Page 21 of Wounded Mate
“Let me help you with that.” I move too fast, and a flare of pain makes me wince. “Ouch.”
“Oh, no. Sit, sit. I’ve got it.” Valius offloads the clothes first, then the bathing tray and buckets. “Are you all right? You didn’t reinjure it, did you?”
“I don’t think so.” Gingerly I lower myself back to the chair. “Just a little twinge is all.”
“Thank goodness. Please be more careful. I’m no waif-like imp, you know. I can lug water on my own.”
“Of course.” I ogle his muscles, flexing under the sheer fabric of his robe. He’s plenty strong. “It’s odd to have someone else do things like this for me. I’m unused to being a burden.”
Valius rests his hands on his hips. “You’re no burden, Bela. I’m glad you’re here. Glad we met. You realize that, right?”
Anyone being glad to see me is hard to believe, but my gut says to trust Valius. “I believe you.”
He shrugs off the robe and, in a casual motion, flings it onto his bed. “I’ll rinse off quickly, and then I would like the pleasure of bathing you, if that suits you?”
I can think of nothing I’d like more.
That’s a lie. I can think of a few things. Things involving our bodies pressed together, his skin on mine, my hands on him, his mouth?—
“You can watch if you like.” Valius winks. Cheeky man. Er, Incubus.
I lean back in my chair. “I’d love to.”
He steps into the tray, a flat square of metal, rimmed at the edges to keep the water in with a spout in one corner so the dirty water can be easily poured out later. He dunks a rag into the bucket and begins his wash.
Admiring him as he sluices soapy water over himself, I thank my lucky stars I’m wrapped in a blanket. Rivulets dribble down the ridged planes of his abdomen and catch on the tidy red curls at his groin.
He isn’t putting on a show for me, though I’m sure he could. Rather, he’s quick and efficient with his movements, cleansing his body as if he doesn’t have a drooling audience ogling his every graceful motion, but the spectacle is gorgeous nonetheless.
It’s becoming extremely difficult to sit still. My cock, long since neglected in my wanderings, has sprung to life like an ambitious weed in early April, seeking to dominate the garden.No matter how much I squirm, there’s no hiding my desire for him.
A knowing quality to Valius’s stare says he’s aware of my predicament, and beneath that, a hunger burns in his eyes that makes my stomach flutter.
My heart rate quickens as he puts away the washrag and steps from the tray, dripping a wet trail onto the nice carpet uncaringly. He reaches for me. I go to take his hand, but he shakes his head and clasps the blanket instead.
He kneels at my feet. “May I?”
Unable to bring myself to speak, I nod. He may as well see all of me sooner than later. If I’m to be rejected, he’ll let me down easy. He’s too gentle not to.
Valius untucks and unwinds the blanket, then tosses it aside and drops his gaze. “Oh, my. Is that all for me?” He licks his lips, and his lids go heavy.
Impossible to believe the lust in his eyes. “You want me?”
“More than anything.”
A tremble courses through me.
His hot palms land on my thighs, soothing and exciting at once. “But I can wait if you’re not ready.”
I’m ready. More than ready. I’m eager. “I want to feed you.”
He freezes for the span of a breath. Then a shiver grips him, and he lays his head in my lap. “Are you sure? I could pleasure you without feeding. You’re hurt. I don’t want to?—”
“You can’t harm me. You’re my mate. We feed each other.” I’m convinced his presence at my side as I slept is half the reason I’m feeling so much better. “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. Gladly.”
He darts his tongue out and licks a line up my thigh. Something curls around my calf, burying itself in my fur. My breath stalls. His tail! That’s amazing.
“You don’t have to do a thing,” he croons. “But I promised to wash you. Let us start there.” He rises, offering me a hand. I take it. With his other hand, he grabs the chair and sets it on the tray.
