Yes, she’d been taught all that, Lexi admitted to herself. But she had also been taught to stay in her own place and mind her own business and that hadn’t stopped her from going off to Yonnie Six to rescue slaves, had it? Why should she accept at face value everything she had swallowed whole when she was younger? Why shouldn’t she think for herself? Try new things?
Don’t you mean try new people? Like males? whispered the reproving little voice in her head.
“Well…I think I’m full,” Bound said, breaking her forbidden train of thought. “Never thought I would be, as hungry as I was. Thank you, Angel—that was the best fuckin’ meal I’ve ever had in my life.”
“It was absolutely delicious,” Gaze agreed earnestly.
“I’m so glad you liked it.” Lexi smiled warmly. “The two of you make yourselves at home in here. You can take some time to recover and we can talk about what to wear to the public ball later.”
“Yeah, well before I go to any ball, I’m gonna need a bath,” Bound remarked. He lifted and arm and sniffed, wrinkling his nose. “Gods, I’m rank!”
Gaze tugged at the front of his shirt and dipped his head to sniff at his chest. He winced. “I could use a bath myself.”
Lexi thought they both smelled amazing—the rich, masculine spice from their big bodies seemed to mix together, making her feel a bit dizzy. But if they wanted to bathe, it was easy enough to accommodate them.
“There’s a large bathing pool in the bathing chamber over there,” she said, pointing to the doorway across the room. “It should be big enough for the two of you.”
“It’ll have to be—I’m guessing Bound isn’t going to be taking a bath without help—at least until his body repairs itself more and he regains his strength,” Gaze remarked. He frowned at his brother. “Guess I’ll be hauling your ass in and out of the bathing pool, too. But you’ll have to scrub yourself.”
Bound glared at him.
“You don’t have to worry—I can fuckin’ manage,” he growled.
“Well, you’ll have to because—”
“I can help,” Lexi heard herself say and then bit her lip.
“Er…what?” Bound and Gaze both looked at her uncertainly.
“I said, I can help with the bathing,” Lexi said briskly, though her stomach felt as though a flock of flutterbyes had taken off and were flapping their great, feathery wings in there. “If Bound is still too weak, that is,” she added, feeling her cheeks get hot. “If…if you want me to. I don’t mind helping to…to bathe him. I mean, I found you and bought you from the slave market—I feel kind of…responsible for the two of you, that’s all,” she ended lamely, wondering what they would think of her for her offer.
Maybe they weren’t attracted to her the way she was to them. Maybe she’d been imagining the tingle of electrical desire she’d felt when she was between them. Maybe they would think she was strange or weird or—
“We would love to have your help, my Lady,” Gaze said and at the same time Bound rumbled,
“Hell yes, we want you to help us!”
Lexi looked up and saw unmistakable interest in their eyes—both pale blue and forest green were half-lidded and looking at her in a way that made her heart pound with an unfamiliar pleasure. She’d never had males look at her like that before and she found she rather liked it.
“Well, then…” She got up briskly. Trying to hide the hot rush of blood to her cheeks and the emotions pouring through her, she pushed the hover cart they’d been using as a table aside. “Come on,” she said and went to stand in front of Bound. “We’d better get started.”
FOURTEEN
Lexi couldn’t believe she was doing this. Couldn’t believe she was about to help bathe the big Dark Twin. Was she crazy, offering to help? But she couldn’t deny the attraction she felt to both of them—she didn’t even want to try to deny it.
Once again, Gaze did most of the heavy lifting but it was clear that Bound was already beginning to regain some strength. The Dark Twin didn’t lean quite so heavily on his brother’s shoulder as they made their way towards the bathing chamber.
Lexi kept an arm firmly around his lean waist. She kept wondering if there would be a repeat of the sizzling sexual tension but she was only touching Bound for now and there was nothing but the same warm attraction she’d been feeling for both Kindred before she offered to help with the bath.
“Wow, your Great Aunt must have really been loaded!” Bound stared around the large bathing chamber in unabashed admiration.
All the fixtures were gold and the vast bathing pool was made of white marble and set into the ground with steps leading down into it. It had a lapis lazuli bottom which made the warm water it was already filled with look deep blue. The water circulated through small vents in the sides of the pool with a soft whispering gurgle that was soothing and musical at the same time.