Page 55 of Strawberry Cake
After dinner, Decan let the tub fill with water while she stocked them up with refreshments from the minibar.
“Do you need help getting in?” she asked as he pulled his shirt over his head.
“I might.”
Hope felt awkward that someone might see them naked, but then the thrill of it sent a shiver down her spine.
“Can you hold me under my arms and make sure I don’t slip?” Decan asked.
“Of course.”
Stripped down to her underwear, she stepped inside and sat on the rim while he positioned himself next to her. He let his pants hit the floor and then used his gorgeously strong arms to transfer onto the rim and slowly sink himself into the steaming water.
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she said, kissing his hair. She quickly lost the rest of her clothes and settled between his knees, biting back a moan from the temperature of the water.
Decan reached around her, adjusting his legs and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He began to speak, his lips finding that sweet spot on her neck. “You make me feel safe. I can ask for help without feeling inadequate. Being around you feels like being home, even out in public.”
She leaned into his touch, blanketing his arms with hers. She had no words to tell him how good his words felt—how soothing they were to her soul. She could only hope that she poured the emotion into everything she gave him.
“I always wondered what it would be like to not be able to hold my woman’s hand. But your hand finds my neck as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Not once have you ever made me feel as if I was less independent than you—less of a man because I can’t stand tall next to you.”
“You need to stop talking because I’m going to cry if you don’t.”
Decan’s lips sealed around her skin and gently sucked as he tightened his arms around her. “But how would you know how I feel about you if I never told you?”
She rolled her head back and closed her eyes, soaking in the warm water, his touch, and his words. “I wouldn’t.”
“How would you know that you make me feel special? That you make me feel warm and fuzzy. You wouldn’t know how much I trust you or how much I relish your simple company.”
“Decan…” she breathed, her heart swelling with love from every word coming from his lips.
“Yes, little thief?”
“You made me cry.”
“In a good way?” But judging by his tone, he already knew the answer far too well.
“In the best possible way.” She tilted her head and found his lips, claiming them in a tear-stained kiss. “But how am I supposed to match those beautiful words?”
“Do you feel safe and sound in my arms, little thief?”
“Yes.”
“Do you feel respected and adored?”
“I do.”
He kissed her again. “I’m thankful you do, and I hope you always will.”
They stayed in that bath, watching the sunset until the water was cold and their skin started to prune. She made sure to dry his hands and the rim of the tub so he wouldn’t slip, then helped him onto the rim. Again, she didn’t have to do much. His workouts definitely did more than help him keep his gorgeous figure. With the windows open and the sounds of the ocean waves crashing, they fell asleep, tangled up in each other.
Decan
Being with Hope felt wonderful. His fingers were laced through hers between the massage tables in the resort’s spa. He could hear a subtle hum as the knots were kneaded away from her shoulders. He’d opted for a hot stone massage, the tension from his back easing with each new stone.
He loved how they could simply…be.There was no pressure to hold a conversation. Simply holding her hand and running his thumb over hers was all he needed. With his mind at ease and his body relaxed, he drifted into a state of pure content. On past vacations, he’d always avoided the spas, but this one was different—this one was special. And if he were honest with himself, he prayed all his future vacations would be the same—that hislifewould be the same.