Page 51 of Condemned

Chapter Nineteen

Once through the maindoors and with the coins deposited to pay for the baths, Timin maneuvered himself and Avalon down the short hall. He liked carrying her and she seemed to enjoy it too. There were several doors with signs. He shoved open the swinging door to BATH 3 using his elbow then stepped in sideways. A wave of heat assailed him.

Takk was already here, boots off, looking at a rectangular pool shrouded in steam. The ceiling was high, the walls a varnished and peeling dark timber, and water poured into the stone-tiled pool from a pipe protruding from the opposite wall.

The two big steps surrounding the pool were tiers to sit on after bathing, he decided.

An electric light dangled from above, one made in the shape of a tentacled being. Had to be an antique. He recognized the wriggly-armed species the light was modeled after as being from off-planet. It would be from before Quarantine.

The power waxed and waned, and he prayed it wouldn’t fail them. Like all recently made machinery, generators were created small to avoid being targeted by the battle sats.

“Communal baths.” Takk began to unbutton his shirt. “Guess we’re the only ones stupid enough to be here this early.” He eyed the girl. “You can undress her. Beware of the claws.” He winked.

Captain Takk making a joke, about a girl?

Carefully he deposited Avalon on her feet and her coat slid off her, landing on the tiles. Those feet were still bare. Someone would’ve put her boots in the packs.

“Where’s Kon gone, sir?”

“Outside with the florses, tying them up. He’ll bring the packs in. Wouldn’t do to have anything stolen.”

“Okay. We should get a light in here of our own. Just in case that fails.” Briefly he nodded at the light. “So, female, I’m to undress you?”

“I can do it.” Blushing, she stepped backward, waving her palms. “Besides, aren’t I cleaning my clothes first?”

“No.” That calculating stare made Timin wonder about the captain’s motives. “After we have a soak your clothes will get done. I need to leach out the beer and wine from last night.” Takk’s shirt came off, then pants, and he tossed them toward the entrance.

Do her or him first?

Her. He grabbed at her hand, caught it, tugged her closer. Though her feet dragged, she came to him.

He’d seen her naked before and undressed by others but doing it himself was different. As with any woman, getting them nude was a new experience every single time. Or so he recalled from past exploits.

Except she was not the same as those others.

What did he really want from this? What did he believe was the right thing to do?

Did it even matter?

Takk waded into the water. “There’s something I need to tell you about her.” He nudged his chin in Avalon’s direction. Lazily, she popped up a skeptical eyebrow.

Ready, steady, gowith the bratty comment. She remained silent, strangely so.

All those smart comments she’d made sitting beside him on the footpath, and he’d wondered if she was faking it, saying things just to make him feel better. Hard for him to swing around to accepting that heroes could be flawed, could have seizures, could fall into weakness. He pulled a face, remembering how she’d seemed to believe her words.

“Zo already told me. While you were drinking the bottom out of a flask of wine, he told me.”

Cupping his hands, Takk splashed water over his face then sank to sit on the bottom of the pool. “He did? What did he say? So you know she’s dangerous?”

The water lapped at his waist and through the ripples Timin noted the captain’s engorging cock. He wasn’t immune to Avalon’s desirability either.

“Dangerous...” An odd word to use for her. He studied Avalon while feeling her fingers, the softness of her hand, the bones inside. She looked as if to be drifting, mesmerized by his touch. “She’s a huleon who is also what he called an efsana. I wouldn’t call you dangerous.” He took her other hand in his.

Even when addressed directly, she only swayed her hips, her eyes alight. That was desire he saw in those lovely pools of blue, in those hips. He went to his knees before her, shuffled her leggings and panties to knee level, and kissed her mound. Between her legs, her cunt lips were visibly swollen. He didn’t need to touch her there to see how wet she was.

“Well, now.” Timin kissed her again, heard the subtle hiss of her inhalation, felt the press of her body to his mouth. If he swallowed now, was that enough to be a taste?

“Yeah, that’s it. Efsana.” Sighing, Takk leaned against the edge of the pool. “Damn, this heat feels good. So, what are you doing with her then? As if I can’t predict.”