“I guess I don’t need to tell you these doors have a lock. One tiny little button you push and it requires a key to reopen it from the outside.”
“Well, I’m glad you remembered to tell me,” she snapped. “Now please move away from the door so I can go inside and finish my bath.”
“I’m just curious, what in the hell were you doing running up and down the hallway without any clothes on?”
“I wasn’t running up and down the hallway! I needed my shampoo.”
“Ah, and you thought it would be out here?” It was half question, half statement.
“No. Yes. I looked everywhere else. I thought you dropped it when you brought in the bag.”
He pushed the door open, graciously moved away and turned back toward where she still huddled behind the bush. He offered his hands to help her stand.
“Thanks. I can stand on my own. Just make sure the door isn’t locked and thanks for your help.”
“Sophie, don’t be ridiculous. Give me your hand.”
She swallowed hard and placed one hand in his. Just as he began to pull her up, she slid her slippery hand out of his grasp.
“I told you I can get there on my own. Now just go away.”
The game was once again on. Catching one slender wrist, he hauled her up from behind the plant, hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her to the bedroom. Sophie squealed and kicked her feet for all she was worth. It did no good at all. She was a one-hundred-and-twenty-five-pound woman and he was used to tossing around five-hundred-pound cows.
Clay set her down next to the bed but instead of making a move toward her, he just stood watching her. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, especially when she looked at his face. He was not going to let her simply go through the door and continue as she had been. He was going to grab her. And kiss her. And she wo
uldn’t let her mind go further than that. With her chin up, she fought to reclaim her integrity and marched into the bathroom. Surprisingly Clay let her go. She felt the need to run but refused to give in to the instinct as she headed toward the tub. Quickly she sat down in the still-warm water with the intent of finishing her bath. She still had no shampoo.
A knock against the frame of the bathroom door caught her attention. She looked up to find Clay holding her bottle of shampoo, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“It had rolled under the bed.”
She reached out for it.
His lips pursed as though hiding a grin. Mischievousness danced in his eyes.
“Now the question is, what will you give me for it?”
Sophie wanted to play this game. But it would set a precedent and the rest of her stay here would be based on her answer.
“Come closer and see,” she said softly.
Clay’s eyebrows came together in a cautious frown but he proceeded to walk toward the tub. His green eyes gleamed in speculation. Sophie raised her arms to him, silently asking him to bend down to her.
As soon as he did, she pulled him to her lips and kissed him. About the time she heard him moan, she raised the washcloth over his head and squeezed. He jumped back, completely caught off guard.
“You little vixen.” He laughed and reached for her again. “Turn around and let me shampoo your hair.”
“No. I mean I can do it.”
“I know you can, Sophie. Humor me on this one.”
Before she could comment, Clay had ripped off his shirt, disposed of his jeans and underwear, and joined her in the tub. She barely had time to grasp what had happened before she smelled the delicate scent of her favorite shampoo as he applied it to her wet hair. Gently his large hands began to massage her scalp and move the suds through her long locks. It felt heavenly, if she could only relax enough to enjoy it. Cupping the water in his hands, he rinsed the soap from her hair. Then his hands moved to her shoulders.
“You are so tense,” he murmured, then began to work the tension away. Her neck. Her shoulders. Her back. “Try to relax.”
His heavily muscled legs were on either side of her, dwarfing her own. She closed her eyes and concentrated on what his hands were doing. Then she was lying back against him as his magic hands began to massage her breasts.
“I’m not tense there.” She suddenly sat up and spun around.