Badlands by Seleste deLaney Page B

blouse came from a side room, wiping her hands on an apron. “Spencer Pierce. I wondered how long it would take you to come back to me.” Her eyes crinkled as she smiled, but the corners of her mouth drooped slightly when she spied Ever. “Who’s your friend?”
    Ever stiffened next to him, and he rested the tips of his fingers on her arm. “This is Ever. She needs to be outfitted to work on my ship, and we could both use a bath if it falls within the bounds of the favor.” The bath wasn’t strictly necessary, and he was sure Brigid had expected to provide a favor of a different sort.
    Something in her face softened as she looked at them, and her hands fell from her hips. “Of course. Separately or together?”
    He felt Ever’s muscles tighten further. “Separate.”
    Brigid raised an eyebrow and said, “I’ll draw them up now.”

    Ever luxuriated in the bath, even as the water cooled. Though she’d bathed prior to dressing for the queen’s dinner, between the battle, her injuries and the gunfight, she hadn’t felt so filthy in months. She only wished the water could wash away her conflicting emotions.
    She shouldn’t be relaxing here; she should be doing something, anything, to get to Princess Laurette. The fact that her fastest mode of reaching the princess was grounded for the next several hours didn’t lessen the guilt.
    Then there was the captain. Damn it to the seven hells if she could understand why she couldn’t drive Spencer Pierce from her mind. Every time he touched her, she wanted more. She yearned for it in a way both primal and terrifying.
    A knock sounded on the door. “Ever, Spencer said y’all need to return to the ship soon. I hate to rush you, but if you want to try on the clothes—”
    With a longing sigh, Ever pulled herself from the water and dried off. “Yes. Thank you.” She opened the door wide.
    Brigid shrieked, averted her eyes and thrust a bundle of clothes at Ever. “Spencer said modesty wasn’t your strong suit, but I had no idea.”
    The way women outside the Badlands reacted to feminine nudity confounded Ever. Her body was no different than theirs. She stepped back into the shelter of the room and pulled the clothes on. The shirt was much like the one she’d been wearing, though this was a deep indigo. Ever held up the skirt with disdain and set it aside. It was far too much. While not up to Henrietta’s standards, there was no way she could fight in such an outfit. The pants, however, eased over her legs, the soft suede caressing them. Once she fitted on her weapons belt, she felt whole and stepped into view.
    Brigid took the rejected skirt with a sniff, but nodded. “It suits you. I’ll find a second set.” She handed Ever a large brush before heading back down the stairs.
    Standing in the light of the small window, Ever pulled the brush through her hair, removing the tangles one by one. When Spencer’s voice came from the open door, she jumped.
    “Now you look like a woman meant to be aboard my ship.”
    She wasn’t sure if it was a compliment, an insult, or an invitation, but she nodded. When she turned around, she found him staring at her, the look in his eyes almost hungry. Acting on impulse, she took one step forward, and the heat in his gaze disappeared as if it had never been. Ever bit her lip, angry with herself for imagining things, much less pursuing them. “Your friend said it was time to return to the Dark Hawk . Thank you for allowing me to linger in the bath.”
    “You needed the relaxation, but I want to be in the air tonight and daylight’s wasting.” He held out a pair of boots. “Try these on quick. Brigid doesn’t have much in the way of shoes, but she thought these might fit you.”
    Ever slipped her feet into them and the leather hugged her calves. “The heel is loose, but they are adequate.”
    He waved her toward the door. On their way out, he picked up a wrapped parcel from Brigid and planted a chaste kiss on her cheek.