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.
“Yes, she had extremely expensive tastes,” Lexi admitted.
She looked up at the vaulted ceiling, which was painted to look like the night sky. It had tiny silver-white lights imbedded in it that twinkled like stars.
The vast bathing area couldn’t be more different from her own simple bathroom back home. In fact, most of her house could have fit in this one room—it was small but cozy while the penthouse often felt huge and empty.
“Sometimes I feel weird in this big place all alone,” she admitted to the two Kindred in a low voice. “It’s so much bigger than what I’m used to. My house on Zetta Prime is a lot smaller. Just a little pink cottage on the edge of town—I really miss it.”
“It’s not what we’re used to, either. We live in a grotto underground,” Gaze told her. “Everyone in Tranq Prime does, because the surface of the planet is constantly covered in ice and snow.”
“I’ve always been interested in seeing how other people lived on other planets,” Lexi said, smiling. “I just never got around to it—or had the credit to travel before.”
“You could sure as the Seven Hells travel now,” Bound pointed out. “Just the cost of one of those golden faucets would get you passage to anywhere in the galaxy.”
“I don’t think Lady Alexa needs to sell her fixtures to get enough money to travel,” Gaze said, frowning at his brother.
“I know that—I’m just sayin’,” Bound protested.
“I thought about traveling,” Lexi admitted. “But…” She trailed off, not wanting to admit that she didn’t like the idea of traveling alone.
“But what?” Gaze prompted gently.
“Well…” She cleared her throat. “Traveling alone isn’t as much fun as if you have someone with you and I’ve never…I guess I’ve just never met the right one to go traveling with.”
“Don’t females pair off together on Zetta Prime?” Bound asked, frowning as he limped with Gaze’s help towards the pool.
“They do,” Lexi admitted. “I’ve just…never wanted to.” She shrugged. “It’s not uncommon. Some women just aren’t meant to be mated.”
“Maybe you just haven’t found the right mate—or mates,” Bound rumbled and Gaze gave him a stern look.
“Why don’t we get you into the pool, Brother?” he remarked.
“Gotta get me undressed first,” Bound pointed out.
“Here—let’s lower him down to the bench to get him undressed and then we can all get into the pool together,” Lexi suggested, pointing to the padded bench on one side of the pool.