29
FENELLA
Fenella kicked off her dusty sandals the moment she entered their bedroom suite, resisting the urge to collapse face-first onto the nice clean bed. After helping Esag, Davuh, and Roven wrap and pack hundreds of figurines for shipping carefully, and then spending the afternoon trekking through the pyramids and the surrounding desert, she felt like she'd been rolled in dust and sand and baked in an oven.
"I don't even want to sit down." She leaned down to pick up the dirty sandals and headed toward the bathroom. "I feel like I'm covered in five thousand years' worth of dust."
Din chuckled as he closed the door behind them, looking equally dusty and sweaty. His usually neatly combed hair stuck up at odd angles, and he had a tan that looked suspiciously dark, which made her think that it would probably wash off with some soap and water.
"The hazards of archaeological tourism." He followed her toward the bathroom. "Wait until you spend a day at a dig."
"Not planning to." She gingerly touched her hair and grimaced. "There's sand in places sand should never be. I need a shower. Actually, no—I need a shower and then a long soak in that glorious bathtub."
"That sounds like a plan," Din said. "Since we've all eaten out, we don't have to come down for dinner, and we can retire for the night."
There was a gleam in his eyes that hinted at his plans, and even though she was tired, she was entirely on board with them.
Fenella started on the buttons of her shirt. "Join me in the shower?"
His eyes darkened with interest. "I was hoping you'd say that. I need someone to scrub my back."
She rolled her eyes. "Is that the only reason you want to shower with me?"
"Among others," he murmured, reaching out to pluck a piece of straw from her hair. "How did that get in there?"
"From packing up Esag's workshop. Some of his older pieces were wrapped in straw." She pulled her shirt over her head. "Last one in the shower has to wash the other's back."
"Is that supposed to be punishment?" Din asked, but he was already stripping off his clothes with impressive speed.
They reached the bathroom door at the same time, both laughing as they squeezed through together.
"I guess we will be washing each other," Din said as he turned on the water in the shower, testing the temperature until he was satisfied that it was just right.
The bathroom was one of the bedroom suite's best features—marble everything, a shower large enough for four people, and a bathtub that could probably double as a small swimming pool. Steam was already beginning to fog the mirror as the shower reached the perfect temperature.
"Come here," Din said, his playful tone shifting to something warmer. "Let me help you with that hair tie."
She moved into his arms, sighing as his fingers worked through her tangled hair with gentle patience. There was something incredibly intimate about the care he took not to pull on her tangles. When he finally managed to free her hair from the elastic band, she released a breath.
"I didn't realize how much that bothered me until you took it off. I don't like pulling my hair into a ponytail."
"Then I'm glad I made it better." He pressed a kiss to her temple.
She turned in his arms, looking up at him. "I'm pretty sure my hair is now twenty percent sand."
"Thirty percent, at least," he agreed solemnly. "Possibly forty."
She swatted his chest. "Help me wash it."
"Yes, ma'am."
As she stepped into the shower, the first blast of hot water was heavenly. Fenella groaned in pure pleasure as it sluiced over her overheated, sweaty skin, watching the water turn beige as it swirled down the drain. "It's like we've just come back from the beach."
"It looks that way." He laughed.
"That's amazing." She tilted her head back. "I may never leave this shower."
"That would make flying home tomorrow rather difficult." Din reached for the shampoo. "I don't think Kalugal will be okay with me dismantling his shower and taking it with us on the plane."
