Chapter 11

Colter returned at the same time Bridger arrived with two mugs. He handed one to Summer. "Maybe this will warm you up. You're always shivering."

"I've been naked for over a year," she stated bluntly. "I may never be warm again."

"Were you warm last night?" Colter asked as he resumed sitting next to her.

She took a sip of the aromatic tea and then nodded. "I don't think I've slept that well, that hard, or for that long in four years."

"Four?" Bridger asked.

She lowered her gaze. "My life was a bit rocky even before I was taken."

"When did your parents die?" Colter asked gently.

"Then. Four years ago."

"So, you were eighteen. I'm so sorry." Bridger didn't pry further, for which she was grateful.

Colter gave her a brief smile. "Good news. Carmen has plenty of employees in her shop this morning. She's bringing some clothes over right now. I told her we were helping you out, and that you aren't ready to talk about what happened to you. She won't ask questions."

Bridger chuckled. "She'll die a bit inside, keeping herself from asking, though."

Colter reached across and slapped Bridger's thigh playfully.

Summer smiled. She liked the way these two were with each other. Every time they looked at each other, undeniable love passed between them. Their dynamic was fascinating and intriguing. Sometimes, they seemed equal, like the way they had moved around the kitchen this morning, dividing up tasks and doting on her.

There were other times when Colter firmly dominated Bridger, and it was smoking hot. She took another sip of tea to hide behind the mug as her cheeks heated.

Colter continued. "Nathaniel will be here at one. He had an appointment this morning. I didn't tell him a thing about you. I just asked him to come over because we needed legal advice. I think we need to tell him everything, but I didn't want to do so over the phone."

Bridger leaned back. "What did you do after your parents passed, baby?"

"I got an apartment on my own in Denver. I couldn't stay in my childhood home. It had so many memories."

"Where did you meet the police officer who took you?" Colter asked.

"He was renting the apartment across from mine," she murmured, uncertain she was ready to share this information. Did it matter?

Both men flinched.

She sighed and gave them more. "He said he was in Denver on business. It was an Airbnb. He was just staying for a few weeks. He was charming and funny." She lifted her gaze. "He was a fucking cop." She handed Bridger her empty cup, wrapped her arms around her knees over the blanket, and rocked forward. "I've thought about it a million times. I didn't do anything wrong. Why would I not trust a cop?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, baby. You're not responsible for what he did," Bridger said.

"I feel stupid and na?ve and irresponsible. Why did I go into his apartment?"

"Because you should've been able to trust a policeman, honey." Colter stroked the top of her head.

She stared downward, not seeing anything, rehashing her stupidity for the billionth time.

"You're shivering. How about a hot bath?" Colter suggested.

She lifted her head. "That sounds like heaven." But I'm not allowed to wash myself.

"I bet you'll feel better after a bath, and Carmen will probably be here by then, too," Colter continued as he stood. He held out a hand.

Summer lowered the blanket and rose, letting him thread his fingers with hers while he led her back to the master bathroom. The tub was so inviting, but she was freaking out at the same time.

"I can see your brain racing," Bridger said as he pulled her into his arms. Every time he did that, he chipped away a bit more at her insanity and reminded her she was worthy of affection.

Colter turned on the water and put the stopper in the bottom. "It takes a while for the water to cover the jets since the tub is so big."

Bridger tipped her head back and smiled. "Colter and I displace a hell of a lot more water than you will."

She shivered at the thought of these two men bathing together. She'd like to watch.

He tapped her nose. "Your cheeks get pink when you're embarrassed. Oddly, it doesn't embarrass you to strut around us naked, but the thought of the two of us in the tub together makes your face heat."

She bit into her lip and released it, glancing back and forth between the two of them. "Oh, come on. You have to know you two are Greek gods. My only question is how it's possible you don't have women lined up outside the door, waiting for a chance to join you in this tub."

Bridger smirked, and his eyes widened. "I think Summer just made a joke."

"That was not a joke. It was a serious observation," she pointed out, rather impressed with her ability to sound relatively normal, whatever normal was.

Colter chuckled and glanced at Bridger before he stroked her cheek and met her gaze. "We're picky. We haven't found the right woman."

"Have you ever shared a woman?" she blurted before gasping at how bold she'd been and then jerking her gaze down.

Bridger tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "No, baby, we have not. It just never happened for us. We never actively looked for one, nor did we have a serious conversation about it."

Colter turned off the water. As he turned toward the door, she grabbed his hand. "Will you please stay?" She glanced at Bridger. "Both of you. Talk to me so I don't freak out."

Bridger drew in a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, baby. Get in."

She pulled the shirt over her head, handed it to Bridger, and stepped into the tub. She moaned as she submerged herself. She'd never in her life been in a tub this big and this elegant.

Colter held up two bottles, dancing them in front of her. "Lavender or raspberry vanilla bubbles?"

She pointed at the lavender, though she honestly didn't care. She knew they liked her to make her own decisions, though.

Colter poured some into the water as Bridger pushed a button that turned on the jets. A soft hum filled the room as the bubbles came to life to float around her.

Her braid floated in the water. "Oops." She grabbed the end of it and pulled off the band before unraveling it.

Colter moved to the shower and returned with an assortment of shampoos, conditioners, and liquid soap options. She stared at them. They were so tempting. Her hair hadn't been taken care of properly in Master J's house, and she certainly hadn't washed it herself.

Bridger sat on the edge of the huge tub next to her head. "Lean back, baby. Get your hair wet. I'll wash it for you."

She tipped her head into the water and then sat back up. "Thank you."

Colter hopped up onto the vanity and sat.

"When was the last time you had a bath, Summer?" Bridger asked gently as he massaged shampoo into her hair.

"I don't remember," she murmured, eyes closed as she focused on the way he touched her with such care. The water was warm, but she couldn't stop shivering.

"Did you shower while you were in captivity then?" Colter asked.

She sucked in a breath and held it. She didn't want to tell them what she'd been through. She was afraid they would be horrified. Any decent human being would be. She wasn't ready to see the looks on their faces.

Bridger took his time, carefully rubbing her scalp and down the length of her hair until he cupped the back of her head, covered her eyes, and tipped her back to rinse.

Her heart raced. All she could think about was how lucky she was. Bridger was the man she'd been sold to, whether or not he'd actually paid or even known about the transaction. She'd expected to serve him in unimaginable ways. This was the polar opposite, and she wanted to wrap her arms around him and thank him profusely.

When he was done, he switched to the conditioner and ran it through her hair in sections. "You have the most beautiful hair I've ever seen. Almost black. Silky. I know you didn't spend sixteen months without washing it." He lifted her fingers out of the water and held them up. "Your nails are groomed. Your toes, too. There's no dirt in your nailbeds." He released her hand and tipped her head back. "Your brows were recently waxed. So was your…pussy."

She suddenly gasped and jerked away from him. Was he accusing her of lying?

Bridger's eyes went wide. "Baby, I didn't mean anything by any of that. I'm just observing."

Breathing heavily, she tried to keep from panicking. She grabbed the edges of the tub and took deep breaths, sitting upright as she stared down at the water. Her breasts were no longer submerged, and she couldn't find the will to care.

"Do you have any idea what you paid for me?" she asked quietly.

"No," Bridger whispered. "Considering it was my grandfather who bought you, and he paid for a well-trained, virginal sex slave who could be on the cover of a magazine, I'm going to assume it was a lot."

She couldn't stop herself from lifting her gaze to his. "Your grandfather?"

He winced. "Yes. That was his estate. He's not…"

Colter interjected. "He's a fucking lunatic."

Bridger sighed. "Yes, that's pretty accurate."

"Why did he buy you a woman?"

"He made it contingent in his will that I had to marry a female and produce an heir before I can receive my inheritance. He thought if he provided me with a perfectly trained woman, I would have no choice but to accept his beautiful gift and do his bidding."

Summer stared at him, not blinking. "You're kidding."

Colter blew out a breath. "As fucked up as that is, what you've been through is significantly worse."

Summer released the edge of the tub and swiped her hand over her face. "I heard some men whispering about the sale as my handler led me from the auction room. Your grandfather paid a million dollars for me."

Bridger didn't even flinch. "I'm sad to say I'm not surprised."

She started shaking. "That's a lot of money."

"Yes, honey, it is," Colter agreed. "His grandfather has it. And before you let your mind run wild, Bridger doesn't give a fuck about his grandfather's money. He never has. He and I own our own business. We don't need his money. We're happy and lead an amazing life."

Bridger reached out and grasped her hand. "I would never in a billion years marry someone in order to claim that inheritance. I sure as fuck wouldn't take home a sex slave and keep her."

She slowly smiled. It felt strange, but what he'd just said was kind of funny. "Didn't you?"

He groaned. "Summer…"

"I'm kidding. My point is that Master J didn't take a million dollars from six buyers and bring dirty, unkempt slaves to the auction. He had us groomed to perfection two days ago."

She glanced back and forth between the men. "What you know about me is so horrifying that neither of you is capable of restraining your reactions. I've been naked for sixteen months. I told you how I slept, spread open and chained to a cot. If you want to know more, I'll tell you, but every time you ask me a question, you need to be prepared to deal with the answer."

Bridger swallowed hard.

Colter's fingers gripped the edge of the vanity so hard his knuckles were white. He drew in a breath. "We promise to control our reactions. It won't help you any if we punch a hole in the drywall every time you share another detail, and we want to help you. We can't do that if we don't know what we're dealing with."

She hesitated and considered her words carefully. "I have not touched my own body in sixteen months. Not for any reason. I wouldn't even dare scratch an itch. And…" Her mouth hung open. She intended to say more but couldn't—not now, not yet. She lowered her body into the water and leaned back so her head rested on the back of the tub.

"It's okay, baby," Bridger stated after a long pause. "You'll tell us when you're ready."

She gave a slight nod. The trembling wouldn't stop.

Colter jumped down from the counter and turned the water back on. "Let's add some hot water. You're shaking."

She pursed her lips and nodded again, unable to tell them that even if it were scalding, she would still be trembling.

"We'll take things one minute at a time," Bridger said. "Tell us what we can do right now to help you."

Her chest tightened. She knew exactly what they could do to help her. It was ludicrous, though, and they would think she was bonkers if she voiced it. So she pursed her lips.

"Summer…" Colter encouraged. "Would you like us to leave you alone so you can wash yourself? Would you like more tea to help warm up? Name it."

Bridger reached out, lifted a lock of her hair floating in the water, and ran his fingers over it. "We feel helpless. You look like you're two seconds from snapping in half."

She slowly lifted her head, knowing she would undoubtedly knock them off their feet if she voiced what she was really thinking.