Page 4 of Rediscovering Rubi

“One more time,” he said. “A really big breath this time.”

She did as he said, a deep, deep inhale followed by a slow exhale, and as she blew her breath out, he saw tears sheen her eyes.

“You okay, baby?”

She gave a small nod. “I think I’m just finally letting go a little bit. For the first time in a long time.”

He pulled her in and held her tight, so tightly he could feel her heart beating against his chest. And after a few moments, she turned into his neck and buried her face there, her soft breath warm on his skin.

Instantly, there was that drive to protect her. From the world. From her own feelings. Even from his.

“I hear they have a big soaking tub in the bathroom. I’m gonna run you a bubble bath, then order some dinner.”

Rubi heard the bath water running, then the scent of orange blossoms and bergamot floated out on the air. How had he snuck in her favorite bath oil?

She dug through one of her suitcases, pulled out a change of clothes, then went into the bathroom.

“Thank you, babe. I can handle it from here.”

Logan turned to her. “I’m letting you soak for a bit, then I’m coming in to bathe you.”

“Oh, but there’s no need to?—”

He laid his finger over her lips to stop her. “Babygirl, you forget what being your Dom means to me. Number one is taking care of you, something I’ve let go in the last fifteen years, or longer. But it starts again right now. And you arguing with me about it stops now, too.”

“Oh, I…” She trailed off, some long-buried part of her knowing not to try to object. And another part of her warm and tingling at the utter authority in his voice as she clamped her lips shut.

“That’s my good girl.”

Oh my.

A flood of heat made her legs go a little weak, and she bit her lip, but she knew from the sudden gleam in his eyes that he’d seen her reaction.

“If that still works on you, I think we’re gonna be just fine diving back into kink, baby.”

She smiled, temporarily unable to form words.

Oh yeah, it sure as hell still worked.

He dimmed the lights a little before leaving her to get undressed. After putting her hair up in a clip, she stepped in and sank in up to her shoulders, and the warm, scented water felt wonderful after their flight and long drive from the airport. The ache in her muscles began to melt away almost instantly, but it took a bit longer to quiet her mind.

She couldn’t shake the self-consciousness at the idea of him coming in to bathe her, seeing her aging body completely naked for the first time in a while. No matter how often he’d told her she was beautiful, those intrusive thoughts always managed to barge in, and despite the fact that he’d hit the dimmer switch, it was still far too bright for her comfort.

The bathroom door opened, but just a crack, and she heard music playing from the other room. It was an old Sade album she’d always loved, and she couldn’t believe he’d remembered. But no, that was wrong. He always remembered. He remembered the conversations they’d had when they first met. Her birthday, their anniversary. Her favorite foods. He’d brought her maple-glazed donuts, mango smoothies, and waffle fries after she’d given birth to Gabe, and then again when Maddie was born. He even remembered her beloved grandmother’s name, even though Grandma Agnes had passed before he’d had a chance to meet her, simply because she’d been so important to Rubi.

She knew they’d had a lot of really incredible times together, that their connection had once been so strong. But the years ofhim being gone had been hard on them. She understood that was true for most military couples, but as young as she’d been when they got married, she really hadn’t known what to expect. What it would feel like to be on her own so much, with the responsibilities of the house and the kids all on her shoulders. There had been a lot of sad, lonely nights. A lot of the kids being disappointed that their dad wasn’t there for important soccer games, school plays, and swim meets.

She wasn’t blaming him—not even for a minute. The work Logan did while overseas, then training pilots, and being in charge of many functions of the base was so important, and she was proud of him for serving their country. But his military career had taken a toll on all of them.

But so had her own insecurities. She knew that played a lot into their lack of intimacy, into why they’d lost it to begin with. It was just as much her responsibility to work through this as his, if not more. She’d have to find a way to be stronger. And despite her fears, a part of her knew she could do this, if only because Logan would be by her side.

She took a few more deep breaths, allowing herself to finally relax, melting into the warm water until it covered her up to her neck. It felt so good. She had a tub at home, but it wasn’t nearly as deep as this one, and it felt like pure decadence. The whole place did, despite the mountain lodge appearance. It was so thoroughly comfortable, with a touch of luxury she hadn’t expected. Master Derek, who ran the Ranch, had really thought of everything for his guests’ comfort.

And although she couldn’t put her finger on exactly why, there was a sense here that everything would be okay somehow. That, and her husband’s absolute willingness to repair their marriage made her feel like maybe they really could fix things, that they could be happy and deeply in love again. It made her feel as if she could let go—at least start to a little—and let himdo this for her. For them. And she sensed that he needed this as much as she did.

She closed her eyes and focused on the music, humming along a bit to Sade’sNo Ordinary Love. Her body was warm, cocooned by the scented water, and she felt safer than she had in a long while. She was really going loose all over, giving into the heat of the bath, when a soft knock on the door had her bolting upright and covering her breasts.

“Baby, it’s just me.”

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