Ivar's Escape (Assassins of Gravas #2) - N.J. Walters Page 0,19

long and thick, some of it matted. That was what she concentrated on first.

He remained still as she cut hank after hank of long, dirty hair away, setting it aside to bury later. She had no idea where the hot spring drained and didn’t want to dump hair into it that might come out somewhere else. The cleansing bar wasn’t a problem as it didn’t lather much and the suds would be diluted by the water.

She lost herself to the task, enjoying combing her fingers through his shorter locks. When she lightly massaged his scalp with her fingertips, he groaned and tilted his head back, as though seeking more of her touch.

Delphi pulled back and set the scissors aside. “Done. Can you wash it on your own or do you need help?” Please don’t say you need help.

“I think I can manage.” He ran the soap over his hair and scalp but inhaled sharply when he tried to scrub. Having his hands raised like that had to be painful.

Suck it up, Delphi. “Let me.” Getting to work, she scrubbed his hair before cupping her hands to ladle water over his head. She did it over and over until it was clean.

He eased around to his side. “Thanks for the haircut and the help.” He leaned forward, getting closer to her. His hand stretched out … toward the scissors. She grabbed them before he could. The corners of his mouth tightened. “You going to cut my beard, too?”

He hadn’t been reaching for a weapon to hurt her. Or had he? She only had his word.

Ivar sighed, leaned back, and exposed his throat. What was wrong with him? How could he make himself so vulnerable to her? He’d seen what she could do back at the prison.

“If you want to kill me, you’ve had plenty of opportunities.” His honesty struck her hard. There were depths to his courage. He might not know his name or history, but he understood who he was at the core of his being.

Delphi set the scissors aside, stood, and slowly removed her cloak, tossing it aside. Her hands shook as she allowed him to see her real face for the first time. It angered her that she even cared what he thought.

The corners of his mouth turned up. “Hello, Del.”

“Delphi.” She gave him her real name as she slowly sank back to her knees and picked up the scissors.

This time when he reached out, he touched her face, skimming his fingers over her cheek. “I’m so pleased to meet you, Delphi.”

Chapter Six

She was breathtakingly gorgeous. Her skin was as dark as the rich soil of Albion 5. And it was soft beneath his fingertips. There was no sign of the pockmarks from the other night. That had been part of her disguise.

Her lips were full, her chin narrowed slightly. That, along with her high cheekbones, gave her an exotic appearance.

This was not a woman any man would forget.

Her hair fell to her shoulders in thin corkscrew curls that danced whenever she moved her head. She wasn’t overly tall, maybe five-five, and lean, but she was stronger than she appeared.

It was her eyes that truly captured him, spoke to him. They were dark and soulful, giving him a glimpse of uncertainty and pain before being shuttered tight.

“You done staring?” Her arms were crossed over her chest, the posture a defensive one.

“You’re the most striking woman I’ve ever seen.”

She gave an amused snort. “Likely the only one you remember.”

His lips twitched. “I’ll give you that.” A flash of a large, ornate room filled with people popped into his head and disappeared again.

“What is it?” she demanded.

“Another image. A large gathering of some kind.” He closed his eyes for a brief second and took a deep breath. It was hard not to know who he was, what the flicker of memory might mean.

“Give it time.” She squeezed his shoulder and then picked up the scissors again. “You still want me to cut your beard?”

“Yes.” He trusted her, as much as he did anyone. While he still wasn’t sure what her plans for him were, he assumed he was safe enough, for now. Otherwise, she would have killed him already. She’d had no trouble taking out the guards back at the prison. He leaned back, presented her with his throat, and watched intently as she leaned over him.

She wore no perfume, no scent that would give her away, but he caught a hint of something sweet. His body responded, his cock