Page 5 of Rediscovering Rubi

“No. I mean—of course, yes. I-I knew it was you,” she stuttered, her heart a small hammer in her chest.

His dark brows drew together, and he strode across the room, kneeling down next to the tub. He slowly drew her hands away, and she felt so exposed, she wanted to yank her hands back to her body.

“Rubi. Baby. This is something we need to nip in the bud first thing. If we’re going to scene here in their Dungeon, you have to be okay being naked in front of me. We’ll be in a private room, as discussed, of course, but I am going to need to strip you down.”

“I am okay with it. You’re my husband,” she said, needing desperately to believe her own words. “It’s just…” She stopped, shaking her head.

“I know,” he said gently. “I know your body has changed a bit, and that you’re not happy about it.”

Tears stung her eyes. “Not ‘a bit’, Logan. A lot. My breasts are sagging. I have stretch marks. And my hips and thighs… I just feel so unattractive these days,” she admitted. “I have for a long time.”

His brows shot up. “Unattractive? Rubi, I’ve always said you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. That hasn’t changed. Not even for a moment. You were gorgeous while you were pregnant. Even more so after giving birth to our children. This body,” he said, sinking his hands into the water and tracingher waist, then down her thighs, “this body has created our kids. It was a fucking gift. And you are so much more beautiful for that.”

She shook her head, the tears falling. “No. Come on, Logan. You know that’s not true.”

He took her chin in his wet hand. “Rubi, do you really think I’m lying about that? I’ve said it to you so many times before. Did you never believe me?”

A small sob escaped her, and she tried to turn away, but he held her firmly.

“Babe,” he said softly. “You don’t believe it, do you? You never did.”

She gulped past the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t work harder to show you I meant what I said. Shit. I’m so damn sorry, baby.”

He pulled her into a hug, and she tried to struggle for a brief moment, not wanting to get his shirt wet. But he didn’t seem to care. He held her in his arms, and the tears came hard and fast. They seemed to go on forever, pouring down her face while he held on to her so tight. Finally, they dried up, leaving her body jolting with still-unshed sobs and hiccups.

He kept holding her, even when she tried to pull away, and she gave into him. He wasn’t going to let her do anything else, and in some strange way that in itself was an enormous relief. The sobbing seemed to be done, and she slumped against him, completely drained.

He bathed her, then, squeezing liquid soap onto her purple bath scrubby and running it all over her body, murmuring quietly to her. She didn’t know what he said to her, only that it was comforting, reassuring. And after he rinsed her with the hand sprayer, he had her stand so he could wrap her in a thick white towel, drying her off so carefully. His actions, even more than his words, made her feel appreciated. No. Appreciationdidn’t seem like the right word. He was showing her that she was precious to him.

He helped her into her pajamas, then led her to the bedroom, pulled the covers back, and tucked her in. He climbed in beside her in nothing but his boxer briefs, and he held her while she cried a little more, but the tears came gently this time. And after a while, she closed her eyes, and slept.

Only one thought was fully formed in her mind as she drifted off.

They still really loved each other. And they could do this.

At some point she woke up enough to realize he was no longer beside her, and to the aroma of a finely grilled steak wafting on the air. He came into the bedroom a moment later.

“Ah, you’re awake. That’s good because dinner is here. Are you hungry?”

“Starving,” she answered, surprising herself.

“I can bring you dinner in bed if you’d rather stay here.”

“No, I’ll get up.”

She threw the covers back, and he took her hand and helped her slide her feet into her favorite fuzzy slippers. He must have found them in her luggage and put them next to the bed.

He led her out to the main room, and the table was already set, including a glass of red wine at each place. He held her chair for her as she seated herself, then pushed it in.

“So fancy,” she remarked.

“I want this to be a real vacation for you, babe. For both of us. It’s got to be about more than fixing our marriage. We have to be able to relax, to enjoy ourselves,” he said as he sat down in the chair opposite hers.

“I really love that idea.”

He sent her a quick smile. “I thought you might. So,” he started as he cut into his steak, “I thought tomorrow we’d justhang out a bit and acclimate. Maybe head out to the stables to visit the horses, and I hear they have a petting zoo here, too.”

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