Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
I rise, droplets spilling down my naked body. Her sharp inhale is music to my ears. I hold out a hand. “Would you pass me a towel?”
Maeve stares for several beats too long before she gives herself a shake. “A towel. Of course.” She grabs one of the fluffy towels we’ve been provided and passes it to me.
“Your turn.” I twist away and begin drying myself off. As I suspected, it takes her a little while to work up the courage to strip, even though I’m not actively watching her. That doesn’t mean I’m not achingly aware of the slide of cloth against her skin and the soft footsteps as she moves to the bath and slips inside.
Her little moan has me turning, an offer to wash all of her on the tip of my tongue. There’s a knock on the door before I have a chance to. I swallow down a curse and wrap the towel around me to answer it.
A short woman—obviously related to the innkeeper, judging by her stout figure, pale skin, and deep green curls—stands there with a bag. She holds it up. “Here you go. There’ll be food served downstairs in about an hour.”
“Noted.” I take the bag, finding it heavier than I expected. I’m aware of Maeve listening, so I clear my throat. “Uh, thanks.” I close the door and waste no time digging through the bag. There’s two sets of clothing for each of us, and the sizing looks pretty accurate. “Who is this guy?”
“He’s with the rebellion.” Maeve rests her head on the side of the tub. “Most people I send north go straight to Khollu—to Ralph—and the reverse is true with him sending folks south through Viedna.”
I figured it was something like that, but it’s still a hell of a lot of faith to place in a near stranger. “That doesn’t change the fact that we’re fucked when it comes to resupplying.”
“Have a little faith, Lizzie.” Her eyes slide shut. “Why don’t you get dressed and go explore the village? It will burn off some of that nervous energy.”
“I don’t have nervous energy.”
“You won’t after you take a walk. Try not to draw any attention to yourself.”
I glare at the clear dismissal. One step forward, two steps sideways. She truly is cagey, but I don’t hold it against her. Not when I’m enjoying this strange little dance we’re doing, circling each other warily. I permit myself a small smile. “Trying to get rid of me so fast?”
I should have known better than to attempt to look my fill of her. The moment I do, I forget how to breathe entirely. This woman was made for the water. The bath barely covers her large breasts, and I’m delighted to discover that her freckles seem to extend over her entire body. I have the overwhelming desire to trace them with my tongue. Her curly hair spreads around her like particularly pretty seaweed. I’ve always seen selkies depicted as lean, pale skinned, and dark haired. I much prefer Maeve to those paintings.
Her blush spreads from her upper chest over her throat and takes up residence in her round cheeks. She holds my gaze as I stand there, only a towel, some water, and a crossable distance between us. The moment spins out, and I find myself holding my breath, waiting for her to invite me back into the bath.
But when she speaks, it’s to reiterate her request. “Please, Lizzie. I just . . . I need a minute. Several minutes.”
Truth be told, after being trapped in a small space for nearly a week, almost dying in a storm, and finally being clean, I do need to stretch my legs. Just a little. I dig through the bag to find a pair of pants and a tunic-like shirt. There are even boots. The innkeeper truly did think of everything.
Even so, I don’t want Maeve to get the wrong idea. I’ll allow a little distance—for now. I pause with my hand on the doorknob. “This thing between us isn’t over.”
Her smile is a little shy and a little wicked. “I know.”
chapter 13
Maeve
I shouldn’t have teased the vampire by washing her hair, but it’s so rare that I get the best of Lizzie that I couldn’t resist. More, I wanted to touch her, wanted the excuse to see her unwind even the smallest amount. Getting a bath helped my disposition dramatically. A meal will help it even more.
As I dress in the clothing Ralph’s daughter provided us, my gaze is drawn again and again to the single bed in the room. I hadn’t been sure that Ralph would actually give us a room, but we had no backup plan. The storm took everything but our lives. Thankfully, the loyalty to the rebellion allowed us this room, clothing, and food. It won’t get us a ship, but I suspect Lizzie’s plan is to murder her way aboard one of them. I’ll need to come up with an alternative, but I’m too tired to think about it now.