Resting her head
against the edge of the tub, she stared at the sky. Kasin, the Zeus lover,
surprisingly treated her gently. She had expected to be brutalized or worse.
With the fair skin and height of those imposing men from the northern
mountains, he looked like those who worshipped the Sky god above the goddesses,
yet he also possessed a temperate manner unlike those brutal, warlike people.
She couldn’t imagine living under the rule of the vile centaurs.
Her skin prickled
in response to the cooling water. “I am ready to get out now.”
He appeared,
holding his hand over his eyes, and tripped over a branch.
She giggled.
Regaining his
balance, he said with some annoyance, “I am glad you find that so amusing.”
“You do not have
to close your eyes. Just refrain from staring at anything worth staring at.”
She laughed, not sure why she told him that. He made her feel giddy, something
that had never happened to her before now in the presence of this man.
Opening his eyes,
he kept his gaze lowered as he helped her stand. Keeping his eyes fixed on her
lower legs, he wrapped a large cloth around her and then lifted her out of the
tub.
Her body didn’t
ache as badly as it had before the bath. Gradually, her body was healing.
“How was the
bath?” He helped her put on her tunic, which covered her upper body to her
mid-thigh.
“It was quite
enjoyable. You can look up now if you wish.”
His gaze swept up
her body in a way that made her face and body flush. She was entering into a
dangerous game, but her vow didn’t seem to apply here so far away from Artemis.
With his help, she
pulled on her leggings. His hands felt hot each time he brushed against her
bare skin. Her skin tingled beneath his seemingly innocent touch. He hesitated,
holding on to her hips a moment longer than was necessary.
The air between
them felt like the aftermath of a lightning storm. She had no idea what was
happening, but she knew it wasn’t what she should be feeling when in the
presence of a man.
****
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
