The Darkest Secret

«I need a bath,» she murmured to the backpack. «A real bath. Can you fit a tub in there? Huh?»

A whoosh at her side had her twisting and reaching for the blade she’d dropped. Though there had been a rocky wall beside her only a few seconds ago, there was now a wide, bubbling spring of water.

Haidee’s eyes widened with shock. How had…why…the backpack could manipulate the earth? Seriously? Then she thought, who the hell cared? The urge to soak and scrub overwhelmed her and left her trembling with anticipation.

«Soap, shampoo, conditioner,» she said giddily.

The backpack plumped at the sides, signaling it had filled with everything she had requested. After lining the items along the edge of the spring — a real freaking spring! — she stripped herself, stripped Amun, and then shook him until his eyelids cracked open. His spirits needed this. Besides, she was still concerned about him, fearing she had struck him too hard, and if he’d just wake up for a few minutes, she could relax.

He moaned, the sound broken, his throat obviously tender. At least he was rousing.

«Shh,» she said, covering his mouth with her hand. «Don’t talk out loud, baby. Okay?» Neither one of them was strong enough to deal with the consequences just yet.

His black eyes were glassy as he focused on her. Something wrong?

«Something’s right. Can you stand? We’re going to take a bath.»

A bath?

«That’s what I said,» she told him with a grin. And just then she knew; he was going to be all right. «Come on. On your feet, big boy.»

He lumbered to a stand and tripped his way to the edge. Then he just sort of fell over the side, splashing headfirst into the water. Haidee jumped in after him and dragged him to the surface before he drowned. His eyes had closed again, his head lolling to the side.

She chuckled as she settled against the rock and anchored him against her, chest to back. «You still awake, baby?»

Yes. He uttered a soft sigh. Just barely.

«I’m going to scrub us both. Tell me if I hurt you.»

You couldn’t hurt me.

«You’re injured and—'

And I’m in your arms. I’ll be fine, I promise.

Darling man. She tried to be impersonal, she really did. He wasn’t ready for the seduction she had planned. Yet. Still, as her hands lathered the soap and spread the bubbles over his big arms, his corded chest, his strong thighs, her blood heated with desire, a reaction only he could cause.

His silky skin covered a body built for war, and she marveled. He made her desperate, hungry, mindless of anything except pleasure. Maybe because, when she was with him, she didn’t belong to herself. She belonged to him. And that probably should have frightened her. Instead, it only made her trust him more. Amun would die before he hurt her — as he’d proven time and time again.

«Amun?»

He gave no response. Poor baby must have fallen asleep again.

«I love your body,» she admitted, bold because he couldn’t hear her. «Did you know that? Everything about you seems custom-made for me. I mean, it’s almost like I ordered you from a catalog. And I wouldn’t change anything about you. You’ll probably never believe that, but it’s the truth.»

One day, she hoped he would feel the same about her.

After she shampooed his hair, breathing in the scent of sandalwood, she tilted him backward and rinsed every strand. When she finished with him, she gently shook him awake. Or maybe he’d been awake the entire time. His eyes were no longer glassy; they were blazing.

Her cheeks flushed. «Can you get out on your own?»

Yes. He climbed out and settled back on the floor, lying on his side to peer over at her. Your turn to scrub up.

The flush spread as she washed herself from top to bottom. Despite her embarrassment, the water soothed the little aches and pains that continuous walking and sporadic fighting — and nearly being eaten alive — had left.

Haidee? Amun said after she’d rinsed her hair.

The water splashed as she straightened. She leaned over the edge and stared down at her mighty warrior. His eyes were closed again, lines of tension branching from them. «Yes?»

Come here and hold me.

For a heartbeat of time, she could only gape at him. He had just requested her touch? No, not requested. Demanded. Such sweet progress already, and his true seduction hadn’t even begun.

«Anything you want,» she rushed out before he could change his mind. Naked and dripping, she moved out of the water. She didn’t bother drying off but curled into his side, spooning him, resting her cheek on his outstretched arm.

He didn’t draw her closer.

She didn’t let that irk her. Much. She linked their fingers, and though the action wasn’t meant to arouse either of them, it did exactly that. His penis grew and hardened against the crease of her bottom, and liquid need pooled between her legs. God, she wanted to arch back, grind into him, beg him to grind into her, but she didn’t. Not even when his heat wrapped around her, far headier than it had been in the water, the force of it causing her to tremble.

Not yet, girl. Not yet. He wasn’t ready for her seduction to begin. That tension… Soon, though. Please, God, soon. «You’re not mad at me for bashing your skull in, are you?»

She didn’t expect an answer, but a soft chuckle wafted through her mind. I’m grateful. I’m just too weak to show you how much.

Show her, he’d said. How? «I’m glad,» she said, suddenly breathless. «Now go to sleep and rebuild your strength.» You’re going to need it. She kissed the inside of his wrist. «I’ll be here when you wake up.» And by that time, she would be doing things to his body that he would never be able to forget — things he wouldn’t want her to stop doing.

Unaware of the sensual assault he would soon experience, he obeyed her, his breathing evening out as he drifted back to sleep.

Amun’s mind jolted into sudden awareness, three things instantly, absolutely certain to him. His body was on fire, his cock was being iced and he was loving the hell out of both. He jerked upright, panting, wondering if he’d had an erotic dream and embarrassed himself.

When he saw a lusciously naked Haidee planted between his legs, licking his hardened shaft from root to tip, then swirling her tongue over the slit, then moaning as if she’d tasted something sweet, he realized he hadn’t been dreaming. He hadn’t embarrassed himself, either, but was probably going to.

He wanted to come. Desperately.

Secrets was eerily silent, and hiding in the back of his mind. The other demons were silent and hiding, as well. Again. That icy chill of hers must truly scare them. That, or they feared she’d start doing that tugging thing and they were trying not to draw her notice.

Sweetheart?

Haidee paused, lifting her head away from him, and every cell he possessed screamed in protest. Cool breath tickled his skin as she offered him a wicked smile, her breasts firm and taunting, her nipples hard and pouting, almost close enough to rub against his thighs.

«Yes, baby?» she asked throatily.

I–I—Shit! He didn’t know what to say to her. Except, maybe, continue. But he couldn’t allow her to do this. She would regret it, and he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

«You’re awake, right? You’re not in danger of falling back asleep?»

I’m only in danger of dying.

«Too weak, then?»

No.

The huskiness of her laugh echoed between them. «Do you want me to stop?»