Chapter 248: The simple things 2
FIA
The corner of his mouth lifted. "What is funny about helping out my mate?"
"Cian."
"Fia. Are you having dirty thoughts?"
We stood there as the bond humd between us. He didn’t hide a thing and neither did I. It felt like he genuinely wanted to help out.
I sighed. "Fine. But you keep your hands to yourself."
"I make no promises."
"Cian."
"I’m joking." He held up his hands in surrender. But his eyes were dancing with sothing that looked suspiciously like mischief. "Mostly."
I shook my head and pushed open the door to my room.
The space was nothing like I’d left it. The bed already made. And my clothes which draped over the chair in the corner were gone, probably washed, dried and folded sowhere already.
I moved toward the bathroom and Cian followed.
I turned on the water and let it run until steam started rising. I also added so chamomile oil.
Cian leaned against the doorfra, watching .
"You going to stand there the whole ti?" I asked.
"Would you not like
to?"
"I’d like you to be helpful without being distracting."
"Well, I can do that."
He moved to the cabinet and pulled out a towel, setting it on the counter within easy reach. He also found the soap and shampoo. They had been stored by the cleaning staff, I was guessing, and he arranged them by the tub.
I started to pull at the hospital gown. The fabric stuck slightly where the blood had dried, refusing to co apart with ease.
Cian was there in an instant. His hands covered mine.
"Let ."
His fingers were careful, as they were gentle. He worked the fabric free without pulling and the gown fell away.
I was left standing there in just my underwear.
I should have felt exposed and vulnerable. But the bond wrapped around us both and all I felt was safe.
"In you go," he said softly.
I stepped into the tub. The water was hot. Almost too hot. But it felt perfect against my skin.
I sank down slowly. Letting the water rise around
until it covered my shoulders. The heat seeped into my muscles and they started to unknot one by one.
Cian knelt beside the tub. He picked up the shampoo. Poured so into his palm.
"Lean back."
I did. His fingers worked through my hair. Massaging my scalp. Working the shampoo into a lather.
It felt good. Better than good. The kind of good that made my eyes want to close and my body want to go completely boneless.
"You’re going to put
to sleep," I murmured.
"That’s the idea."
He rinsed my hair with water from the tub. His movents were careful. Making sure none of it got in my eyes.
Then he reached for the soap and worked it into a lather on a washcloth.
"Arm," he said.
I lifted it out of the water. He washed it slowly. From shoulder to fingertips. Then the other arm. My shoulders. My back.
Nothing about it was sexual. It was just care. It was that pure and simple.
When he finished, he set the washcloth aside and just stayed there, kneeling beside the tub with his hand trailing in the water.
"Better?" he asked.
"Much better."
We stayed like that for a while. The water grew cooler and soon the steam dissipated.
Finally I stood. Water sluiced off
and back into the tub. Cian handed
the towel without looking and kept his eyes carefully averted even though I knew he wanted to look.
I dried off quickly and wrapped the towel around myself.
"I’ll find you sothing to sleep in," he said.
He disappeared into the bedroom and returned a mont later with one of my night dresses.
I took it. "Thank you."
"I’ll be right outside."
He left and pulled the door closed behind him.
I dried off the rest of the way and pulled on the shirt. It fell to mid thigh.
Once that was on, I opened the door.
He was sitting on the edge of my bed. Looking at his hands.
"Better?" he asked again.
"Yes."
He stood and moved toward . His hands ca up to cup my face the sa way his mother’s had.
"You scared
tonight." His voice was rough. "When I felt what happened... When I thought I had lost you..."
"You didn’t."
"I know." His thumb brushed across my cheekbone. "But I could have. Don’t do that again."
The bond pulsed between us. Heavy with things neither of us were saying.
"Get so sleep," he said finally. "Real sleep. I’ll be a sentinel away if you need anything."
"You’re not staying?"
Sothing flickered across his face. Want... Need... The sa things I was feeling.
"My mother will have both our heads if I stay."
"She doesn’t have to know."
"She always knows."
Fair point.
He pressed a kiss to my forehead and let it linger longer than necessary.
"Sleep well, Fia."
"You too."
He pulled back, reluctant as his hand dropped from my face.
I watched him walk to the door. I watched him pause with his hand on the handle.
"Cian?"
He turned.
"Thank you. For everything."
His expression softened. "Always."
Then he was gone. The door clicked shut behind him.
I stood there for a mont. In the room that was starting to feel like mine. In the estate that was becoming ho.
Then I moved to the bed, pulled back the covers and slipped between sheets that slled clean and fresh.
My head hit the pillow and my body rembered how exhausted it was. How much it had been through. How much it needed rest.
But my mind kept turning. Athena... Nocturne... Fleshcraft... The Stratis... Lady Selene’s words about being loved by her.
The genealogy records in Skollrend’s library. Would they have answers? Or would they just raise more questions?
Tomorrow, I decided. Tomorrow I would look. Tomorrow I would start putting the pieces together.
Tonight I would just rest.
The bond humd gently. A quiet reminder that Cian was not to far and was in fact close enough to reach if I needed him.
My eyes grew heavy. The darkness pulled at .
And this ti, when sleep ca, I let it take
without a fight.
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