Chapter 99

They awoke late the next morning. Elain supposed that they had both needed the rest and, as Lucien slid off the bed and to his feet, she pushed herself up, shaking her hair back as she did so. "I need another bath." She murmured, able to feel the remnants of last night between her thighs.

"I'll heat some water." Lucien replied as he strode, naked, for the bathroom. Elain watched him appreciatively. He really was the finest male she had ever seen. Hurriedly, she got to her feet and grabbed a robe before following him.

By the time she had gotten to the bathroom, he had filled the tub with fresh water and was using his own fire ability to heat it. "I still owe you a massage…"

Looking at her over his shoulder, Lucien grinned. "So you do…"

"If you get into the bath," she began, "…we have time…"

"We did probably sleep through breakfast. It happens early around here…"

"Didn't Thesan say he'd send someone to let us know when it was time?"

"I'd wager we slept through that…"

"Oh…" Elain's eyes followed Lucien as he stepped into the water and sank down to lean back against the edge. She moved toward the tub, pleased that she got to touch him. She smiled as she bent to dip her hands into the hot water, warming them before she slid them across Lucien's shoulders, smoothing across his skin. "Have you always been this attractive…?" she asked, her eyes taking in his broad shoulders with appreciation.

Lucien laughed and tilted his head back, leaning against the edge of the tub as he looked up at her, "Rather more so…" he said, lifting his own hand to his face and indicating the scar running from brow to jaw. Bending to him, Elain pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I like you as you are now." She murmured, kneading her hands into his shoulders, rubbing at his neck. Lucien's eyes closed and he smiled. She could feel the pleasure reaching her down the bond, and she heard his soft sigh. "When was the last time you had a massage?" she asked, using her knuckles on a hard knot she could feel beneath his skin.

"I…" Lucien shook his head, "I don't know…"

"Well, I don't really know what I'm doing…" Elain admitted, running her hands across his shoulders again. She just really liked touching him, if she were honest with herself.

"You're doing a great job." He murmured, and she could hear the honesty in his words.

"Maybe I'll have to do it more often for you…" She slid her hands forward, going down his chest.

"I would like that…"

"As would I…" she whispered in his ear, bringing her hands back to his shoulders and beginning to work her way up his neck. "I do enjoy the opportunity to get my hands on such a fine body…"

Lucien laughed again and Elain smiled when one of his hands reached back up to her. "A fine body?" he asked, and Elain nodded.

"Mhmmm… strong, broad shoulders…" she murmured, running her hands across them, "Beautiful skin," she ran her hands back down his chest and into the water, "Firm, muscled body…"

"Is this massage for me or for you?" she could hear the grin in his voice and she turned her head to press a kiss to his cheek.

"For both of us." She replied, smiling.

"Well, you've relaxed me…" he looked around at her, "If you want to get in here, I'll see about getting us something to eat…"

"Oh?" she asked, "You're just going to leave me here all alone…?"

Lucien raised an eyebrow at her. "Petal, if I don't practice some self-restraint, we'd never leave this room again."

Elain untied her robe and Lucien's eyes were trained on her, even as he got to his feet and reached for a towel. "…it is a nice room…"

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, grinning again as he looked at her. Elain had to admit that she was. They hadn't eaten the dinner Thesan had sent to them last night. Nodding, she tried to ignore the rumble in her stomach produced just by the thought of food. She knew that Lucien had heard anyway when he stepped out of the tub and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leaning in to press his lips to her cheek before he moved away. "I'll find out where we can get some lunch." He said and Elain nodded again as she sank down into the hot water.

She hadn't needed a long soak, just enough time to wash the dried sweat from her skin and to clean herself up with one of the soft washcloths, and then she was ready to get out. When she walked back into the bedroom, Lucien was returning from out in the hallway, and she didn't miss the way both of his eyes moved over her, that metallic eye clicking and whirring as he took her in. Pretending that she hadn't noticed, Elain set about pulling together what she would need to get dressed and lay it all out on the bed.

"There is about to be a small lunch served in the dining hall nearby…"

"Is there?" she glanced over her shoulder.

"Yes, we can head down there when you're ready."

"Sounds good…" she dropped her towel and smiled to herself when Lucien's reaction reached her down the bond without her having to turn around and look at him to know what it was. Slowly she pulled her dress on and began fastening it before she turned to look at him. "Will there be many there?"

"I don't think so. Most are out and about during the day… it will only be a few of us."

"Lovely." She picked up her small book and made sure she had a pencil to tuck into her pocket with it. The Dawn Court seemed lovely so far, even though all she had seen of it was this room and what she had glimpsed from the nearby window, but she wanted to get their jobs done as soon as possible to be able to move on. "Will Thesan be there, do you know?"

"I'm not sure."

"He did say he would speak with you today…"

"He did."

Moving to a mirror on the wall, Elain began braiding her hair up into a reasonable looking style and then turned to look at Lucien. He smiled at her, getting to his feet from where he had been waiting on a couch. "Okay, I am presentable."

"You would be presentable in a sack." He told her, winking in a way he clearly thought was charming.

Making a face at the thought, Elain moved toward him and the door. "I hope that never needs to be the case."

"If it is," he told her, pushing the door open and holding it for her to walk ahead of him, "I shall give you my clothes and I will go naked…"

Spinning around to look at Lucien as she walked backwards up the hallway, Elain laughed. "Oh, I'm liking this scenario more by the minute…"

"What's not to like?" he asked, gesturing at himself.

Elain reached out and took his hand, smiling up at him as they continued up the hallway. Lucien pushed open the door to the dining hall and Elain followed him in.

"Lucien!" A female faerie with long dark hair turned toward them, a smile on her pretty face. "I had heard that you were here."

"You tend to hear most things." There was affection in Lucien's voice and Elain glanced up at him before he strode toward the beautiful faerie with pretty onyx eyes. She watched as Lucien bent to hug the faerie, trying to choke back the sudden flare of jealousy within her. An instant later Elain raised an eyebrow when the faerie wrapped a mechanical hand up and around Lucien in response to his embrace.