Total pages in book: 179
Estimated words: 169943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 850(@200wpm)___ 680(@250wpm)___ 566(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169943 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 850(@200wpm)___ 680(@250wpm)___ 566(@300wpm)
He rolls his eyes at me. “It is unless you want more.”
“Right now what I want is a nap and to never see another bag of rocks again.”
“Well, you won’t get either.” He chuckles with a touch of amusement and settles down next to the tub, picking up the washcloth I haven’t touched yet. “Sorry the water’s not hot.”
After the long sweaty day I’ve had? Cool water is lovely against my skin. “It’s fine.” I hug my knees. “Thank you for the help.”
“You’re my wife…at least for now. It’s the least I can do…”
What a thoughtful thing to say.
“…considering I have to sleep next to you and smell you.”
I take it back. All of it, I take back.
He wets the cloth near my feet, and I’m suddenly very aware of how close he is and how naked I am. We’re married, of course. It’s to be expected. But in a few weeks, I’m going to have sex with this man. That was my part of the agreement and I truly haven’t given it much thought…until now. Now I’m noticing the size of his forearms and the vein that traces along the bulge of one. I’m noticing the warm reddish-brown of his skin and how he’s lightly furred all over, with a thicker pelt going down the front of his chest. I’m noticing that even when he kneels next to the tub I’m folded into, he’s absolutely massive….
Hawk rubs the cloth across my shoulders, and my fatigue wins over my curiosity about his body. I close my eyes, hugging my legs, and bite back a groan.
“I’ve forgotten how long it’s been since I joined the ranks,” he murmurs in a low voice. “The first few weeks under Magpie’s tutelage were pure hell.”
“You weren’t in shape?” I cannot imagine such a thing.
“Oh, I was. But Magpie said that humans were spoiled arses and expected Taurians to be the best of the best, so she pushed me harder than everyone else. She wasn’t wrong, either. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to go in and save a human who wasn’t able to hack it. That’s why I’m going to push your group hard, Aspeth. It’s not out of cruelty. It’s out of necessity. You understand, don’t you?”
I do. “I want to learn. And I want to be the best. So just ignore my griping. Everyone else does.” I manage a weak smile. “When do I get to meet Magpie?”
He sighs, the sound heavy and defeated. “Soon.” He ditches the cloth, tossing it onto my knee, and then rubs one shoulder gently. “You’ve got a bruise here.”
It takes everything I have not to whimper with pleasure when his fingers dig in. “Keep doing that. I’ll wash.”
Hawk grunts, and then continues to massage my shoulders, working out all the stress of the last few days. It feels so damned good that I’m barely aware of my surroundings. I want to just close my eyes and lean into his touch and stay there forever. I half-heartedly swipe at my arms and legs, but when he strokes big hands over my back, I give up and just rest against my knees, enjoying the relief. Hawk digs into my muscles, kneading them with expertise. “This isn’t going to lead to anything, in case you’re worried. You just look like you needed a bit of loosening up.”
“What would it lead to?” I ask with a yawn, my brain in a pleasurable fog.
He pauses. “Sex. Your father really did keep you sheltered, didn’t he?”
“Pfft, no,” I lie. I don’t consider myself sheltered. I had a fiancé once. I let him pet my breasts and caress my thigh. I let him kiss me dozens of times. It’s not as if I’ve never been touched before. But a massage leading to sex? That’s ridiculous. No one’s ever touched me to massage me except maybe a brisk hand massage from a maid when my fingers were cold. “Do a lot of people in the guild massage each other and then have sex?”
“How would I know? You’re the only one I’ve ever massaged.”
Oh. Huh. I wonder if he likes hugs.
His thumbs dig into a knot near my shoulder and my lips part. I arch in pain-pleasure as he works the tense muscle, and this time I can’t help the gaspy noise that escapes me.
“Fuck,” Hawk growls. He flings himself away from the tub, storming across the room. I glance over at him and his tail is flicking back and forth wildly, smacking against the legs of his pants in agitation. I should feel a little guilty, but all I really feel is sad that he stopped. He composes himself while I finish washing with quick, brisk movements, his gaze locked on the wall. When I’m done and I wrap a towel around myself, he turns back toward me. “Remember what I said earlier?”