Chapter 100: Afterglow
Ethan lifted Lirael's warm, pliant body into his arms, her breathing deep and even against his chest. Her skin was still flushed, carrying the lingering heat of their shared passion. He carried her into the washroom, the faint steam of warm water filling the air.
Gently, he set her down on a small bench. She didn't stir, lost in the exhaustion of sleep, lips parted ever so slightly. Ethan dipped a cloth into the basin and began wiping her clean, moving slowly, carefully, as if polishing porcelain. His fingers traced along the curves of her collarbone, down the length of her arms, then across her legs. Each stroke was deliberate, reverent, almost worshipful.
He caught himself pausing now and then, his hand lingering at her hip, his gaze drinking in the rise and fall of her chest. A wry smile touched his lips. "You really have me working like your maid, while you sleep like an angel," he muttered softly, his voice carrying a teasing warmth.
