Page 71 of Wolf's Bane
Before, when he removed her bloody clothes, he searched for injury. Keeping her safe and warm had been his top priority, driving all else from his mind. He hadn’t really seen Solenne, admired her curves, her long legs, and the tumble of dark locks.
It seemed impossible that she wanted him still.
“The soap?” she asked, snagging his attention.
“Yes. Stay,” he said, distracted. She laughed while he fetched the errant soap. “Lean forward and I’ll wash your back.”
“That’s unnecessary.”
“We’re engaged,” he replied.
Her face flushed pink. “I apologize if I was presumptuous. You’re the only one I want to see me like this.”
“Good. I’m the only one who gets to see you like this or any other way.” Solenne probably meant seeing her in a moment of weakness or vulnerability. Alek was the only one privileged enough to view her bare skin, to appreciate the way the water glistened or her hair clumped in damp strands, clinging to the back of her neck.
With care, he lathered up her back, scrubbed with a cloth, and rinsed away the events of the previous night. Each touch was filled with adoration and promise. This was his mate. She had seen him lost to the beast, with the blood of another on his tongue, and she proclaimed her love.
For him, of all people.
He washed and rinsed her hair, which turned the bathwater a distressing shade of pink. Letting the filthy water drain, he refilled the tub and continued to wash his beloved. He massaged her tender ankle with a small vial of oil that smelled of lavender. Mindful of each touch, he catalogued her sighs and moans, learning her responses. They were his too. Only his.
Finally, he washed her chest. With the same meticulous care, he lathered her shoulders and chest. He gently cupped her breasts, massaging the soap into a froth. Buff-colored nipples hardened as she arched into his touch.
Alek leaned forward, capturing her lips with his own.
“If you want me to stop, I will,” he said, when he pulled away.
“Please, don’t stop.” Water sloshed over the sides as she leaned back.
Starting at her feet, he worked his way up her injured calf. The skin at the edge of the claw marks was red and swollen. Fortunately, they were not deep. She watched him with a slightly dazed look, her lips swollen and begging for another kiss.
Satisfied the claw marks were clean, he switched to her other leg. Soapy hands skimmed up her legs, creeping closure to the juncture of her thighs.
“May I?” he asked, hand nearly but not touching her there.
“Yes, please,” she breathed.
Crouched at the edge of the tub, he positioned himself for a better angle.
Solenne jolted at his touch. “Sorry,” she said, cheeks flush. “New sensation.”
“You’ve never?” He wondered at the idea that Solenne had never touched herself.
“No, I have.” She bit her bottom lip, then her eyes gleamed, like she arrived at a decision to be bold. “You were with me then too.”
“Oh?” This he wanted to hear, about how she thought of him when she touched herself.
He pushed his fingers against her, encountering a tangle of hair and her silken folds.
“Alek,” she moaned, sinking back.
“Let me be perfectly frank,” he said, fingers stroking her folds, “I have loved you in some capacity since the moment we met.”
Her gaze locked on his. Gently circling her tender bundle of nerves, he captured her mouth. Water drenched the floor.
“You’re mine, Solenne. You always have been.” He probed her entrance, finding it hot and tight. She tensed, then relaxed as he continued to stroke and tease. “You ground me. When we were apart, the memory of you kept me whole. You are my anchor. My friend. My love. My heart.”
He worked his finger into her. She bit back a moan. Water drenched the floor as he worked another finger in. She was tight beyond belief and warm. Muscles clenched around him as he crooked his fingers, hitting that special spot. Her hips shot up and splashed back down, driving an enormous wave of water over the edge of the tub. The floor was in ruin, and there would be no doubt about what they had gotten up to. He didn’t care.
