Hanna and the Hitman - Honey Phillips Page 0,9

Thank goodness Aidon had come along. Maakin had started making noises about selling her to one of the local brothels even though he didn’t seem to think she would fetch much. Every night when he’d placed her back in her small cell, she had been grateful that at least he had shown no sexual interest in her.

The sound of water penetrated her unhappy memories, and she was suddenly desperate to get clean. Following the sound, she turned the corner and gasped in astonishment. The room appeared to be hewn out of the native stone, the walls left rough and unfinished. A wide variety of mosses and ferns grew in the cracks of the rock, and more of the small lights were scattered among them. A waterfall cascaded down over the back wall before landing in a rocky pool carved out of the cave floor. The water steamed gently, and the air was full of the scent of growing things.

A second wave of tears threatened. She had missed this so much. Even before she had taken over her aunt’s florist shop, her life had always been full of plants. But the barren metal of the spaceship had been followed by the icy wasteland of the planet, and this was the first time she had seen living plants since she’d been taken.

As enticing as the pool looked, she had other pressing needs to attend to first. After a short search, she found a surprisingly modern facility hidden behind one of the rock outcroppings. The controls were not quite as easy to decipher as she had hoped, but she persevered, feeling a flash of triumph when she managed to get everything working.

Throwing aside the ragged clothing Maakin had unwillingly provided, she stepped under the waterfall. The heated water poured over her head, and she tried to let it wash away not only the surface dirt but the horror of the last month.

A long time later, she finally thought to look around for soap and found a depression in the rock filled with purple berries. Some plants had naturally cleansing properties, so she picked up a berry and cautiously crushed it between her fingers. A minty scent arose as it dissolved into lavender foam. Perfect.

She scrubbed her body until her pale skin was flushed and glowing and then proceeded to work the foam through her long hair. The foam actually helped smooth out some of the tangles, but she really needed a comb. Or a pair of scissors, she thought ruefully. At least the length of her hair had provided some concealment.

She gave the pool a longing glance, but time was passing, and she didn’t want to take the chance of Aidon leaving without her. As she stepped out from under the waterfall, she searched for a towel. Just as she was about to give up and use her discarded clothes, she spotted a stack of thin cloths. Each one was barely larger than a hand towel, but as she passed the material over her wet skin, it completely absorbed the moisture. It was even more miraculous on her hair, wringing all the wetness from the long strands, and she decided that it must be perfectly suited for drying fur.

“Hanna?”

She squeaked and tried ineffectually to cover her body with the skimpy towel as Aidon appeared at the entrance to the bathing room.

“I have the clothes—” He broke off abruptly at the sight of her. Once again, his eyes turned solid black as they drifted down over her body.

He’s seen you naked before. But the reminder didn’t make it any less unnerving. Unnerving—and yet she could feel her nipples thrust against the small towel and felt that same pulse of desire deep inside. He took a step toward her, and she waited, an odd combination of nerves and excitement fluttering in her stomach. When he stopped and placed the clothing on a rock, she was almost disappointed.

“Here.” His voice had the same low growl he had used earlier, and it sent another wave of desire through her. “They’re more revealing than I would have chosen, but they’re better than being naked. You will look the part.”

Her voice seemed to have abandoned her, and she could only stare at him. He took another half step toward her, then turned abruptly.

“Wait,” she called, finally managing to speak. “Do you know where I can find a comb?”

“There is one with the clothing. Also some jewelry. It’s your choice if you choose to wear it.” He hesitated a moment