He was still pretty clean from his earlier shower, except for the blood that he'd gotten on his shirt from carrying her. Before his fitful few hours of sleep, he'd refused the relief of his hand, knowing he'd only imagine it was her slick cunt, what he'd denied himself.

He bit back a curse, realizing that was entirely the wrong thought to have, because his brainless cock started filling with blood. She noticed, of course, her blue-green gaze sliding to the sudden strain of denim accommodating his greater size. When she straightened, her hair fell across the right breast, the strands so long they tickled the seam of her thighs, drawing his gaze to the point of her sex.

“I'm sorry,” he said gruffly, and would have turned away, but her hand fluttered up, stopping him. She wasn't close enough to touch him, but her expression said she might want to. As a result, it continued to harden, oblivious to his irritation with it.

“I like seeing your desire, Gideon. They won't take that from me, will they?” It was as if she'd read his mind. Meeting her gaze, he shook his head, but said nothing else. For one thing, he wasn't sure any other response was needed, and he was way too conscious that they weren't alone. However, a quick glance to the right showed that Daegan was hanging his shirt on a hook, his back to them.

It was automatic instinct to assess his potential enemies. Gideon noted the shoulder span was comparable to his own. While that wasn't really relevant for vampires, since a skinny geek could still rip open the side of a cargo ship, it told him things about Daegan's combat training. This vampire was as fit for that as he was himself. Muscle was whipcord lean, both speed and power apparently important to Daegan Rei. Whatever he did kept his body prepared for both. Again, Gideon wondered what purpose Daegan Rei served. He had the bearing and authority of a Region Master or overlord, but with his predilection for staying under the radar, he was obviously neither.

With the lack of modesty that so many of the creatures had, Daegan dropped his slacks in a smooth movement and shoved snug boxers off his legs, revealing a tight ass and long thighs. Gideon's gaze snapped back to Anwyn before the vampire turned around, suddenly getting the significance of her earlier words.I want you both in the tub with me.

No way. He could stay close, even sit on the tub edge, but there were certain things he couldn't do. He definitely had rules about bathing with naked male vampires he didn't know. Hell, with naked men he didn't know. And he sure as shit wasn't leaving his weapons out of easy reach to have group bathtime.

Noting her shiver, he stepped forward. “Here, let me get you into the water. You're starting to get goose bumps.” She willingly closed her hands on his arm as he steadied her with the other. Placing her feet into the water, he slid her off the edge, controlling her descent. When his arm touched the surface, he gritted his teeth.

“Holy crap. Do you always like it that hot?”

“Actually, she prefers it hotter, but I prefer not to boil like a lo bster.” Anwyn laid her head on the tub wall, her wet hair drifting around her in the water, the silken waves closer to her face hiding her expression. Yet she put a hand on both of them, one gripping the denim of Gideon's jeans at the knee, her other caressing Daegan's bare thigh as he stepped closer.

At this proximity, there was no choice but to get an eyeful of the vampire's other attributes. Of course the guy was well hung. Most vampires didn't suffer in that department, either. Since they didn't have any body hair from the neck down, it just made it even more obvious, the sleek, pale cock and smooth balls looking like alabaster sculpture. Unlike Gideon, he didn't seem the least concerned he was semiaroused.

Which made Gideon all the more alarmed. Had watching Anwyn's exchange with him gotten him hard, or was it something else?

Vampires were notoriously sexual and very nondiscriminating about what they fucked—male, female, or anything in between. Except for the stiffening cock, everything he'd seen of this one so far suggested his focus was on Anwyn. While it pissed Gideon off that his mind couldn't stay as aligned, forking off in suspicious directions, he couldn't help being damn uncomfortable.

Anwyn's shoulders gave a little jerk, and his attention snapped to her. From her tighter grip on his jeans and the way her head bowed lower, Gideon realized that tears were slipping down her face. They made soft drips as they rained into the water.

“Anwyn, sweetheart. It's okay. You're going to be all right.” Manfully ignoring the fact that Daegan was so close Gideon was almost pressing against his leg like a faithful hound, Gideon dropped to one knee.

Sliding his arm around her slim back, he let her grip shift, dig into his forearm, as she pressed her face to it, silently crying. “Just let it out.”

“Here,cher .” Daegan stepped into the large tub, and sank down behind her. In agreement on this at least, Gideon guided her back so that Daegan could draw her into his sheltering embrace, let her lie against his chest. He directed a nod to the corner of the tub and Gideon handed him the large cup with a handle there. While plastic, it looked like a frosted glass, with an etching of a graceful lily on it. Like everything in this bathroom, it was as lovely and precise as the woman who owned it.

Daegan used the cup to wet her hair anew, pouring it slowly over the brown locks and following it with the stroke of his fingers. There was still some blood, because the water did get a faint pink tinge around her. For now, her eyes were closed, but Gideon didn't want her to notice that when they opened. He rose, dimming the lights. Noting a bevy of white candles on a silver tray on the counter, he found the lighter next to them and further shadowed the details of the room in flickering candlelight.

While he didn't appreciate such ambience, he knew women did, using it to calm themselves. He'd recognized the candles' scent as the one that lingered in the room from her last bath. Maybe it was ridiculous to think such simple things could mute the horror of the violence done to her, but sometimes reclaiming the normal helped, fooled a victim into thinking she could make it no more than an unpleasant memory, give it no more claim on the present than anything else.Went to work, fed the cats, got beaten, raped and turned into a vampire, took a bath, watched CSIand went to bed. Jesus.

“Gideon.” Anwyn's blue-green eyes were riveted on him. “Will you deny me?” He clenched the lighter in a death grip. While he couldn't respond to her, he couldn't make himself move to undress either, which he guessed was the answer to her question. When she closed her eyes, turning her face back into Daegan's shoulder, he felt as though she'd kicked him in the balls. Daegan gave him another of those inscrutable looks, as condemning as an angel's.

Damn it, damn it, damn it.He barely knew her. He didn't have to do this. She didn't have the right to ask it of him. As for Daegan, he could just fuck off, because Gideon didn't owe him anything.

Deliberately, he put the lighter down, and stepped out of the bathroom. Once out of their sight, he stood for several moments, staring blankly at the wall. Then he shrugged out of his jacket and unstrapped the two wrist rigs, as well as the nine-millimeter in its shoulder holster. Removing the T-shirt Anwyn had loaned him, he stripped out of the daggers he wore on his upper body. He shucked off his jeans to get rid of his clutch piece and a couple more wooden blades he wore there. With a deep breath, he removed boxers and socks.

With or without his clothes, in or out of the tub, if the vampire wanted to attack him, he would have already had him. His boots were in the bathroom, and he could detach the toe blade fast if he needed it, but it was false comfort. Without the element of surprise, he'd have as much chance as an infant.

Particularly against a vamp that fast and obviously trained for battle.

He had to believe that wasn't part of the equation here. The one thing he knew for sure was Anwyn wanted them both in the tub. Needed them as close as she could get them. Her reaction to his refusal, as inexplicably painful to him as a lashing with a metal-tipped cat-o'nine, was what tipped the scales in her favor, despite every strenuous objection his mind was roaring. He'd endured being tortured with a cat-o'-nine; he couldn't bear the disappointment and need in her blue-green eyes.

Anwyn's soft voice cinched it. “Where did he go, Daegan? You didn't make him leave, did you?”

“No, sweetcher . He's divesting himself of his arsenal. He'll be right back, fifty pounds lighter, I'm sure.

He's coming back to you.”

Gideon stepped back in. He'd intended to give Daegan a scowl, but the vampire was involved in washing her hair, massaging the lather slow and easy on her skull. Bubbles were spreading out over the water like foam across a tide line, further masking anything being washed off of her. Anwyn had her eyes closed again. Gideon thought tears were still running down her face, and then he was sure as he saw her chest hitching in silent sobs.

Damn it, he couldn't do this. It was like red-hot shrapnel in his chest, seeing her distress and not being able to do anything but be here. God, he wanted to kill something. He really should go, start tracking, let Daegan do this . . .

Instead, he crossed the room, braced his hands on the tub wall. Doing his best to ignore the vampire, he leaned in and brushed his mouth over hers, an easy, tender caress, undemanding, a silent apology. Her eyes opened, seeking him, and he stayed there, letting her stare into his soul, see the things he didn't understand himself.

He didn't doubt that getting into the tub with her and a vampire was insane. But the instant relief in her face told him he was going to do it. Then her gaze coursed over him, settling on his cock. It had lost some of its waywardness, but at her attention, it began to rise again, heedless of her tears. God, he was a beast. Before he could apologize for it again, her lips had curved, a tear caught on that tremulous but brave upward turn. He had a sudden urge to place his lips there again, gently suck it off, tease her mouth to opening, let her lose herself in the sensuality that was so much a part of her, banish the horror with it, even though everything he'd ever known about rape victims told him she wouldn't want that. But her response to that kiss suggested a different path, at least for her.