Rayne huffed out a laugh and fought the urge to shake his head as Eno continued to try to clean his hair the best he could without soap. “All right. You win.”
“What do I win?”
“The only prize I have to offer at this point in my life: me.”
Eno made a soft humming noise that wrapped around Rayne like a hug. “Funny. That’s exactly what I wanted.” He paused and made a different, more disgruntled noise in the back of his throat. “This probably isn’t as clean as you’d like it to be.”
Rayne shifted on the rock so that he could reach one hand up and run it through his damp hair. The cold sank into his scalp, threatening to chase away the warmth Eno had created with his words and touch. It definitely wasn’t clean, but most of the matted, hard crust was gone now. It was a struggle to not sigh out loud. “It’ll do until we reach Temit. I imagine we’ll be able to get something that more closely resembles a bath there.”
Eno took a step from the bank and helped pull Rayne to his feet. He swept off the heavy wrap he was wearing and started scrubbing it over Rayne’s hair.
“Hey!” Rayne shouted, attempting to duck away from his ministrations. Unfortunately, due to the rocks and the stream, there was nowhere for him to easily escape without risking falling into the water. “It’s getting wet.”
“It’ll be fine,” Eno grumbled. “It’s more important that you don’t end up sick from wet hair in this cold.”
Rayne silenced the last of his objections and bit his lower lip, allowing Eno to finish caring for him. It wasn’t something he was accustomed to, but he liked it more than he wanted to admit.
As Eno drew the fabric from his hair, he shifted it in his hand to grab the corner, wiping away the stray drops running down his neck and away from his cheeks. His dark eyes were narrowed in intense concentration, as if making sure Rayne was warm and safe were the only things that mattered in this world. How could Rayne not fall hopelessly in love with this man?
“Better?” Rayne asked, his voice a touch huskier than he’d wanted.
“It’ll do for now.” Eno pulled the wrap back around his torso. “Do you think there’s any chance of us finding a quiet moment alone while we’re there? Maybe I could offer to help wash your hair again. Caelan wouldn’t think too much about that, right?”
Rayne’s smile slipped, and he rested his hand on Eno’s chest to steady himself. “Caelan knows.”
“He knows what?”
“About us,” Rayne said as gently as he could. “Apparently, he was struggling a bit with Tula’s powers, which include mind control. He dipped into my memories and saw us.”
Eno swallowed hard and Rayne held on to his smile because he knew the sinking feeling that was hitting Eno all too well. “Oh, shit.”
“It’s okay. He was hurt that we hid it, but I think he’s over it for the most part. Especially when I pointed out that he was also pursuing more than friendship with Drayce.”
Eno’s mouth fell open, but no sound came out. He closed it and pressed his fingers into his eyes, leaving Rayne biting his bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud. Yes, Drayce wasn’t exactly Rayne’s top choice for a love interest for the King of Erya. The young man was incredibly impulsive and rarely thought about what was coming out of his mouth. He was the sole reason Caelan had landed himself in hot water over the years.
But his devotion and loyalty to Caelan were without question. Rayne couldn’t think of anyone who worried more about Caelan and his well-being. If they could keep Drayce from causing an international incident, it wasn’t all bad.
“Drayce…and Caelan…are dating? When the fuck did that happen?” Eno demanded haltingly.
“I would imagine slowly over a number of years, but I think it might have turned physical when Caelan decided to hand himself over to the Empire.”
Eno dropped his hand, but instead of letting it fall to his side, it curled around Rayne’s waist, pulling him in closer. “Are you worried?”
Rayne tipped his head back as a bark of laughter jumped from him. “You’ll have to narrow it down further than that. About Caelan and the gods? About New Rosanthe? Zastrad? The Dead God? The well-being of Stormbreak after our quick departure?” Rayne straightened and brushed a light kiss along Eno’s jaw. “Drayce and Caelan dating seems to be the least of my worries by comparison.”
He tried to step out of Eno’s embrace, but the incredibly strong man didn’t release him. Didn’t loosen his hold even the tiniest bit. Rayne met Eno’s eyes only to find a wicked grin spreading across those full lips, sending the blood rushing to his cock.