Page 33 of Mine to Tease

Quickly, she dips her head beneath the water to remove the soap from her face and any makeup residue along with it. When she rises, she is fresh-faced with sopping-wet hair and red-tinted skin. She looks at me then. “What?” she asks.

“Nothing, I’m just…”

“Admiring,” she says, finishing my sentence for me. Remembering the last time she caught me staring at her, I laugh and nod. “Well, can you admire me a little closer? I need help with my hair and, well, with everything else.”

“Um.” I glance down at my still fully clothed body. “I may have to join you for that.”

“I know.” Her voice is soft and innocent. It tugs at my heartstrings and I have no choice but to oblige, even though it’s going to be a struggle to keep my dick from making an inappropriate gesture. I give her a gentle nod, stand, and toss my black T-shirt and jeans on the floor and place my watch, rings, and chains on the vanity.

Anastasia looks me up and down quickly and then averts her eyes. She moves forward, allowing me to slip in behind her. “Oh, this does feel good,” I say as the hot water soothes my muscles. I stretch my long legs out on either side of her and she fits perfectly between them.

“Something tells me you aren’t used to such a simple pleasure.”

“Not really. I’m usually too busy to take an hour-long bath. And besides, I’m more of a shower guy. But these bath bombs might convert me.” Anastasia laughs and scoots around to find the best position. “Easy there,” I warn her. “I got more to work with between the legs than you do.”

“Sorry, I’m just trying to get comfortable.”

“I know, baby. Now, put me to work, before I get distracted or fall asleep.” She laughs again. “I love that sound.” At that, I place my hands on her waist and she places one of hers overtop mine, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“My hair. I need you to wash it for me,” she says softly. She nods toward the shampoo bottle sitting on the shelf beside the tub. I grab it and squirt some directly onto her head.

Everything is quiet as I work the shampoo through her long, curly strands. Brinkley passed out the minute we got home. And now, it’s just the two of us, our heartbeats, and the soft swish of the bathwater. There’s something about this moment, this gesture, that makes me feel more connected to Ana than I ever have, even more so than when we had sex. In this moment, I truly feel like I’m taking care of her and it makes me want to do it every day for the rest of my life. I will wash her hair when she’s sick, when she’s tired, when she’s pregnant, when she’s eighty-seven. I guess, when I think of it like that, it’s not just a lifetime of hair washes I imagine, but a lifetime with Anastasia and that, that’s what has my throat raw with emotion and my hands slowing to a nothing pace.

“Is it ready for me to rinse?” Ana asks as I come to to find my hand stalled on her back.

“Um, oh, yeah.” She leans forward and goes face-first into the water. Using her hand without the bandage, she sloshes water through her locks, getting rid of the suds. I take the brief moment to get my emotions in check. Maybe I’m feeling a bit of the same overwhelm Ana was feeling before, just not so much about Aidan and his enemies, though she’s not wrong to be concerned, but about us and the fact that after everything there’s still an us.

Ana rises from the water and maneuvers in the tub to face me. She bends her knees and places her feet on either side of me. It’s a similar position to the one we were in before Aidan’s men interrupted us. She looks at me with soft eyes. Without a word, she brings her palm to my cheek and then traces my lips with her thumb. Leaning forward, she kisses me. Her chest presses against mine, leaving me desperate for more of her touch. As she pulls away, she says, “Thank you for being so attentive. It’s one of my favorite things about you.”

“Really? Hmm, I can remember a time when you struggled to find nice ways of describing me.”

She laughs. “Yeah, I can remember it too.”

“Well, I look forward to getting to know what else you like and letting you see more of my good side.” I reach for the bottle next to the shampoo. With Anastasia still facing me, I brush her wet hair over her shoulders and almost instinctively, she pokes out her chest for me. “Mmm, good girl,” I whisper as I drizzle the sweet-smelling liquid all over her body.

“What about you?” she asks.

I shake my head. “I’ll take a shower after.”

“Well, what good does it do for me to be all clean if you’re still dirty and contaminating my water?”

I laugh. “I guess you have a point.” I reach for the bottle of soap once more, but Ana gets to it first.

“Allow me,” she says. I lean back against the tub and hang my arms off the edges as Ana covers me with the caramel-pistachio concoction the same way I did her. She sets the bottle to the side and begins working the substance into my skin with her uninjured hand. She starts with my neck and shoulders, digging deep into my muscles as if massaging me and washing me all at once. I close my eyes as my body relaxes in a way it never has before. Next, she moves to my arms and then my chest. I open my eyes then as she works her way down my core, lower and lower until her hand dips beneath the water.

“My turn,” I tell her before she reaches between my legs.

Without giving her time to protest, I move my hands to her ankles and work my way up her legs. When I reach her hips, I move straight to her stomach, skipping over her most intimate area—at least, for now. I rub my hands across her stomach, up her sides, holding her gaze as I do. I cup her breasts gently and plant a soft kiss on both of them before I work the soap into a lather. Anastasia’s lips part as I take my time. As her nipples harden beneath my touch and she closes her eyes, I move on to her neck and shoulders, finishing off with her arms.

“Stand up, baby.” Anastasia does as I ask and stands before me, giving me easy access to her pussy. Just as I showed love to her breasts, I take a moment to kiss her steaming-hot, tender skin. Softly, I suck on her clit and run my tongue up and down her slit. Anastasia gasps and tosses her head back just as I pull away from her.

“Damon,” she whispers.

“Shh. You need your rest, baby. I didn’t mean to tease you. I just couldn’t help myself.” She lowers her eyes to mine and bites her lip, but nods. Like me, I can tell desire lingers inside her, but the truth is, we both need sleep if we plan to face tomorrow and whatever it may bring. Though I suppose thoughts of Aidan’s wrath and the plots for revenge no doubt brewing among the Italians in his ranks is just another reason to enjoy this moment with Ana, to take my time with her, to touch her softly and gently, to show her how much I love her, crave her.

As I finish massaging the soap between her legs, I give her a soft nudge and she turns around for me. Grabbing the bottle once more, I drizzle her tender red ass with the sweet cleanser and savor every moment with her cheeks in my face. “Now, bend over.”

Anastasia whips her head around to look at me in surprise. “What? No, Damon?—”

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