Hands were clearly not going to be enough, though. “Wait. Use these.” Ash waded to the side, where he picked up a sponge and returned to Tyrez. “Go in a little deeper and turn around.”
“I can do it,” protested Tyrez.
“Always arguing,” Ash growled. “Just turn around. I’ll wash your back. I-I want to.”
Tyrez stared for a moment, as though assessing Ash, before he complied. Ash found himself admiring the broad expanse of muscled back. He swallowed, and rubbed the sponge over the hard shoulder muscles. After a moment, Tyrez dropped his head forward.
“You okay?” Ash asked.
“Oh, yeah.” A rumble ran through the words, and Ash took a deep breath.
Ash moved the sponge across the contours of the Dragon’s back. It was like scrubbing stone. The big shifter was that hard, and smooth as silk—Dragons lacked body hair.
Everywhere. Except on the head.
Ash had assumed it was a peculiarity of his own, but apparently not.
Tyrez’s back and shoulders were so wide—Ash licked his lips as water cascaded over the muscles, following the contours as the waist narrowed to slim hips, over the upper curve of the buttocks... just visible above the pool’s surface.
Which was where his eyes froze. His heart hammered so hard he was sure Tyrez could hear it.
The big Dragon shifter turned around, presenting Ash with a broad expanse of sculpted chest. Among other things best not appreciated. Ash swallowed and rinsed out the sponge. “I am assuming that certain bits of you were less exposed to the elements.”
Tyrez’s lips were quaking with the effort of holding back. “One could assume that.”
His heart pounding like he’d run a race, Ash offered a trembling smile. The water was crystal clear and didn’t disguise anything at all.
He swallowed, and offered, “I see tattoos can grow. That sword is impressive.”
The big shifter laughed, his surprise and pleasure rippling through their link.
Warmth suffused Ash and his heart lightened as he handed him the sponge. He trembled so badly that water droplets flew as Tyrez took it. The Dragon shifter tweaked a brow at him. “Reached your limit?”
“You have no idea.” Ash retreated a few paces, splashing water over his own chest and arms. When he turned back to Tyrez, his breath lodged in his throat.
Clearly, flying did amazing things for upper body physique. The big shifter moved the sponge over the planes of his chest and abdomen. When he laved over the nipple ring, Ash watched, fascinated, as the muscles shivered.
“Another teenage dare?” he asked.
Tyrez exhaled, hard. “Sort of. Razir wanted me to pierce something else.”
“The guy has a phallic hang-up.”
“So I’ve often told him ...”
Ash snorted, but he couldn’t rip his eyes away. Tyrez’s arms were coated with dirt, so it took a few tries to get them clean. He chased the sponge along the Dragon tattoos that danced down his arms—they were beautiful, so well rendered they almost looked alive. The big shifter scrubbed the powerful vee of muscles that trailed down beneath the water, and looked up to catch Ash still staring.
The turquoise gaze assessed him for a moment before he bent and applied the sponge with vigor. He rinsed it out, tossed it onto the bank, and turned away to dive deep. When he surfaced the water cascaded in a rainbow glimmer over every exposed contour.
Ash was mesmerized.
Tyrez dove again and popped up directly in front of him. His gaze moved from Ash’s face, along his prominent collarbone, and his brows drew down.
“I will feed you multiple buckets of fried chicken, every day, for the rest of your life.”
Ash winced. “When I was little, Demeti used to call me Scarecrow. I was all arms and legs and no muscle.” He shrugged. “Not much has changed.”
Tyrez’s fingers reached and touched him lightly along his cheek. They froze when Ash flinched, then rotated beneath his jaw, and gently tilted his head up until their eyes met.
