Page 40 of Claimed
He frowned. “You shouldn’t participate in the expo today.”
“Oh, that’s not going to be a problem,” Nicki said. “It’s on water, and I won’t be going at the speed of say, water skiing. Windsurfing can get dangerous, sure, but not here. The water is shallow and the winds aren’t crazy.”
“Would you know you were overdoing it before you actually injured yourself?”
She considered that. It was a good question, both for her heart and her leg. “I would,” she said honestly. “I’d feel the pain start up—if for some reason the wind is unusually bad or the currents tricky or whatever, I’d know I was heading into danger.”
He appeared to accept her response and dropped a kiss on her forehead. The movement was so gentle that something quivered in Nicki’s chest. Something good this time.
Stefan reached out to the wall, turning off the faucets. “I think we should be doubly sure,” he murmured.
Twenty-Eight
Stefan stepped out of the shower first, pulling a towel off the granite counter and shaking it out. He wrapped Nicki in it as she watched him, her entire body quivering with the need to dry herself off on her own, without his help. “This would be one of the times you need to follow my directions,” he said, softening his words with a smile. “Are you willing to give that a try?”
“Sure,” she said, drawing out the syllable as she tilted her head. “You’re not going to tie me to the bed or anything are you?”
He lifted his brows. “Would you like that?”
To his surprise, she winked. “No. Not until I’ve saved your life and you owed me big. I have a feeling you can tie a hell of a square knot, and I’d need to make sure you’d let me go.”
“Mmm.” The thought of Nicki tied to the bed was more arousing than he would have expected. Not because he wanted to dominate her, either. Even locked in chains, he suspected that Nicki wouldn’t be easily dominated.
No, this had more to do with giving her the attention and care he was sure she’d never claim for herself. For having the leisure to treat her the way he wanted to treat her. If he neededto tie her up to make that happen, then he would, eventually. But he wondered if he didn’t need to…if all he needed to do was ask.
His body responded with swift and insistent urgency, and he tightened his jaw against its intensity. He tousled Nicki’s hair with a second towel, then threw it aside. Then he pulled her to the door.
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’ll dry.” Turning swiftly, he caught her up in his arms, her natural athleticism making the move easier as she anticipated his movement and braced herself on his shoulders.
“Should it bother me that you’ve been carried before?”
She grinned. “Team adventure races. Sometimes it’s just easier to throw me.”
Before she finished the words he tested the theory out, tossing her toward the bed as she burst into startled laughter. He followed as quickly, climbing onto the bed and tangling them both in the sheets.
“See? I told you I would dry off.”
“Not by using me as a towel!” she protested, but she wrapped her arms around him anyway. “Now I’m all wet again.”
“I was counting on it,” Stefan said, and he lowered his mouth to hers to give her a searching kiss before breaking away again. “You’re right, though. You’re definitely good at being thrown.” He nuzzled her lips. “How good are you at lying still?”
“That depends.” She scooted up onto the pillows, smiling as he propped himself on one arm. “Am I lying in a shallow ditch while a fire is racing over me, or lying in a sleeping bag with a bug crawling over me?”
“Nothing so nerve-wracking, I assure you,” Stefan said. “You won’t have to leave the comfort of this bed. And I assure you, I would gladly defend you from any attacking bugs.”
“Then what are you…” her voice trailed off as he slid off the bed.
“We’ll start with something easy. Stay there,” he said, then he moved swiftly back into the bathroom. This hotel was usually occupied by celebrities and the glitterati, and management had spared no expense to ensure they were properly taken care of. In one of the cabinets there was a complete supply of sun care and beach recovery supplies, including a myriad of suntan lotions and exotic oils. He picked up one of the bottles and read the label. Close enough.
He padded back into the room, and Nicki’s gaze drifted decidedly south as he approached the bed. Then she spied the oil. “I don’t think that’s going to at all be necessary?—”
“I do,” he said as he knelt again on the bed.
“Seriously, Stefan you don’t need to massage me every time we get naked. Which is not to say I mind it, in the slightest. But it’s not necessary. I’m not that broken.”
Her words made his heart thump in a strange, discordant cadence, but he set the bottle down on the bed, then reached behind her to shove the pillows to the side. “I’m not trying to fix you, Nicki,” he said, his voice rough. “I promise.”