Page 43 of Hot Set

“A big man needs a big tub.” He flashes me a naughty smile. “And I’m a big man.” Jack arches up just enough out of the water to prove his point. He’s already halfway to more than his smile being naughty.

“What are you, eighteen?”

“Haven’t you heard? Thirty is the new eighteen.” He flicks a small stream of water at me. “I didn’t take advantage of my sexual prime. I’d best make up for it.”

I yelp when his toes stray into forbidden territory and yank his foot up so fast he slides into the water up to his nose. “This is supposed to be a recovery soak.”

He scoots back up, swiping water off his face. Stubble of reddish beard and mustache give me a glimpse of what a full-facial-hair version of Jack would look like. Toes caress my leg, steering clear of off-limit zones.

Jack’s half-closed eyes give him the contented look of a big cat lazing on a tree branch. Watching him, my body hums at a low but constant frequency, savoring the pleasures from last night and this morning.

“Jack.”

“Yes, love?”

“I meant what I said last night. What happened between us was on a whole new level than anything I ever felt with—”

His arm crooks around my middle, gliding me onto his lap so fast a wave sloshes over the edge of the spa. A warm, drippy hand covers my mouth. “Don’t bring that man into my bed.” I give his fingers a little nip and he moves his hand to settle on my breast. “Or my tub.”

I lean back against his chest, the perfect combination of solid and soft. “The truth is that it’s been a very long time since Treat has been anywhere near my heart.” I play with a wet strand of buttery hair draped over Jack’s shoulder. “I guess the time I’d already invested in him made me believe I should try to stick it out.”

Quiet grunts and huffs escape from Jack like a volcano gassing off energy before it blows. “Did you love him?”

I rest a hand on Jack’s knee. “For a time, I thought I was on the way there, but being his secret instead of a real part of his life kept me from taking that risk.”

The timbre of Jack’s voice darkens. “And I’m asking you to be the same.”

I shift so I can tilt his chin and look directly into his eyes. “Will you be dictating everything we do, or will we navigate this as equal partners?”

“Partners.” He nods. “You have my word.”

I press the button to start up the jets and settle back against him. I haven’t blissed out like this in a long time. As the bubbles rise and pop around me, so do lingering niggles of concern. I vowed to never again fall into the role of secret lover, but this does have potential to be a total rewrite of my toxic Treat situation. I trust Jack. If he promises we’ll be partners in the way our romance will play out, I want to believe him.

Jack fidgets behind me. “If I ever meet the bastard, I hope I have a sword in my hand.”

“Take it down a notch, Chieftain’s Son.” Reaching behind me, I stroke the side of his face. I stretch up to kiss the three tiny brown moles on his jawline.

He taps them one at a time. “My mother called these the belt of Orion.” He lets out a long, slow breath. “She said the row of them popped up because I spent so much time looking at the stars.”

I want more about Jack, his childhood, his past, but he’s gone silent and rigid. It’s like leaning against a rock. I never should have mentioned Treat. “Jack, neither of us needs to pretend there haven’t been others.”

He rests his chin on the top of my head. “None of the others matter anywhere close to this.” Jack raises me onto one of his sturdy thighs so we can look into each other’s eyes. “At least not for me.”

My wet cheek slides against his whiskers. “I’d never write this because it sounds too corny, and don’t you dare laugh, but I think you’re a dream I’ve been afraid to dream.” He holds me captive with the intensity of his gaze. I kiss the dimple in his chin and slide up to his lips. We kiss for a long time before I settle my head in the hollow of his shoulder. “Tell me about your befores.”

He fits me closer against him and blows a breath that ripples across the top of the water. “One serious relationship for two years at Trinity.” A pinch on my nipple makes me squeak. I slap his hand, and he snickers. “She’s the one who stole my virtue.”

“And…” My fingers explore the corded muscles on his arms.

“After that, only one who qualifies as a girlfriend, but that’s been finished for nearly three years. As a rule, I don’t attach easily.” He rubs his lips back and forth across my shoulder. “So much for rules.”

We shift so he’s in front, leaning back on me. He guides my hands to his shoulders and encourages me to work out the stress kinks that I probably put there by bringing up Treat and prompting Jack to talk about his past. I shouldn’t ask my next question, but for my sanity, I have to. “What about Niks?”

Jack stiffens. I prepare for a scolding since he’s already sworn he has no feelings for her, but his voice is low and quiet. “When they first cast us, we were thrown together constantly. Irish classes, horse training, publicity, location shoots for the opening.”

The jets time out, and I’m suddenly aware how cool the water has become.

“We got tight.”

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