I’m naked, stripped of all dignity, but the two of them don’t make me feel that way. The deference they show, just in how they avert their gazes, confuses me and muddles my mind. It makes me believe in the impossible.
I rub at my legs, lightly soothing the itching from countless bug bites. A heaviness weighs me down, extreme fatigue from my ordeal. Sleep calls to me, but I need to remain alert and ready for the fight to come.
Mosquito bites cover my legs, my arms, my belly, and my ass. I itch everywhere.
The rumble of their voices grows louder. A door slams, and then there’s silence. Well, as much silence as there can be over the sound of water filling the tub and my frantic breathing.
I’m not sure, but I think I’m alone now.
With him.
With Max.
His large frame darkens the doorway. “I sent Knox to get a medical kit and to fetch your clothes.”
“Because you want to be alone when you rape me?” I cock my head, knowing I shouldn’t push, but if I’m going to be defiled, I will go down fighting.
“I have no intention of raping you.”
“Really? You fought for the right to take me and you’re going to do what? Give me a bath?”
“For now, that’s about right.” His low chuckle shouldn’t sound that sinful, but it does. It makes me want things I can’t have. Max cocks his head and gives me a long hard look. “How bad off are you?”
“What do you mean?” I cringe when he steps into the room.
“Come here.” He moves to the foot of the bed.
“No.” My refusal is funny as shit because he can make me do whatever the hell he wants. He’s huge, like massively built huge. I bet he could press me over his head with one arm.
“Don’t make this difficult.”
“I should just let you rape me?” I glance behind me. “Like lean back, spread my legs, and let your tiny dick poke at me.”
Max’s entire body stills.
It’s frightening how quiet he becomes. Terrifying. I don’t know if I pushed too hard. Although, let’s be honest, he’s going to do it eventually.
Mirth crinkles in his eyes. It’s the weirdest thing to watch his stony face turn into a beautiful smile. The only thing better than that is the low resonating laughter that follows. He shakes his head and laughs at me.
“You’re not going to push my buttons, sweetie. I’m not going to rape you, and I promise, tiny has never been a word used to describe me. As for lying on your back, I want you in the tub, soaking, relaxing, and letting your muscles loosen up after being tied to that pole for hours.”
“You want me to soak? In the tub?”
“Pretty sure I didn’t stutter. That’s what I said.” His stony stare brooks no argument, but I can’t help but poke and provoke a reaction.
“Just soak?”
“You have a problem with that?”
“You’re not going to…” I make a vague gesture pointing to the bed.
“It’s late, and I’ll admit I’m insanely attracted to you, but I’m tired, you stink, and I’m not so fresh either. You need a bath. I need a shower. We’ll have a nice long talk once Knox returns.”
We.
That’s what Benefield said. He said Max likes to share his women with his bodyguard. I don’t understand something like that. It’s weird as shit. I guess people would say it’s kinky.
I’m as far from kinky as kinky can get. Although, I guess I no longer have a say in that.
Given the chance to choose between two evils, Max is certainly the man I’d rather be in this situation with. My mind goes dark when I think about how this would play out with Benefield. Not that I’m all Stockholm syndrome when it comes to Max.
I’m leery of him, and honestly? This kindness is the cruelest form of torture. I don’t want to like my captor.
I like Max. I feel like I can trust him. He’s one of them. Yeah, I know. I know he is, and that part hurts the most.
Max is a monstrous man. I’ll never forgive him for being the kind of man who buys women for fun. But when he smiles, and that smile lights up his eyes, it’s almost possible to imagine him as a different kind of man. A man bursting with warmth, compassion, and perhaps even love.
He checks out the progress of the tub. I peeked inside the bathroom, as much as I could see from the bed, and it’s plenty large enough for the three of us.
Eww.
A shiver worms its way down my spine. I don’t get the sharing thing at all.
Max returns. “Can you walk? Or do I need to carry you to the tub?”
I bite my lower lip and debate a thousand ways I can answer that question. I come up with something lame.
“I think I can.” No hostility. No fight. Nothing which shows my anger. I should fight him on everything. Show a little spunk? Something?
Honestly, I’m drained. Physically exhausted, my arms hang like dead weight and my legs aren’t making me feel good about staying upright when I stand. I don’t have it in me to put up much of a fight.
I clamp my lips together and wriggle my way off the bed. Keeping his shirt pulled low to cover all my private bits, I place my feet on the floor and slowly transfer my weight to my legs.
I wobble and debate the wisdom of crossing the impossible distance between here and the bathroom on my own.
“Damn, they really did a number on you, didn’t they?” Before I know what’s happening, I find myself once again in Max’s arms.
My arm naturally drapes around the back of his neck, resting on his shoulder, as he effortlessly lifts me and carries me to the tub. His skin is warm. His muscles hard. My hand presses against his chest as I close my eyes and sniff him like a crazy woman.
Steam rises off the water pouring into the tub, looking exactly like what I need right now. I’d love to sit in a tub and do nothing other than relax.
“It’s a shame,” I mumble.
“What?”
“No bubbles.”
“You want bubbles?”
I’m too tired to respond. As the adrenaline surging through my body burns itself out, I’m left with profound fatigue and a listlessness I simply can’t fight. My body drapes in Max’s arms as he slowly lowers me into the steaming tub.
It’s only a third filled, but I don’t care.
Then I realize he left me in his shirt. Why didn’t he strip me down?
“Easy there. Settle yourself in. It’s a big tub and I don’t want you to slip.”
Max digs through the cupboards. He comes back with a smile on his face.
“Bubbles it is.”
“I like bubbles.” My voice sounds far away to my ears. My eyes drift closed as the water splashes into the tub.
The scent of strawberries fills the air and I take a peek. Max stands near the faucet, squeezing what looks like half a bottle of bubble bath under the running water. I can’t help but giggle.
“Silly, you put too much in. I’m going to disappear under all these bubbles.”
Indeed, bubbles begin to cover my feet and legs, and they’re growing. A thick head of foaming bubbles rapidly fills the tub.
“You’re pretty when you smile.” Soft, gentle, melodious, his tone takes me by surprise. Then I remember where I am and what my fate will be later tonight.