Page 14 of The Alphas' Beach Baby Mama (Triple L Ranch Shifters 3)

Chapter Eight

Diana

How did I know that? I could even remember the taste of jam made from alpine strawberries picked under the summer sun’s warmth. That was an awful lot of information for someone who didn’t know her own name or where she came from. Wait. Alpine strawberries.

“Alpine means mountains, doesn’t it?” I asked the man, Andrade—must be nice to know your own name.

“Yes, why?” He bent and tested the water with his fingers. “Perfect.” He picked up a wooden box and opened it. “These are the salts that the alpha was talking about. They are good for aches and pains. The healer makes them.”

Alpha? Healer? They weren’t terms I expected to be hearing, but just because I could say what kind jam I liked didn’t mean I remembered all the words I knew. I decided not to ask. For the moment. “Oh, I just was thinking of alpine strawberries made into jam and thought maybe I came from the mountains somewhere.”

“Could be.” He stood up. “I don’t want to leave you alone while you bathe. Because you were dizzy, weren’t you?”

“Not now, but that’s how I ended up falling outside your door, yes. Thank you for being so kind to me. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t found you here.”

“Well, you did, so no need to worry or thank us. The gods always have a plan.”

“And the goddess.” Goddess? Sure, I knew of the goddess. “But you didn’t have to be so nice. I did suggest you call the police.”

“Why would we do that. Now, do you need help undressing?”

“No. I think I’ve got this.”

He didn’t turn around, but neither did he seem to be ogling me as I pulled my shirt over my head and stepped out of my shorts. No underwear. Shouldn’t I be wearing some? One more mystery. Once I was nude, he held out an arm as seriously as if he’d been helping me into a car or something, and I rested my hand on it while I stepped into the tub. The water had turned a pale-lavender hue with the addition of the salts. “It feels so soft. Does that make sense?”

“Yes, the salts do that. You just sit down.” He helped me without even seeming to notice I was naked. And I wasn’t nearly as worried about that or the fact that I was nude as I probably should have been around a complete stranger. Also, he smelled so good. The steam from the bath had a light-floral aroma. Lavender for sure and something else I couldn’t quite identify, but over it, I could smell Andrade. Sandalwood—I knew more and more things—and something else more like pine? “Are you all right?”

I sank all the way down so my shoulders were under the water, my hair, the tangled mess it was, floated around me like a messy mermaid’s tresses. “Oh, better than all right.” I knew I was sore but not how bad it was I was until the water’s warmth seeped into my muscles and they slowly softened and eased. “This is magical.”

“I’m not going to leave you out of my sight, but I am stepping right here into the bedroom to find you something to put on when you get out, all right?”

“Yes, that’s fine.” I sighed. “Thank you.”

I let my eyes close while his bare feet slapped on the tile and then stopped when he reached the carpeted bedroom floor. A moment later, the sounds returned and I opened my eyes to see him returning with an oversized T-shirt over his arm. Or at least it would be huge on me. So good. Knee length at least.

“Do you want me to turn on the jets?” He pointed to a control panel in the side of the tub. “It might make you feel even better.”

“Whatever you think.” I wasn’t usually this easygoing—or was I? But either way, Andrade tapped the panel and soon I was surrounded by bubbles, jets of water working out even more of the soreness in my arms and legs and shoulders, and everything but my head was feeling better. I closed my eyes again to relax.

What felt like seconds later, a hand was on my bare shoulder and I lurched upward. I peeked between my lashes to see the other man, Zion I thought his name was. He was taller than his mate? Husband? And his scruff on his chin a little thicker. “Did you have a good nap?”

“Did I fall asleep? How long was I out?”

“Long enough for the water to start to cool, and we didn’t want to add more risk waking you up anyway. The soup and biscuits are ready. Let’s get you washed up before they get cold.”

He handed me a washcloth and a bottle of body wash and stepped back while I rubbed it over myself then sank under the water again to rinse. Then I took the bottle of shampoo from him and washed my hair. He unhooked a handheld shower sprayer and helped me rinse it twice. I’d never felt so squeaky clean or so turned on.

But since this man was married to another, and since neither had shown any signs of wanting to make a pass, the turn-on was only on my side.

I accepted the hand he held out to me and stood. Once I’d stepped out of the tub, he enfolded me in a thick, soft white bath sheet that wrapped around me at least three times. I was pretty sure I’d never been taken care of like this before.

I hoped I’d always remember it after it was over.

Without asking, Zion patted me through the toweling then got another towel. “Bend forward.”

I clutched the sheet around me, watching him warily. “W-why?”

“So I can wrap your hair? Isn’t that what females do to absorb the excess water?”

---