Chapter 28

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 needed to 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."

He put his hands on either of her shoulders, pressing her down flat. Then he picked up the oil again. "I'd like to tell you that this is for your pleasure, but it's not," he murmured as he flipped the lid of the oil bottle open. "It's solely for mine." He shook the bottle, catching her attention. "And it's water-based, happily enough."

Nicki watched, mesmerized, as he tipped the bottle over, at an angle that ensured that only the thinnest trail of oil drizzled out from the tip. The oil slid in a long, sensual line through the quiet air until it landed, pooling over the pebbled nipple of first her right breast, then her left as he shifted the position of the bottle.

Nicki released a guttural sigh as she sank more deeply into the only remaining pillow on the bed, offering no protest as Stefan continued the thin trail of oil down her quivering abs and over her belly. Fierce satisfaction rose within him as she arched beneath the sensual assault, her mouth falling open as the cool slide of oil spilled down her skin.

"You're going to have to replace these sheets," she managed as he tossed the oil aside.

"They can put it on my bill." He leaned forward and slid his fingers over her breasts, slick with oil, taking her nipples between his fingers and squeezing enough to make her focus back on his face. She was flushed, her breathing more of a pant, but there was no hesitation, no doubt in her gaze.

He spread his fingers over her breasts, palming them as she arched beneath him. "I'll give you exactly three hours to quit that," she half-moaned, and her face was a wonder to behold. Nicki was always in motion, ready to dash to the next adventure or take on the newest challenge. She never slowed down. But now she had stilled, now she was solely focused on the present. Her mouth was slack, her lips softly parted, her breathing low and deep as he kneaded her breasts with a slow, sensual movement. Her brow was untroubled, and her eyes had drifted closed, giving her the aspect of a woman asleep, lost in dreamless relaxation.

You're beautiful, Stefan thought, and grimaced as Nicki's eyelids fluttered. He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud.

"You don't have to say things like that," she murmured, though her smile was dreamy as her eyes fixed on him. "I mean, they're lovely, but again, they're not necessary."

"It's only the truth," Stefan said. "You appreciate the truth."

Her lips twitched. He hadn't changed the rhythm of his hands, his movement, and he could almost see her sinking further and further into deep bliss as he lavished attention on her. When he dropped his mouth to the stiffened peaks of her breasts, she hissed another sigh, muttering something far too incoherent to make out. With the focus of her attention, though, he dropped his hands away, sliding down to smooth the oil and warmth further down her waist and belly. His touch was gentler here, though her abs knotted briefly, resisting his touch. But he didn't take long to get to his destination.

The oil shimmered on Nicki's thighs as she tensed again, but he whispered reassurance while his fingers dragged along the outside of her lean hips and strong legs before curving in again. "Have I done anything you haven't enjoyed so far?" he asked.

"No…oh, God no," she said, her heavy-lidded eyes watching him as she struggled up onto her elbows. "But you're going above and beyond the call of duty here—seriously."

"And you're not following directions," he smiled. "You're supposed to be relaxing." His hands shifted, his fingers dipping down into the vee between her legs, running along the outermost edge of her most sensitive skin.

Nicki's gasp was tight. "You seriously expect me to relax while you're doing that?"

"I expect you to try." Stefan held her gaze, drinking in the sheer vitality of the woman who lay open before him, his to cherish and hold…and to thoroughly, completely enjoy. "I don't think you're trying hard enough."