Page 208 of Omega's Heart

“It’s for the bath. Verena says a lot of the ones working in the houses will use it, either before a shift or after. It’s also good for sore muscles, or if you’re just tired and want to relax.” He had another one, too, that Verena had said was good for soaking after having a baby. “There’s a bar of soap in there somewhere too, but it’s not where I thought I packed it. I thought we could try it out.”

Felix raised his eyebrows at him.

Kaden leaned in and whispered, “Together.”

Kaden started the hot water running into the tub. When he had the temperature where he wanted it, he turned back to his mate, who was watching him with amusement and a good bit of desire. Kaden held out his hand for the jar of bath salts and poured a couple of solid handfuls in when Felix passed it over. “Go get undressed,” Kaden told him and gently stroked his mate’s thigh through his dress pants.

“I should unpack first.”

Kaden shook his head. “That can wait. You’re tired. I’m tired. Let’s have a bath and go to bed. The clothes will still be here tomorrow.”

“Stubborn alpha.” But his mate’s eyes twinkled as he ambled out of the bathroom.

Kaden had no doubt that Felix would clean up the bedroom before he came back, but the tub was big enough it took a while to fill anyway. While he waited, Kaden stripped out of his suit and folded it roughly so he could take it to the dry cleaners tomorrow on his way to work. He set out towels ready to hand, then strode off to the bedroom to retrieve his much too responsible mate.

“I’ll just be another minute.” Felix didn’t even look up from sorting out the contents of their suitcases. “I found your soap, by the way.”

“Good.” Kaden slid an arm around his waist and tugged firmly. “I’m going to be alpha here. You’re getting into the bath and relaxing.” He stroked the side of Felix’s belly, feeling their pup stretch inside him. Kaden stepped close and put his lips against the back of his mate’s neck. “Come have a bath with me.” He pushed his hips forward and let Felix feel the effect he always had on Kaden.

“Thought you were tired,” Felix commented, amused.

“You rev me up,” Kaden whispered back. He stepped back, drawing Felix with him and removing his mate’s clothing piece by piece as they crossed the bedroom.

They were kissing by the time they got to the bathroom door, which slowed their progress, but the fact that Kaden had successfully peeled his mate out of the last of his clothes more than made up for the delay in getting him into the bath.

“Let me get my leg off,” he whispered as they reached the bathtub.

He sat on the edge and pulled the leg off by feel because he couldn’t take his eyes off Felix.

“Let me help,” Felix said and went down on one knee with the slow grace of a stag in the forest. His hands were warm on Kaden’s skin as he broke the vacuum on the leg and rolled the rubber sleeve down, gently tugging it away from Kaden’s stump. He set it aside, then spent a few moments gently rubbing the scarred and knotted skin. “Feel better?”

“You know I always enjoy it when you touch me.” Kaden took Felix’s hands and tugged until his mate got to his feet. It put the swell of Felix’s belly right in front of his eyes and Kaden reached out to stroke the curves in front of him. “I always knew you’d be gorgeous pregnant, but it’s like it hits me all over again every time I see it.”

“I’m a whale,” Felix complained with a chuckle. “How is that gorgeous?”

Kaden frowned at him. “You’re not a whale. You’re exactly what an omega should be.” He sighed and rested his eyes on the swell of his mate’s belly. “I can’t believe this.” He spread his hands to bracket Felix’s belly button, thumbs brushing back and forth while the pup pushed back at him, as if it was trying to reach out through his bearer’s skin. “You are an absolute fucking miracle to me.”

“You’re silly, but that’s okay. I like it when you say things like that.” Felix put his hands over Kaden’s and hummed his contentment. “I hope he has your eyes.”

“Really? I thought yours were prettier.”

“I’m partial.” Felix winked at him, making him laugh. “Shall we get into the tub?”

In answer, Kaden swung his legs over the side and lowered himself to kneel in the water. “Give me your hands, I don’t want to risk you falling.”

“I haven’t fallen any of the other times you’ve dragged me into the bath with you,” Felix complained gently, but he let Kaden help him maneuver over the high side of the tub regardless.

“Let me worry about you. It makes me feel good.” With Felix safely over the edge, Kaden sat down and leaned against the side of the tub. “Come here.”

“Just when I think I know what to expect from you, you go and say something like that.” Felix settled slowly into the water and let Kaden pull him to sit cradled between Kaden’s legs.

“I wouldn’t want to bore you. You might go find a more exciting alpha.” Kaden scooped up some of the water and let it trickle down over Felix’s chest. “How are you feeling?” The smell of the bath salts rose around them in the steam, hints of moss and wood and forest twining around each other.

“Now that we’re home and it’s just the two of us? Amazing.”

“Three of us,” Kaden reminded him and scooped up some more water. He was fascinated by the way it trailed down over his mate’s body and started to experiment with pouring it over different parts of Felix’s anatomy and watching where it went.

Felix’s eyelids drooped, his fingers playing idly around Kaden’s knees, and he tucked his head in under the corner of Kaden’s jaw. Kaden kissed his temple absently, most of his attention on the broad chest and glorious belly of his mate. He reached for the soap and began to work up a lather so he had an excuse to run his hands all over Felix’s body. Not that his mate ever pushed him away, but it was the spirit of things. And the soap would make his hands glide so easily over all that wonderful skin. Maybe Felix would let Kaden give him a massage after too.