the brush.

“I’m not,” she replied, grinning at me. “Drawing down the moon brings out the more primal side of me. And my magic is fully restored so it was worth it.”

Once she was satisfied that her hair was untangled and no longer full of leaves and grass, Minerva leaned over to rinse out the tub.

I flinched again at the red marks on her back and buttocks. Some were from my fingers, and others were likely from rolling around on the ground.

Without thinking, I whispered an incantation and smoothed my hand over her back, watching as the redness disappeared.

“Did you just heal me?” she asked, her voice high and tight.

“Yes. You had marks and welts all up and down your back and thighs.”

“Was I bleeding?”

“No, but…” I shook my head. I had to be more careful of her. While she did have Cassia’s power, she was still a witch. Still mortal for now. I could have harmed her.

Minerva turned to face me, her eyes narrowed as she looked up at me. “Don’t you dare,” she said.

“Dare what?”

“I’m fine. I’m sure my back would have a stung a bit in the shower, but it would have healed on its own quickly enough. You didn’t hurt me.”

“You’re mortal, little witch. I’m?—”

Minerva rolled her eyes and walked away from me, stepping beneath the hot spray of the shower. I followed her, stopping just outside of the glass walls surrounding her.

“I could have hurt you,” I continued.

She closed her eyes. “I can’t hear you.”

I watched, half exasperated, half amused, as she stuck her head beneath the water to wet her hair.

I waited until she emerged from the cascade before I continued, “I’m a god, Minerva.”

She poured shampoo into her hand and started scrubbing her scalp before she faced me. “I know that, Tal. But I’m also an adult. If you were hurting me, do you think I would have hesitated to tell you?”

I shook my head as she glared at me. “No, but in the heat of the moment you might not have realized I was damaging you.”

Minerva snorted as she rinsed her hair beneath the water and soaped it up again. “I’m thirty-six years old. While I haven’t beenalive for over a millennium like you have, I still have enough experience with sex to know if my partner is being too rough. So, please listen to me when I say this—I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me. And don’t you dare start rethinking how you treat me.”

“How do I treat you?” I asked.

“Like an equal,” she shot back with no hesitation. “Like someone you respect rather than a foolish mortal who can’t possibly fathom your greatness.”

I stepped into the shower with her when she closed her eyes and tilted her head back to rinse her soapy hair for a second time.

When she opened her eyes, she gasped, but she didn’t try to back up.

“All right, little witch,” I said.

She studied me, putting her hands on her hips. I wanted to smile at the sight of her, naked and full of attitude, but I held it back.

“All right what?” she prompted.

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