Heaven woke up after sleeping so peacefully. How long has it been since she slept so well? She felt so refreshed that it brought a smile to her face.
She was about to turn in bed when she realized that two strong arms were holding her in place and her back was pressed against something hard. Oh, she was sleeping in Zamiel's arms. No wonder she slept so well.
Carefully she lifted his arm so she could turn around without waking him up, but to her surprise she found him awake. Was he awake the whole time she was sleeping?
"Did you sleep well?" He asked.
She nodded. She slept well, and it seemed like her grandfather didn't come to destroy her peace yet. It was kind of him to give her a few hours of peace. Oh, how she wished she could live like this forever.
"Do you want to take a bath?" Zamiel asked.
Heaven looked at him, surprised.
"Hot water will help you relax." He explained.
Well, it wouldn't hurt. "I could use a bath." She smiled.
"Come with me." He said, getting up.
"Is it ready?" She asked.
"Yes." He took her hand and led her to another room.
As soon as she walked into the other room, Heaven could see and feel the steam coming from the wooden tub that was placed in the middle of the room. Zamiel's maid seemed to have prepared new clothes for her and placed on a chair.
"The bath is ready, My Lord." She said, turning to them.
"Thank you. You may leave." He told her.
With a nod, Helen left and closed the door behind her, leaving them alone. Heaven looked at the wooden tub with warm water, then at Zamiel. Was he going to stay here while she bathed?
Not that she was shy anymore, but she thought her body looked awful. Her skin didn't have the same radiance and her hair had lost its shine.
Zamiel went to the bathtub and flicked the water with his fingers. "It is not too hot." He said.
Heaven stood frozen. Was she just supposed to undress now?
Zamiel noticed her hesitance. He sat at the corner of the tub and watched her with a tilted head. Heaven blushed under his scrutiny. "Don't look at me like that." She said.
He chuckled. "How should I look then?"
"Don't look!"
"Alright, Your Highness." He closed his eyes, forcing back a smile. He was teasing her.
Heaven quickly began to open the straps on her dress and let it slide down her shoulders. When it fell to the ground, she stepped away from it and saw her bony feet. She grimaced, feeling ugly.
"Strangely, I can still see with eyes closed." He spoke with a smirk.
Heaven's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up. His eyes were still shut.
"Oh really? What do you see?" She asked.
"A beautiful woman, not yet fully undressed."
How did he know? She was still wearing her undergarment.
"You are still shy." He said.
"I am not."
"Then…?"
Heaven paused. She didn't know what to say.
"I don't… feel beautiful." She whispered.
Zamiel opened his eyes. A slight frown settled between his eyebrows as he looked at her.
Heaven stood still, letting him take a closer look at her bony arms and legs.
"Come here." He told her.
She slowly walked up to him, and as soon as she was near enough, he wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer so that she was standing between his legs.
"Let me make you feel beautiful." he said, his hands sliding under her garment.
He lifted it up and above her head, exposing her. Heaven felt her cheeks flush as he stood up and went to stand behind her. He began to untangle her braids, letting her hair fall free.
"The water is getting cold." He said.
Heaven stepped inside the tub and sunk into the hot water until it covered her whole body, except for her shoulders. She almost sighed at how good it felt. She rested her head on rim of the tub and relaxed.
"Close your eyes." He told her.
Without any questions, she closed her eyes. She could hear Zamiel moving around, and then he grabbed her wrist and started washing her arm with a wet washcloth. Heaven kept her eyes shut, feeling the hot water, the wet cloth, and his cold fingers against her bare skin.
Zamiel was slow and gentle, nothing like the man who took her to bed this morning. He took his time with her, moving across and down her body. Heaven felt a new wave of desire stir inside of her. She wanted him to get rid of the cloth and touch her with his fingers. When he grabbed her ankle and lifted it above the water, she opened her eyes.
She found him looking at the anklet he gave her. Heaven would look at it every night before she went to sleep when she was away from him.
With a satisfied smile, Zamiel proceeded to wash her feet. Her feet were ticklish so she would force back a giggle as he washed them with care.She had almost forgotten at how bony they looked.
Zamiel then washed her hair and massaged her scalp. Heaven had never felt anything so satisfying before. To be taken care of by him felt so different from being taken care of by her maids. This felt intimate and special. She felt special.
After the bath, he wrapped her in a towel and helped her dry her hair. Then he sat her down in front of the mirror and brushed her hair. She watched him through the mirror, the way he used to watch her whenever she combed his hair.
"Do you want braids in your hair?" He asked.
"Can you braid?"
He lifted one brow. "I have lived for an eternity. I can do almost anything."
Of course. She tended to forget that.
"Yes, thank you." She said.
He made two braides at the sides of her head and connected them in the middle.
"It is beautiful." She said, looking at her dark hair in the mirror.
"You are beautiful." He told her.
Heaven smiled and then blushed at the way he looked at her.
"Let's eat lunch now." He said, taking her hands and leading her to the dining room.
All kinds of dishes were served and Zamiel fed her until she was full. Then he fed her hunger for him. He took her to bed and made love to her again.
Heaven felt like she was living a life of bliss, despite the danger around the corner.