Chapter 9 #3
He just looked perplexed. She figured it was because they had been shouting at each other only a short while ago. He wouldn’t know of the whirlwind of emotions and thoughts she’d had before he’d come back into the room.
“I see you’ve calmed the fuck down.”
Then he reached forward and grabbed her arm, dragging her across the tub until she was seated between his legs, her back against his chest.
She wasn’t sure if he’d done it because he wanted her closer, or because he wanted to stretch one leg out while he kept the other bent, so he was comfortable.
Just as she was considering whether she wanted to stay where she was, she tried to leap forward when she felt his hand cup her between her legs.
“I can’t!” Rosetta couldn’t take anymore. She was too tired, too tender, too... everything.
He wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her still while two of his fingers moved to find her entrance.
“Aye, I know.”
“Then why are you–?”
“I’m cleaning you of my cum.” He pushed them into her channel, and she let out a gasp, gripping the edges of the tub. “Didn’t really mean to do it inside.”
“It’s a bit late for this.” Yet she couldn’t help finding the gesture oddly reassuring. “And I can do it myself!”
“Nay, it should help. I also don’t mind doing it.”
He may want to do it to make certain it was truly done.
Her legs twitched when he pressed deeper, split his fingers apart, and she felt the heat of the water gushing in.
“You shouldn’t lock your ankles around a man. That’s how you make your own regrets.”
While she was gripping the edge of the tub with tension, she nibbled at one of the corners of her lips. She vaguely remembered doing that.
Rosetta knew she sometimes did it when he was hitting just the right spot and didn’t want him to move right before she reached orgasm.
Usually, Alister would pry one of her legs free of him and hold it to the side so he could withdraw when she was too thoughtless and gone.
Last night, she could remember at least one time when she may have been doing that while she was coming, had felt him trying to move her unbudging legs, until he’d eventually started shuddering with a low groan.
He’d released her legs to grab her hips and pull her hard on him, grinding himself in while she’d felt him pulsate.
She winced as her betraying body clenched at the sordid memory.
She was thankful he didn’t seem to notice her pulse around his fingers before he removed them. He placed his arms over the rim of the bathtub and reclined back to be comfortable.
“Why are you so calm about this?” Rosetta asked with a sigh, turning her head to look at him.
“Nothing else I can do about it, now is there? I don’t dwell on my mistakes.
I’ve done too many bad things in my life to do that.
” He rolled his head to the side to punctuate his nonchalance in his words.
“Things also tend to work out for me anyway. A lot of the reason I’m still alive is because I’ve been extremely lucky. One night isn’t going to hurt.”
Rosetta considered telling him it may not matter anyway, but she decided against it. She didn’t want to give him the freedom to think he could do it in the future.
She lifted her arm and pointed her index finger at his face, dangerously close to poking him in the eye. “Never again, you hear? I don’t care if we’re both too drunk, never again.”
He gave a small chuckle, leaning his head back against the tub and tilting his face to the ceiling. He closed his eye like he was tired.
“Oh aye, don’t need you to tell me twice. I court death enough; don’t really need to court life as well.”
Feeling comforted, she turned forward to let her body simply rest. She laid her back against his chest, deciding he deserved to be used as a pillow.
“Have you ever had a bath with a woman, Alister?”
“Nay. Must say, I don’t mind it.”
A small smile curled her lips.
After a short while of just relaxing, she felt him move. His hands started rubbing down her aching thighs in deep, yet careful strokes.
“You’re giving me a massage?” This morning is full of surprises.
“Don’t think too deeply into it. We’ve got work to do today, and I can’t have you walking around like some feeble, sick person.”
Oh, right. They had to get the supplies for the ships.
Once the water was too cool for Rosetta to enjoy, she finally got the courage to use her legs. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt minimal twinges.
While she was putting on her weapons belt so she could finally get some clothes on, she noticed he hadn’t hopped out directly after her.
He had removed his eye patch and was dunking his head in the water. Hoping to get a peek at that side of his face for the first time, she kept her sight on him.
Unfortunately, he covered it with his hand as he felt around for one of the towels next to the tub. He dried his face and then placed his eye patch on before she had the chance to see him.
Disappointed, she grumbled to herself as she put her dress on, noticing the tear in the neckline that wasn’t there the day before.
Once she had it tied at the back, she reached into one of the slits she’d cut so she could get to her weapons belt. There was a small rectangular pocket with a button in the centre.
It held her bullets, but she’d also stashed her comb in it just in case she’d gone to a hotel instead of her ship to sleep.
Rosetta sat on the edge of the bed and started combing her hair to detangle the web of knots. While Alister was getting dressed, his gaze fell to her before quickly looking away when he realised he’d been caught.
I wonder... She’d seen him look at his own long locks the day she’d been torturing Pierre with a hairbrush.
“Do you want me to brush your hair?” she asked, trying to hide the humour in her question.
He paused as he was placing his second boot on, nearly dressed besides his tunic. “Nay. I don’t trust you after this morning.”
“Come now. You’re painting me as a spiteful bitch. You’ve been nice to me since, so the least I can do is be nice back.”
He squinted, as though he found her offer suspicious.
It seemed she won, though, because he came over to her. She spread her legs so he would fit his wide body between them as he slowly turned and sat with his back resting against the bed. He rested one of his arms over her leg while the other draped over his hips.
Rosetta started by gently combing the tips first, rather than raking her comb from the top of his head to the ends like she had done to Pierre. This was far less painful and showed care.
“It’s pretty long now,” she commented. It came halfway down his back.
He nodded in agreement, reaching into one of his boots. “Too long. Cut it.”
Blinking at the dagger he’d slapped into her palm, surprised he was trusting her with this, she eventually turned her head up.
“Well... how long do you want it?”
“Don’t care, so long as I can tie it back when it’s windy.”
Rosetta brought it all together in a fist and measured to just past the tops of his shoulders. She held the dagger above her fist, and in one quick slice she cut away a little over one third of the length.
He pulled a couple of strands forward to inspect how long she’d left it, then flicked them back with a shrug and waited for her to continue combing his hair.
He made a thoughtful sound when it was untangled enough that she could run the comb over his scalp, followed by a small expire.
“You’re enjoying this,” she stated, trying her best to keep humour from her tone so he didn’t think she was mocking him.
“I haven’t had my hair brushed by another since I was a young lad. Forgot how nice it felt.”
“My mother used to do it for me, too, even when I was a teenager.” She welcomed the sad pang that swirled in her heart. She missed her parents. “The maids at the mansion weren’t as gentle. Can I plait it for you? It means you won’t have to brush and retie it every day.”
“I don’t.” She figured as much by how messy his hair often looked. “But aye, do what you want, as long as I don’t look like a girl.”
She dipped her body over the top of his head so she could meet his eye.
“Alister, I could put you in a dress, put makeup on your face, and give you a frilly umbrella to walk around with, and you still wouldn’t look like a woman.”
He finally gave a large grin as he chuckled. “That’s true.”
Instead of just plaiting the half of his hair he usually tied into a folded bun, she braided the top before plaiting it. She smiled when she was done, finding he looked neater.
“I need to go back to my ship before we start looking for supplies.”
Her ship’s supply funds were locked behind the safe. She also wanted her hat so she could shield her face from the sun.
He didn’t seem to mind.