With a satisfied hum, Jess sank low into the hot water of the tiled tub. After she and her companions’ exhaustive foray into the Thirteenth shard, there was little she needed more than a relaxing eve, letting the blood, sweat and exhaustion seep off of her into the warm, Thavnairian water.
The sound of soft, bare steps on the tile caught her attention behind her, yet she didn’t need to open her eyes to know who approached. No, she knew the cadence of those footsteps by heart.
She smiled as she felt him slide into the tub beside her, before he reached out to wrap his arms around her waist and effortlessly tug her into his lap.
“Feeling better, love?” Varrus murmured, pressing a kiss on his wife’s neck and eliciting a satisfied sigh from her lips.
“I am, now that you’re here.”
“Good.” With a soft chuckle, he brought his fingers up to gently comb through her hair. “Have I ever told you how much I love your hair?”
“Mine?” Jess couldn’t help but snort, pressing herself into his touch.
“Yours,” he confirmed. “Long, dark, silky… Simply gorgeous. Just like the rest of you.”
“You know,” she murmured, “there’s nothing that feels better than someone you love brushing your hair.”
“Nothing?”
At his playful smirk, Jess rolled her eyes.
“Well,” she sighed, “perhaps there is one thing better.”
