Free Lover Enslaved: Thieves of Aurion, Book 1 by Jodi Redford

the adjacent table and its grizzled occupants. “Yes, you do.” His tone brooked no further argument.
    Grumbling, she rose from her seat and followed him from the room, her steps sluggish. After nodding good night to the innkeeper, they trudged up the stairs. Evening’s shadows shrouded the room. She wobbled to the glazed earthenware lamp sitting on the small table between the beds and toggled the switch. Light spilled in a soft circle, banishing the shadows.
    “Want to take a bath?”
    Turning, she gaped at Dash. His chuckle broke her free of the tempting visual of the two of them naked beneath a cascade of steaming hot water. What the hell is wrong with me? These kinds of thoughts didn’t need to be inside her head, damn it.
    “If not, I’m going to jump in.”
    “Go right ahead,” she said, trying to sound casual. Hard feat to accomplish when she’d just pictured him dripping wet.
    He headed towards the bathroom. “Don’t answer the door to anyone but our roommates.”
    She shot a glare at his retreating back. If her eyes were flame throwers, he’d be toast. “I’m not an idiot.”
    “Never said you were.” The calm reason in his voice earned the grinding of her teeth.
    The sudden lethargy swamping her renewed its efforts, pulling on her leg muscles like weighted chains. She slumped on the end of the nearest bed and flattened a hand against the dusky blue coverlet, digging her fingers into the coarse wool. The jettisoning plink of water hitting tile swelled in her ears. Lifting her head, she stared across the room.
    Steam swirled, curling sinuously through the open bathroom door. Dash stood in the middle of the small room, his back to her. He shrugged from his shirt and dropped it carelessly on the floor. The vaporous mist clung to his shoulders like a possessive lover. His hands moved to his trousers and shucked them down.
    Transfixed, Mara stared. Other than the trousers pooled around his ankles, he was completely nude.
    Dash’s body rivaled a statue of the gods. A broad back with exquisitely defined muscles tapered to sculpted buttocks. The perfectly formed globes flexed when he kicked free of his pants. Long legs with a dusting of dark hair pivoted.
    Mara sucked in a breath that lodged halfway down her windpipe. Oh. My. Goddess.
    His penis jutted from a dark thatch of hair, its impressive length erect and extending towards his navel. He met her gaze and held it, his expression unreadable. One thing was certain—he didn’t give a damn if she openly ogled him. The corded muscles in his shoulders flexed when he gripped the opaque water shield enclosing the bathing cubical. Metal grommets zinged and he ducked behind the shield.
    The air blockaded in her throat tumbled free. Hot stickiness slithered across her skin and she reached for the suffocating collar of her top, trying to flap it. Her fingers lost grip, proving useless as her legs.
    Faint tapping rapped at the door. Her movements sluggish, she rose from the bed and staggered forward. The short distance to the door took forever. Her fingers groped along the slick wood grain, missed the knob twice before finally curling around their target. At the last minute, she remembered Dash’s admonition.
    “Who is it?”
    Piper’s squeaky voice filtered through the crack in the doorjamb and Mara released the deadbolt. She snicked the door open just enough for the sprite to squeeze through.
    “Where’s Ronan?”
    “With Mistress Boob-aplenty.” Piper sniggered behind her fingers. “They hustled off to her room a couple minutes ago.”
    Mara’s mouth dropped open. “But he doesn’t even know her.”
    “Don’t think it’s much of an issue—they were slobbering all over each other.” Piper scrunched her face and made a gagging noise. “Kind of resembled two drooling hounds trying to mate.”
    “First Borgander, now Ronan. Is sex the only thing males think about?” Like I should talk. Sex seemed to be the primary focus in her head. Groaning, she