The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld #7)(68)
Author: Gena Showalter

Guilt, fear and remorse. Guilt for having inadvertently helped to kil her that first time—she’d known that already.

Fear that he would hurt her again—that had been a surprise

—and remorse for giving her up, even though it was for her own good. That wasn’t going to be tolerated.

He didn’t want her to regret what happened between them.

Didn’t want her to later hate him. He would learn. She wouldn’t, couldn’t hate him. Not for any reason.

There had to be some way to prove how wrong he was.

That the only way he could hurt her was by giving her up.

That she would never regret being with him.

Amazed, she ground to a halt. It was true, she realized. She would never regret being with him. The Hunters would view her as a traitor, and they would target her as they targeted the Lords, but she didn’t care. And Micah, wel , he would turn on her, too.

He would feel betrayed, personal y and emotional y, but maybe one day, when he final y experienced the sizzle for himself, he would realize their split was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Now that she’d experienced it, she only wanted more.

Now that she’d experienced it, she only wanted more.

Would do whatever was needed to have more. Even seduce Amun within an inch of his life.

No more waiting to move forward until she broke things off with Micah. Yes, she stil planned to cal him, to tel him they were finished, but their relationship was already over, done.

Amun had her loyalty now. Demon, immortal, whatever, he had her loyalty. He deserved her everything.

And real y, she was operating under a limited amount of time. If she couldn’t reach him before they left these caverns

—if they ever left these caverns—he would dump her somewhere and take off. For her own good. That, she knew, as wel . Somehow, some way, she had to prove they could make a relationship work before then.

Turning his vision into a reality would be a good start.

She gave herself a once-over. Her clothes were ripped, caked in dirt and dried blood, and she probably smel ed like dead piranha. She could clean up with wet wipes from the pack, she supposed, but tiny towelettes could only do so much. And yeah, she could summon another angel robe and that would magical y wash away every unwanted speck, but mental y, she would stil feel dirty.

“I need a bath,” she murmured to the backpack. “A real bath. Can you fit a tub in there? Huh?”

A whoosh at her side had her twisting and reaching for the blade she’d dropped. Though there had been a rocky wal beside her only a few seconds ago, there was now a wide, bubbling spring of water.

Haidee’s eyes widened with shock. How had…why…the backpack could manipulate the earth?

Seriously? Then she thought, who the hel cared? The urge to soak and scrub overwhelmed her and left her trembling with anticipation.

“Soap, shampoo, conditioner,” she said giddily.

The backpack plumped at the sides, signaling it had fil ed with everything she had requested. After lining the items along the edge of the spring—a real freaking spring!—she stripped herself, stripped Amun, and then shook him until his eyelids cracked open. His spirits needed this. Besides, she was stil concerned about him, fearing she had struck him too hard, and if he’d just wake up for a few minutes, she could relax.

He moaned, the sound broken, his throat obviously tender.

At least he was rousing.

“Shh,” she said, covering his mouth with her hand. “Don’t talk out loud, baby. Okay?” Neither one of them was strong enough to deal with the consequences just yet.

His black eyes were glassy as he focused on her.

Something wrong?

“Something’s right. Can you stand? We’re going to take a bath.”

A bath?

“That’s what I said,” she told him with a grin. And just then she knew; he was going to be al right.

“Come on. On your feet, big boy.”

He lumbered to a stand and tripped his way to the edge.

Then he just sort of fel over the side, splashing headfirst into the water. Haidee jumped in after him and dragged him to the surface before he drowned. His eyes had closed again, his head lol ing to the side.

She chuckled as she settled against the rock and anchored him against her, chest to back. “You stil awake, baby?”

Yes. He uttered a soft sigh. Just barely.

“I’m going to scrub us both. Tel me if I hurt you.”

You couldn’t hurt me.

“You’re injured and—”

And I’m in your arms. I’l be fine, I promise.

Darling man. She tried to be impersonal, she real y did. He wasn’t ready for the seduction she had planned. Yet. Stil , as her hands lathered the soap and spread the bubbles over his big arms, his corded chest, his strong thighs, her blood heated with desire, a reaction only he could cause.

His silky skin covered a body built for war, and she marveled. He made her desperate, hungry, mindless of anything except pleasure. Maybe because, when she was with him, she didn’t belong to herself. She belonged to him.

And that probably should have frightened her. Instead, it only made her trust him more. Amun would die before he hurt her—as he’d proven time and time again.

“Amun?”

He gave no response. Poor baby must have fal en asleep again.

“I love your body,” she admitted, bold because he couldn’t hear her. “Did you know that? Everything about you seems custom-made for me. I mean, it’s almost like I ordered you from a catalog. And I wouldn’t change anything about you.

You’l probably never believe that, but it’s the truth.”

One day, she hoped he would feel the same about her.

After she shampooed his hair, breathing in the scent of sandalwood, she tilted him backward and rinsed every strand. When she finished with him, she gently shook him awake. Or maybe he’d been awake the entire time. His eyes were no longer glassy; they were blazing.

Her cheeks flushed. “Can you get out on your own?”

Yes. He climbed out and settled back on the floor, lying on his side to peer over at her. Your turn to scrub up.

The flush spread as she washed herself from top to bottom.

Despite her embarrassment, the water soothed the little aches and pains that continuous walking and sporadic fighting—and nearly being eaten alive—had left.

Haidee? Amun said after she’d rinsed her hair.

The water splashed as she straightened. She leaned over the edge and stared down at her mighty warrior. His eyes were closed again, lines of tension branching from them.