Immortals After Dark 04 - Wicked Deeds on a Winters Night

amusement out of his tone. “Most ‘guys your age’ just hope that you are one. And would no’ know what to do with you even if you were.”
    “And exactly how old are you, MacRieve?”
    “Twelve hundred, give or take.”
    She glanced back at him, as though gauging if he was jesting. When he raised his brows, she said, “Great Hekate, you’re a relic . Don’t you have a museum exhibit to be in somewhere?”
    He ignored her comments. “Another mystery—I dinna find a razor in your bag, but your legs and under your arms are smooth.”
    “I was lasered,” she said, then added, “I can hear your frown, Father Time,” surprising him because he was.
    She didn’t explain more, but he didn’t miss a beat. “Makes a man recall where else you’re so well groomed.” She shivered from a mere murmur in her ear. “I’m lookin’ forward tae touchin’ you there again.”
    “Ha! Why would you think that I would ever let you?”
    “I happen to ken that you’re a lusty one. And I’ve taken away your wee alternative. Tossed it into a river.” As she gasped, he said, “Took me a minute to figure out what it was—a minute more to believe you actually had it. Then imagining you using it? Had me in such a state, I could scarcely run without tripping over my own feet.”
    “You’re trying to embarrass me again. Give it up. I’m not going to be ashamed because I’m like every other girl my age.”
    “I doona want you to be ashamed—never in matters like that. And I ken you’re to turn immortal soon, know the need must be overwhelming. In fact, most females get confused by all their new lustiness,” he said. “Best to have a firm hand to guide them into immortal sex.”
    “And I’ll just bet that you’re happy to volunteer.”
    Making his tone aggrieved, he sighed, “If I must... Now lean back so I can rinse your hair.”
    She hesitated, then finally did. He rewarded her by using the water he’d warmed in his canteen. “ Ooh, ” she softly moaned, making his shaft throb harder.
    “So responsive.” Once he’d rinsed her hair clean, he lowered his voice to say, “If you were no’ so tired, I’d make you come a few times.”
    She jerked upright, her hair whipping across her chin and neck. “That won’t happen! I learned my lesson about you.” She backed away from him. “The bloom is definitely off that rose.”
    “How’s that?”
    “Got lost in a kiss—got locked in a tomb with an ancient evil bent on making me drink blood. It’s all about causality. The bottom line is that you are bad news.”
    “I’ll make you believe differently in the time you’ve given me.”
    “And how do you expect to do that?” she asked, her tone scoffing. “By bathing me really, really good?”
    “No, I plan to use my roguish charm to seduce you.”
    “But you’re not charming.”
    He gave an arrogant half laugh, though he had been worried on that exact score. “I’ve no’ even begun to try with you. Now come back here—you’re to bathe me.”

    Mari frowned at him. She didn’t like this new flirty side of MacRieve because, damn him, he did have a certain rough charm. “Like that’s going to happen. I’m getting out, and I don’t want you to look.”
    He gave her a brows-drawn look of disappointment, as if she’d taken away a toy—and for no good reason.
    “It really is the least you could do.”
    When he finally turned his broad back to her, she found herself again getting caught up staring at the damp skin and muscles. With a hard shake of her head, she hurried from the water, then bent for the towel he’d laid out, covering herself.
    Kneeling beside her bag, she rifled through it, searching for something to sleep in. She’d had a roomy T-shirt in there. Where was it? Wait... She narrowed her eyes in his direction and found him running a shaking hand over his face, his eyelids heavy.
    “You watched me get out, didn’t you?” she asked absently, realizing that she could not see his right hand below the water—and that the muscles in that arm were moving.
    “ O’ course, I did,” he replied with no shame. “And I’d describe the sight as life changing. It’s also made me ponder if a male can have a cockstand that’s so hard, it canna be tamed.”
    She glared at the ceiling, irritated that he was getting to her like this. “Did you take the sleep shirt from my bag?”
    “Aye. Found some silks in there that I want you to wear for me.” Shameless, tricksy wolf.
    Mari bit her