Page 6 of Dark Princess Ascending
He stood up, moved over to her, and when she made room for him by spreading her legs, he walked between them and wrapped his arms around her. "My mother does not live in the village. She lives in Annani's sanctuary in the north, and we are not close. She has her life, and I have mine. That being said, she has no doubt heard about you and me being together and is biding her time, waiting for me to call her and tell her the good news."
She arched a brow. "Are you sure she will think I'm good news?"
"Of course. You are a princess and a half-goddess. What mother wouldn't want that for her son?"
"I'm also half Kra-ell and know next to nothing about Earth and its customs. She will think that I'm an ignorant savage."
"I promise you that she will not." Brandon glanced at the rapidly filling tub and the steamrising from the surface. "Do you want me to add bath oils?"
"Yes, please."
He kissed the tip of her nose before leaving the enticing comfort of her thighs and walking over to the tub.
As he added the foaming bath oils, the air filled with a subtle floral scent. He looked at Morelle, expecting her to smile as she inhaled the soothing smell, but instead, she was slumped against the mirror with her eyes closed.
Brandon turned off the water, walked over to her, and began unbuttoning her blouse.
"I thought you said no ulterior motives," she murmured, though there was a smile in her voice.
"Just practicality," he assured her. "I don't think you have the energy to undress yourself."
"True," she admitted.
He helped her out of her clothes with as much clinical detachment as he could manage, then supported her as she stepped into the tub.
A soft sigh escaped her as she sank into the warm water. "This feels amazing," she said, her eyes drifting closed.
Thankfully, the soapsuds covered her nudity, or he would have needed to take a cold shower to keep all the blood from leaving his brain and pooling in his groin.
"Do you want me to shampoo your hair?"
He hoped she would say yes because he hadnever done that for a woman before, but Morelle was sensitive about the appearance of the new hair growth, so she might not want him to touch it.
"Yes, please." She smiled. "The advantage of having such short hair is that I don't mind washing it every night. In the temple, it was a complicated process to untangle my long strands, so I didn't wash it as often. Having to do it with cold water was another deterrent."
Brandon paused with the shampoo in his hand.
"Why cold water? Was it only you that had to go without, or was everyone in the temple required to bathe in cold water?"
She opened her incredible blue eyes. "The inhabitable area of Anumati is hot and humid, so the water was never freezing, but since it came from an underground reservoir, it wasn't warm either. Still, no one ever thought about heating up water for bathing, and since the Kra-ell didn't need hot water for cooking either, it just wasn't done."
He shook his head. "I have to admit that the Kra-ell physiology lends itself to an uncomplicated life." He began working the soap through Morelle's short hair.
Actually, it was growing out nicely, already thick enough to run his fingers through.
"I love the way your hands feel on my scalp," Morelle murmured.
Brandon smiled, massaging it gently. "I lovetaking care of you." He reached for the handheld to rinse her hair. "Close your eyes."
She did as he asked.
When he was done with her hair, he reached for a washcloth. "Lean back," he instructed.
As he began rubbing her shoulders, he said, "You know what I think?"
"What?" she asked sleepily.
"I think that you are incredible." He ran the washcloth down her arm. "I've watched you adapt to this new world with grace and courage. I've seen your fierce protective instincts, your deep capacity for love. My mother will fall in love with you at first sight."