By last call every one of my muscles ached, my knees hurt, my back hurt, and a headache pounded behind my eyes from the cigarette smoke and music and shouting and trying to convince my wolf not to fuck Carter right there behind the bar. He drove me home and even opened my door, and everything was warm and dizzy and perfect. Comforting. I liked having him in my den. I liked coming home to his scent on my pillows and in my kitchen.
Carter arched an eyebrow at me. "You look exhausted."
"I am exhausted." I tried to laugh as I rubbed my temples. "Sorry. I thought I would be more fun."
"More fun?" His purr rumbled in his chest and he eased closer to slide his arms around me and draw me into a tight hug. "This is fun. But there's something else I had in mind."
My stomach tightened at the thought of another night of marathon sex, but I had to be up early to meet Natalia and then start lining up interviews for a new chef. When I hesitated, Carter chuckled. He rubbed his cheek against my head and patted me gently on the butt before he turned me toward the bedroom and gave me a little push. "Go put on your robe while I get your surprise ready."
"Do I need to take some aspirin before we get started?"
"It probably wouldn't hurt." He winked as he said it, so I wasn't entirely sure whether I should believe him. But I took a handful of painkillers anyway as he headed into the bathroom and I retreated to the bedroom.
By the time I stripped off my clothes and wore only my ratty old bathrobe, the apartment was quiet once more. And dark. I frowned as I stepped into the hell, then blinked as Carter stuck his head out of the bathroom. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," I said, though a little warily. No telling what kind of surprise the lion had in store for me.
From his expression, he knew perfectly well what I was thinking. His cheek dimpled as he grinned. And then he led me into the bathroom, lit only by candles, where the tub was filled with bubbles and water and a few rose petals. I blinked. Blinked again. But no, my eyes remained blurry and then overflowed. A hot bath. Seriously.
He chuckled and rubbed my back, not commenting as I dashed the tears off my cheeks, and he helped me take off the robe. It didn't escape my notice that he wore only a towel, and that did nothing at all to hide how excited he was to see me. Carter eased into the water first, settling into the wide tub, and I stepped in after him to sit between his legs. I almost moaned as the hot water surrounded me, rushed to relax all the tension and anger from my muscles.
Carter made the grumbly noise that got my wolf all excited, and his thighs tightened around my hips as he rubbed my shoulders. "Relax, baby."
I let my head fall back against his shoulder as Carter continued to knead the tension out of my muscles, down my arms, across my lower back. His magic hands turned me boneless and weightless in a couple of minutes, and the soft scent of lavender and honeysuckle did the rest. He lathered body wash between his hands and began to wash every inch of me. With particular attention to a few specific areas. I floated, feeling sleek and smooth and pampered, as his fingers dipped between my legs.
Carter kissed the side of my neck as his knee lifted and eased my leg open a little more. With the rush of hot water against my slit came more heat and his skillful hands. There was no rush to his efforts. He didn't want to finish me off just so he could fuck me. It felt caring and simple — a lion taking care of his mate. Loving her.
My hips moved to meet his hand as his thumb pressed against my clit and his fingers slid inside me, and I gripped his wrist in desperation. His free hand squeezed my breast and I moaned, undulating until water splashed out of the tub and my head tossed on his shoulder. I rode the wave of passion, eyes half-closed, as Carter continued to move his fingers through the clenching muscles at my core. When I finally relaxed against him, no longer frozen in ecstasy, Carter smoothed my hair out of his face and kissed my shoulder.
His voice was husky and deep. "There. That's better."
I sighed and managed to lift one arm to rub the back of his neck. "Good job, Chase."
"Be careful with all that sweet talk or I'll start to think you've gone soft."
It made me smile, but I still couldn't open my eyes. I felt languid and slow, perfectly content to float there in the bathtub as aftershocks trembled through me. "I'll keep that in mind."
Carter kissed behind my ear and down my shoulder, his palm flat on my stomach. "I want to get you a nicer den."
"Hmm?" I could hardly keep myself awake with the warmth of his body and the water all around.
"You need a better apartment." His arm tightened around me briefly, as if to reassure himself I was still there, then he adjusted his legs. "A nicer apartment, bigger. In a better part of town."
I forced my eyes open. "Why?"
"Because this neighborhood isn't safe." Carter yawned. "And for me to do half the things I want to do to you, we need more room."
"We'll see," I managed to say. "At the end of two weeks. Right?"
He made an irritated noise. "Then I'll rent an apartment and you can stay with me."
I closed my eyes again and reached up to pat his cheek. "We're not arguing about this in a bathtub, Chase."
He didn't speak but it wasn't quite as comfortable a silence as before. I took a deep breath before I maneuvered a little in the water and managed to get his hard cock standing up between my legs instead of digging into my back. "I was proud of how you handled yourself today, at the bar. You could have said something to Rafe, and you didn't. Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said, though his voice sounded odd.
I wiggled in his lap and watched the pink head of his cock appear next to my clit before I lifted and it slid back once more. Carter held my waist tightly, lifting me up, and I reached down to stroke his cock before positioning the head against the slippery flesh at my entrance. He said something under his breath that I couldn't hear or understand as he thrust up and pulled me down, and he filled me. I gripped the side of the tub as I moved and he moved and water splashed everywhere. Carter held me tightly as his hips jerked up and up and up, and his hand pressed once more between my legs to find my clit. I cried out and writhed in his grip as he grunted and came in a sudden rush, sinking his teeth in to my shoulder. Stars dotted my vision and my breathing grew ragged as I collapsed back against him.
Carter took a moment to catch his breath, then he kissed my shoulder and stood me up. "I'm too old to fuck in a bathtub, I'll be black and blue for weeks. Get your ass to the bed."
I didn't immediately follow directions but instead turned and hugged him, letting my head rest against his chest so I could hear the comforting thump of his heartbeat. I closed my eyes and reveled in the security of his arms. "Thank you for the bath, Carter."
He squeezed me tight and kissed the top of my head. "You're welcome, Bee."
As I gingerly stepped onto the tile floor and the small lake of bath water we'd splashed out, he snapped a hand towel at my butt and arched his eyebrows. "You've got to the count of three."
I didn't make it, maybe a little bit on purpose.