And though he didn’t like it, he felt like a prick. Especially when her fingers brushed his leg again and sparks of electricity rushed across his skin at the simple contact.
He didn’t talk while she wrapped a bandage around his thigh. Tried like hell not to react to every graze and tug and sweep of her flesh against his that seemed amplified now, after his little realization moments before. But when her hands stopped moving and she glanced up toward his chest, he drew in a breath and waited—for what, he wasn’t even sure.
“You’re shivering. Are you cold?”
He was? Okay, now that was weird. He hadn’t even noticed.
“No, I’m fine,” he said. But even before the words were out, a shiver racked his body and knocked his teeth together.
“Ilithios,” she whispered again, rising and crossing the room. She came back with a blanket and proceeded to wrap it around his body. “I’ve had senile patients who were easier to deal with than you. Even the king isn’t this much of a pain in the ass.”
He couldn’t help it; one corner of his mouth curled. She’d always been able to make him smile, even when he’d been in a pissy mood.
She felt his forehead, cursed, then knelt near his head. Her scent surrounded him like a wreath of roses. Leaning over, she lifted at his shoulders. “Sit up.”
“What are you doing?”
She pushed him up gently, shifted around and moved behind him. “You’re obviously freezing. Until we get your temperature regulated I’m going to use my body heat to warm you.”
Her body heat? Oh, man, no. “Look, I don’t need—”
“Shut up with the ‘I don’t need’ crap, Zander. Right now I don’t really give a rip what you think you need.”
Her blunt words cut off his protest. What had happened to the agreeable gynaíka he’d known all those years before? That one had been pleasant and proper. This one didn’t take crap from anyone. Especially him.
She eased back to sit, slid one leg on each side of his and pulled him back against her. And oh, sweet goddess, there was a reason he hadn’t let himself get near her in ten years. When she was close like this, he forgot everything, including his own name.
Her perfect breasts pressed against his back. Her hips cradled his like they were made just for him. Her arms wound around him, and she tucked the blanket in tighter, locking her heat against his. He could feel her heartbeat against his spine, feel the warmth between her thighs near the wound on his lower back. And when she exhaled, her silky, hot breath ran down his neck and made him shiver all over again.
“Just relax,” she said near his ear, obviously misreading his reaction. But yeah, like he was going to correct her now? Not a chance. The blood was already pounding in his veins and that tingling in his groin felt way too good to ignore.
“That’s better,” she said softly. “I don’t know why males have to be such babies when they’re hurt.”
He closed his eyes, rested his head back against her shoulder and told himself this wasn’t sexual. It was…medicinal. Yeah, that was it…
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he muttered. Her hands rubbed up and down his arms, and that tingle grew with every brush of skin against fabric.
“It is,” she answered. “I’m just trying to help you here.”
Suddenly, he could think of a number of ways she could help. And they all started with her hands rubbing those sinful circles on his naked flesh, not the blanket covering his skin.
When he realized where his thoughts were headed, his eyes popped open and he tried to refocus. But he didn’t move away from her body. Couldn’t. “Where is ‘here,’ anyway?”
“Somewhere in the Cascade mountain range. I’m not sure exactly where. Titus brought me here. After he hid you in that cave, he went back to Argolea to get me.”
“How did we get in this cave? It looks different from before.”
“You remember that?” When he nodded, she sighed and lifted her left leg so her knee was pointing toward the ceiling. The motion eased him further into the warmth of her body, distracting him from his question. “That was this same cave, just nearer the opening. It was too cold, though. A storm’s moved in and I was worried about infection and keeping you warm.”
Oh, man. She felt so good. Too damn good. He cleared his throat. “How…how far in are we?”
“About a hundred yards or so, I’d guess. I thought you’d be warm enough this far in, which is why I didn’t have a blanket on you earlier. These mountains are volcanic and there’s geothermal activity underground.”
For the first time he realized there was no breeze blowing through this cave, and though he was cold, the air wasn’t nearly as chilly as the interior of a cave in the middle of the mountains should be. “That’s why the air isn’t frigid.”
“Yes. And because the hot springs are heating it.”
“Hot springs?”
She nodded and pointed to the right, into the dark. “There are at least four pools over there. We lucked out because there’s no way we could have built a fire in here.”
And that explained her short-sleeved shirt and the fact he thought he’d seen a drop of perspiration on her brow earlier.
They sat like that a few minutes in silence, and he could feel his body warming from the heat of hers pressed against his. That tingling continued to grow little by little with every stroke of her fingers against his arms and chest.
Jeez, of all the healers Titus could have gone to for help, he had to bring her. Her skills were rare, but there were other healers in the city of Tiyrns who could have been just as helpful. Though none were as closely linked to the king and the Argonauts as she was.
Warmth gathered in his chest under the motion of her fingers. Reflexively, he quivered, and she pulled him tighter, again misreading his body’s reaction. If he were smart he’d pull away right now. He wasn’t going to die—he knew that for sure now—and whether she wanted to believe it or not, he didn’t need her. Not to save him, at least. But he did want her. As her hand slid over his chest, brushing the rough fabric of the blanket against his nipple and sending sparks of desire shooting to his groin, he knew he wanted her more than he had during the king’s little exam. More than he had that first night in the castle, more than he could ever remember wanting anything in his long-ass life.
Which was wrong, wasn’t it? He was binding himself to Isadora, and Callia…she was still betrothed to that SOB Loukas, though he had no idea why they hadn’t finalized the union yet. It was wrong to be thinking about sex with her now, especially here, when she was simply being a Good Samaritan.
Her hands brushed over his chest again, the fabric tweaking his other nipple, and he drew in a sharp breath. Her hand stilled, and at his back he felt her heartbeat kick up. He waited, unsure what to say or do. Then she brushed her fingers over his nipple again, almost as if she were experimenting with his reaction to see what he would do next.
And either that was totally twisted and sick or…or it meant some part of her was as turned on as he was right this minute.
Whoa. Wait. That’s wrong too, isn’t it?
Questions, options, answers he wasn’t sure he was ready for pinged around in his brain. But no matter what he told himself, it didn’t feel wrong. Right now it felt…pretty damn right.
You can’t do this. End it before it begins. She’s not yours.
But technically she was his, wasn’t she? Regardless of how they felt about each other deep down, she was still his soul mate. And they had a physical connection he’d never experienced with anyone else. He knew she felt it too by her shallow breathing and the increased pulse at his back. The question was, what was he going to do about it?