Page 83 of To Dwell in Shadows
Sam hissed softly as he sank into the bath Selene had drawn for them, the heat of the water seeping into his sore muscles. It was the first time he had used the bathtub in his chambers, since he usually preferred to bathe quickly under a shower of water. He stretched out his legs and leaned back until his shoulders touched the back of the tub. After years of folding himself into cramped Aurelian furniture, the simple luxury of something that truly fit his frame felt indulgent.
“Too hot?” Selene asked, twisting her hair into a bun and pinning it to the crown of her head.
“No, it’ll be fine in a moment.” After creating a solid plan with Vanthee yesterday for how to navigate the maze, he was feeling the most relaxed he had since arriving in the Underworld.
“That thing is more like a lap pool than a bathtub. It took forever to fill,” Selene said.
“What’s a lap pool?”
“A big container of water humans use to swim short distances.” Selene motioned to the crisscross of laces at the back of her gown. “Can you give me a hand with this?”
Sam sat up and reached for her. He loosened each tie with his fingers until the fabric relaxed enough for her to pull the dress over her head. She tossed it into a corner and stretched.
“Phew. Now I can breathe again,” she said.
Sam watched, captivated, as she slipped out of her remaining undergarments. She had placed lit candles around the tub and on the counter, and he loved watching the way the light played across her skin. The snug fit of her dress had left red impressions on her back that he ached to kiss away. Once she was fully bare, she took the hand he offered and stepped gracefully into the tub. She sank into the water to settle between his legs.
“Alone at last,” she murmured, leaning back against his chest. She had poured scented bath oil into the water, and the aroma rose with the steam.
Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her even closer. Though his shaft was already swelling with the feel of her generous backside pressing against him, he wanted to talk first before losing himself to passion.
“How was your day?” he asked.
“The usual,” Selene said. “Zetta has become fond of using broken chair legs as chew toys. I was worried that it might not be good for her, but then I remembered hellhounds are pretty much indestructible. What did you do today?”
“Finished some chores in the Sanctum. Several of the rooms needed repairs, and I wanted to do what I could to take the burden off Borias.”
“When do you think we can go home?”
“Soon, I hope. It would be nice to help Vanthee settle into her role before we go back to Snowmelt.” Slowly, he began to trail his fingers up and down the sides of Selene’s stomach. “What’s the first thing you’d like to do back in Aurelia?”
“Eat my weight in Brunie’s cooking,” Selene said immediately. “I still have nightmares about that ‘morning drink’ Prickles served me. What about you?”
“It surprises me to say this, but I miss feeling the sun on my face. And I look forward to having leisure time. We can start looking for land to build our home on as well.”
“Yes, someplace near the river would be nice. But I still want to be able to walk to Brunie and Eldridge’s.” She stretched her arms behind her, looping them around Sam’s neck. The motion made her breasts jut out of the water provocatively. Sam watched rivulets of water roll down her nipples, now dark pink from the hot water. His cock strained.
He picked up the bar of soap resting on a dish nearby. It didn’t smell as good as the ironwood and pine-scented soap she had chosen for him at the Padu market, but it would do.
“Shall I wash your back?”
“Mmm, yes please.”
Sam lathered up his hands and began massaging her neck and shoulders with slow strokes.
Selene let out a soft moan.
His hands moved further south, rubbing away those red marks and working into the muscles of her lower back. He bent to kiss the side of her neck then leisurely began tracing his fingers around her sensitive rib cage. Selene’s breath quickened.
Lathering up his hands again, he slid them under her arms to cup her full breasts.
“Oh yes, Sam,” she whispered. Her head lolled back against his shoulder as his slick palms massaged her breasts.
“What would you like me to build in our house?
“Red shutters” Her breaths were coming faster. “Flowerboxes… bookcases with a ladder… ”
Her words faded into a moan as Sam pinched her nipples. Lightly at first, then harder. With one hand, he rolled a tight bud between his soapy fingers; with the other, he kneaded her flesh until she arched her back.
