But without her clothing, could she refrain from giving him everything? She trusted him more than she trusted herself. Danger hovered, but if he could rid her of the awful sensation of being mired in muck, she thought she stood a chance of coming back to herself. Ever since Dibble’s arrival, she’d felt lost, floundering. She wanted more than anything to be again on a steady course.

She nodded. With a smile of understanding and gentleness, he leaned in and bussed a tender kiss over her lips.

“Knowing what you do about my past, how can you stand to touch me?” she whispered.

“Because I don’t see him. I see only you. And when I am done, you’ll see only you, too.”

He turned away from her, and it took everything within her not to grab him, pull him back, and walk into the circle of his arms. Not until she felt clean, although already she felt less dirty. Just because of the way he looked at her, as though she were as she’d always believed herself to be: worthy of love.

“I’ll begin filling the tub.”

She didn’t wait for him to respond but went into her bedchamber and carried on through to the bathing room. She turned on the tap, watched the water come through the spigot. It was an improvement to how they’d taken baths at their mum’s, dragging in the tub from the shed and filling it by bucket loads from the kitchen sink. Mick had been researching how to get heated plumbing into his buildings, but had been unable to make it available as of yet. She was rather certain a time would come when everything would be more convenient.

Hearing the tread of heavy footsteps, she backed up against the wall and watched as Matthew came in holding the huge pot and poured the steaming water into the bath she’d prepared. He made several more trips while she fluttered uncharacteristically nervously around her bedchamber.

Finally, he announced, “It’s ready.”

She wove her fingers together. “I think you made the water hotter than I did. I could just bathe myself.”

“You’ve done that twice already today. It didn’t help.” He held up one hand, flexed his fingers. “I have magic here.”

“The next thing I know you’ll be performing on the street, competing with the Fire King.”

He laughed, deeply and richly, then sobered. “I don’t share them with just anyone. Only the most special of ladies.”

Her heart warmed. He made her feel as though he cared for no one as much as he did her.

He set aside the pot he’d been holding. “I’ll unfasten you.”