Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Astra
“I need to bathe,” I announce as days of grime and sweat finally begin to overwhelm me.
Lucian’s head turns toward me, and I catch him sniffing subtly, like he’s scenting the air. His expression remains neutral, but there’s something almost appreciative in his eyes that makes my cheeks warm.
“No, you don’t,” he says, his voice gruff. “You smell fine.”
“Fine?” I wrinkle my nose at him. “I hate being dirty, Lucian. I usually bathe several times a week, and this is the longest I’ve ever gone without a proper wash. I feel disgusting.”
“You don’t smell disgusting.” The fact that he just said this seems to surprise even him, and he clears his throat.
But I’ve already spotted a small river winding through the trees below us, its water catching the late afternoon sunlight like scattered diamonds. Perfect.
“Look, there’s a stream down there.” I point it out with growing excitement. “It won’t take long, I promise. Just a quick bath.”
“Astra—”
“Please?” I turn to face him fully, putting on my most persuasive expression. “I’ll be fast. And I’ll feel so much better once I’m clean.”
His jaw tightens, and I can see him preparing to refuse.
Over the past few days, I’ve learned that if I wheedle and cajole long enough, Lucian eventually gives in to almost anything I ask for.
Most likely to shut me up. The thought should bother me, but instead, it makes me smile to myself.
If being annoying gets me what I want, I can live with that.
“It’s right there,” I continue, stepping closer to him. “And I really, truly need this. You have no idea how awful it feels for me to be this dirty for so long. My hair feels like straw, and my skin is all grimy, and—”
“Fine.” The word comes out sharp, almost exasperated.
I beam at him, secretly pleased with my victory. “But you have to keep guard,” I instruct him as we make our way down the hill. “Make sure no one attacks me while I’m vulnerable.”
Something flickers in his expression at the word “vulnerable,” but he nods. “I’ll stay by that tree. Yell if you need anything.”
The stream is perfect—not too deep, with a gentle current and smooth stones along the bottom. I test the water with my hand and shiver slightly. Cold, but not unbearably so.
Lucian positions himself next to a large oak tree, his back carefully turned to the water. For a moment, I marvel at his broad shoulders, the way he holds himself alert and ready despite the relaxed pose.
“This is going to be nice,” I call out as I begin unlacing my boots. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a proper wash.”
“Mm-hmm.” His response is noncommittal, but I catch the slight tilt of his head that means he’s listening.
I slip out of my travel-stained clothes and quickly rinse them in the stream before setting them on some rocks next to the river to dry.
Then, bringing with me the tiny soap I have had packed away in my bag, I wade into the water, gasping softly as the cool current rises around my legs.
It feels incredible after over two weeks of dust and sweat.
“You know,” I say conversationally as I begin washing up, “you’re going to have to find someone new to guard after this. Someone just as annoying as me to follow and boss around.”
I’m partly joking, but there’s a strange ache in my chest at the thought of Lucian moving on to his next job, his next client. Someone else will benefit from his fierce protectiveness, his unexpected gentleness, his reluctant smiles.
“I don’t boss you around.” I can hear the frown in his voice. “You’re the one who bosses me around.”
I grin at his words. “What? Little ol’ me? How could I possibly boss you around?”
He scoffs at that.
“I bet you’re glad we’ll be parting ways soon. I know you think I’m annoying.”
“You’re not annoying.” His voice is quiet but firm.
I laugh, tilting my head back in the water to wet my hair. “You don’t have to lie to spare my feelings. I know I talk too much and ask for impossible things and generally make your life difficult.”
I stand up straight again, pushing wet hair back from my face. He doesn’t respond, but I catch the slight tension in his shoulders, as if my words have affected him somehow.
“I mean it as a compliment,” I continue, working soap through my hair. “You’re very patient with annoying people. It’s probably a valuable skill in your line of work.”
Nothing but silence from over by the tree. I’m about to make another teasing comment when something brushes against my leg in the water. I glance down just in time to see a large fish darting toward me, its mouth open.
“Ah!” I cry out, stumbling backward as the fish nips at my ankle. My foot slips on the smooth stones, and I lose my balance, arms windmilling frantically as I fall.
I hit the water with a splash, going under completely. The current isn’t strong, but the shock of full submersion makes me panic for a moment. I surface sputtering, water streaming from my hair, my heart pounding.
“Astra!”
Lucian’s voice is sharp with alarm, and I hear the splash of him entering the water before I even clear the hair from my eyes. His strong arms wrap around me, pulling me against his hard chest, and suddenly, I’m surrounded by his warmth.
“Are you hurt?” His hands move over me quickly, checking for injuries, and I realize dimly that I’m completely naked in his arms. I feel his whole body go stiff as the same realization hits him, and his breathing becomes ragged. “What happened?”
His voice comes out strained, and when I look up at him, his eyes are dark and intense, his jaw clenched tight like he’s fighting some internal battle. I can feel the tension radiating from him, the way his hands shake slightly where they rest against my bare skin.
“A fish,” I gasp, still shaken. “It tried to bite me, and I slipped.”
“A fish.” His voice is flat with disbelief, but even as he speaks, he’s already using one arm to pull his shirt over his head while still holding me in the water.
“What are you doing?” I ask, confused and still winded from my fall.
The wet fabric clings briefly before he yanks it free, revealing his bare chest. “Covering you,” he says simply, putting the shirt on me even though we’re still waist-deep in the stream.
“It was big! And it had teeth!” I continue about the fish, distracted by the warmth of Lucian’s shirt enveloping my shoulders.
I feel his chest rumble with what I think is suppressed laughter as he adjusts the fabric around me, making sure I’m covered but not bothering with the buttons in his haste. “You were attacked by a fish.”
The shirt is warm from his body heat and smells like him—like pine and something uniquely masculine. I can feel his fingers trembling slightly against my exposed skin.
“Don’t laugh at me,” I protest, but I’m starting to feel foolish now that the initial shock has passed. “It startled me.”
“I’m not laughing.” But there’s definitely amusement in his voice as he lifts me easily out of the water, his shirt hanging loosely around my shoulders. “I’m just impressed that you managed to find the one aggressive fish in this otherwise peaceful stream.”
He carries me to the bank and sets me down gently on a large rock. I pull his shirt closer around my shoulders. Only then do I fully appreciate that he is now topless, with water dripping from his hair and running down his bare chest.
“You got wet,” I say unnecessarily, suddenly very aware of how the afternoon light plays across his bare torso.
I’ve seen him shirtless before, when I was tending to his wounds, but this is different.
This is Lucian half-naked and beautiful in the golden afternoon light, water droplets caught in the dark hair that trails down his stomach, muscles shifting under bronzed skin as he moves.
Heat floods through me, starting low in my belly and spreading outward until my entire body feels like it’s on fire.
My breasts feel heavy and achy, and there’s a strange throbbing between my legs that I don’t understand.
My breath comes short and quick, and I can’t seem to look away from the sight of him.
“Astra.” His voice is rougher now, and when I finally drag my gaze up to his face, I see dark hunger in his eyes. “You need to button that thing.”
I look down and realize the shirt is hanging open, barely covering me. With trembling hands, I reach for the buttons, but my fingers are shaking so badly I can’t even manage the first one.
“Here,” he says quietly, stepping closer. “Let me.”
His fingers brush against mine as he takes over, working the buttons with careful precision. His movements are steady and controlled, but I notice how he closes his eyes with each accidental touch of his knuckles against my skin.
“Better?” His hands linger on my shoulders when he finishes, his thumbs tracing small circles on the fabric.
I nod, not trusting my voice. When I stand up, Lucian’s shirt falls to mid-thigh on me, covering me decently but leaving my legs bare. I feel small and feminine wrapped in his clothes, like I’ve been claimed in some primitive way.
When I look at him, his gaze sweeps over me slowly, and I see his jaw clench. “You should get dressed.”
“My clothes are still damp,” I point out, gesturing to the garments I washed and left on the nearby rocks to dry. “I rinsed them out before I got in the water.”
He sighs. “Then, sit in the sun until they dry.”
I settle on a flat rock, tucking my legs under me, hyperaware of his presence beside the stream. He’s still shirtless, still beautiful, and I can’t seem to stop stealing glances at him.
“Why is your face all red?” he asks suddenly, and there’s a mischievous note in his voice that makes my cheeks burn even hotter.
“It’s not red.”
“It’s very red.” He moves closer, studying my cheeks with mock concern. “Are you feeling ill? Feverish, perhaps?”
“I’m fine,” I mumble, but I know I’m bright scarlet now.
“Hmm.” He reaches out and presses the back of his hand to my forehead, the gesture surprisingly tender. “You do feel warm.”