Page 58 of Escorted

He lookeddifferent—without the smooth demeanor he wore like a designer suit. She sawlittle creases on the corners of his eyes and noticed a long, faint scar justunder his right ear. His chest rose and fell with his steady breathing, and hereyes rested for a long time on the way his eyelashes spread out against hisskin.

Part of her wasfascinated by Ander’s humanness. By the fact that he did something as naturalas sleep.

But she alsofelt an odd twisting of her belly. An uncomfortable heaviness in her gut. Shedidn’t know what it was, but she didn’t like it. So she carefully got out ofthe bed and went into the bathroom, closing the door softly so she wouldn’twake him up.

She decided totake a bath, since Ander was asleep and the banquet was still more than threehours away. She ran hot water into the deep, old-fashioned tub and had awonderful soak, using lavender-and-honey scented bath oil.

She feltrelaxed and drowsy when she heard Ander’s voice from outside the door. “Lori?Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” shecalled out. “Just taking a bath.”

She gave alittle squeak when the door opened. She hadn’t realized her response was aninvitation for him to come in, but apparently he took it that way.

Ander walkedinto the bathroom, barefoot and rubbing his face.

Lori wasimmediately self-conscious, until she assured herself that there were enoughbubbles in the water to keep her naked body from being the focus of Ander’sgaze. When he sat down on the side of the tub and idly dipped his hand in thewater, she said with a teasing smile, “You had a nice little nap.”

She knew hertone would provoke a reaction and he didn’t disappoint her. He narrowed hiseyes and made a monosyllabic grunt.

She giggled.She never suspected he might be cranky on first waking up, and she found theidea strangely fascinating.

“How long haveyou been in here?” he asked, letting his hand drift in the water. “It’s gettingcool.”

“I don’t know.A half-hour or so. It is getting kind of cool. I was about to get out.”

She waited,assuming he’d take her words as a sign that he should vacate the premises.

He didn’t. Hejust leaned against the tile wall and watched her with an idle languor.

After a minute,he prompted, “I thought you were going to get out.”

“I am.” Shewaited for him leave.

He stood up butdidn’t move to the door. Instead, he picked up the big, soft towel from thetowel-warmer, looking down at her in expectation. When she didn’t move, hisbrows drew together. “Well?”

Lori huffed.“Are you going to just stand there and watch?”

He made aguttural sound that was half expression of surprise and half laugh. “I’ve seenyour body before.”

Frowning, shegave him her most frigid glare. While he wasn’t exactly grouchy, he wasdefinitely not at his most accommodating after waking up from a nap. In fact,he was being rather annoying. “That’s not the point.”

“Then what isthe point?”

She wasn’tquite sure what the point was, actually. So she demanded, “If you’re not goingto leave, can you please hand me the towel?”

Ander held outthe towel like an offering, but it wasn’t close enough for her to reach it fromthe tub. On his face was a quizzical, absolutely infuriating look—like hecouldn’t believe she was being so silly.

She was sure hewas doing this on purpose, but there wasn’t enough evidence of intent for herto reproach him for it.

She glared upat him, deciding he wasn’t quite as attractive as she’d always imagined.Apparently, his act with clients was so good that he was able to mostly hidethis obnoxious part of his personality.

He arched hiseyebrows. “Didn’t you want the towel?”

It was achallenge. She knew it. And he knew she knew it. And she was trapped. Sheeither had to stand up naked and take the towel or confess she was stillself-conscious about her body.

Technically,she could demand that he give the towel to her. She was paying him for thisweekend, and it was his job to please and accommodate her. But she couldn’tfathom holding that over him, taking unfair advantage of the unequal powerdynamic of this situation.

Which left herno choice. She wasn’t about to back down to Ander.

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