Page 44 of Taloned Heart

“No, I am not.” His fingers ghosted at the edge of her shirt, gently drawing it up and over her head. “I’m suggesting that you let me undress you, and then we will both get into that water where I will make sure you are taken care of. We’ve come a long way, Lore, and you haven’t gotten a moment to breathe. I’d like to give you that moment.”

She didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded wonderful right about now.

Lore lifted her arms over her head, letting him draw her shirt over her head and then discard it onto the ground. He gave the same treatment to her pants. His hands skimmed down her pale thighs, gently drawing the fabric away until she stood naked before him.

Abraxas pressed a kiss to her belly before he made quick work of his own clothes. And then, like the gentleman he was, he swept her up into his arms. Legs dangling over his forearm, her arm around his neck, Lore had never felt so small.

He waded into the water with her in his grip, a soft smile on his face as he sank them into the heat. And oh, it felt divine.

Humming low, she let him hold her while the rest of her body floated. “When was the last time we had a hot bath?”

She watched his features as he thought about it, but they both already knew the answer. They couldn’t remember. She certainly hadn’t had one in a very long time, and maybe she’d gotten one when she first came back from the dead? That would seem about right.

“I think my last one might have been after the battle,” he mused, walking them a little deeper and moving her in a circle.

Her legs swished in the water, her head pillowed on his shoulder as he carefully held her. “I think mine was after I came back. But then, when would we have had a hot bath?”

“There are hot springs on Dracomaquia.”

“Are there?”

“Somewhere.” His voice warbled as though he was trying hard not to laugh. “I suppose we could try them out to see what they are like when we return.”

If they returned. She didn’t want to ruin this moment, though. Instead, she moaned and nodded. “I hope so. This feels far too good to ever give up permanently.”

Abraxas released her to float on her own and then made his way to the edge of the pool. He took his time opening bottles, smelling them and making a face when he didn’t like the scent. Finally, he picked one and swam back to her side.

“Come here,” he said, his hands on her shoulders as he steadied her. “Let me help.”

She sank underneath the warm water to wet her hair and then came back up hissing. It was almost too warm for her to stay under the water that long. But then his hands slid into her hair, gently parting any tangles he came across and the lovely smell of lemon surrounded them. He worked the soap into her strands. And he didn’t rush.

Abraxas rarely rushed anything, not even this. Lore sank back against him, her head tilted back and the water taking her weight. He massaged her scalp as though they had all the time in the world. Then he drew the bubbles down over her shoulders, lifted her arms out of the water to make sure those were scrubbed, and gently continued through her entire body.

At some point, he settled her on the stones next to the edge, a natural seat that let her recline with her head against the warm rocks. He even paid attention to her feet, which ached from days of walking. He dug his thumbs into the arches until she happily sighed and wanted to kiss him. Just to taste him on her lips for a little while longer.

He glanced up at her and smiled. “How are you feeling, my queen?”

“Like a queen,” she replied with a soft smile.

“Good. You should feel like that every day of your life. And I want you to go into this meeting with the dwarven king, remembering that you are just as important as him. Just as powerful and just as influential. You are a queen, my love. To me and to so many others.”

Tears burning in her eyes, she pulled close and captured his lips with her own. “You slay me, dragon.”

“Isn’t someone supposed to do that to me?” He wiped a wet strand of hair from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. “No fear, Lore. You are so beyond that feeling now.”

And kissing him made her feel like he might just be right.

CHAPTER17

Abraxas surveyed the outfit the dwarf had brought, and he had to admit, he had thought it wouldn’t be a good one. The dwarves were so much smaller than the elves, and Lore was already quite tall. He’d expected the dress to be like a skirt and a cropped top on Lore. But they had made it work in a way that turned Lore from a grubby traveler into someone who looked like a royal.

The pale white fabric tumbled off her shoulders in a false robe with gold embellishments at her shoulders. The fabric parted around her legs as she moved, revealing pale skin in only glimpses that tantalized the senses. She looked every inch a woman who should be presented to a king.

Of course, she still had wet hair. But Beauty had slicked that back from her face in a way that seemed intentional. And perhaps in a way that Lore would never have been able to do herself.

Beauty also looked stunning, although a bit more like he’d expected dwarven clothing to fit her. They still complimented her broad shoulders and wider hips. She looked... Well a bit like she belonged down here. No wonder Mirin was absolutely head over heels for the girl. Beauty could walk through these corridors, and none would be the wiser.

Except then they all walked past a group of giggling women, and he realized that Beauty absolutely did stick out. She didn’t have a beard.

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