Deceptive Nights by Sylvia Hubbard Page B

direction
of the bedrooms. He glanced back at her and chuckled at the
perplexed expression on her face.
    “ You really should start
trusting me, Phoebe. Have I done anything to harm you?”
    “ Not yet,” she said warily,
but she was definitely teasing by the silly smile on her face. “I’m
not holding my breath though.”
    “ You don’t have to because
it will never happen.” He came to double thick oak wood doors that
were closed. Jacoby pulled her in his arms. “Can you promise me
something just for today?”
    “ Maybe.” That distrustful
look was still in her eyes.
    “ Just for today, could you
act as if you were the happiest woman alive and trust that if just
for today, you’ll have the full attention of a man who wants you to
experience the greatest pleasure there is.” He gave her a peck on
her nose. “Now let’s get all clean again, then we’ll
eat.”
    She blushed at those words.
    “ I meant food,” he said,
seeing her turning red, with a gently tap on her
posterior.
    Opening up the double doors, she gasped at
the beautiful black marbled tub filled with bubbles and smelling
like honey musk. He had to nudge her a little bit for her to enter
the room that seemed almost sacred as it was decorated with candles
and flowers.
    “ You did this for me?” she
asked spellbound by the romantic notion again. “Why?”
    “ Why not?”
    She shook her head still not believing he had
gone through so much trouble. “This is unbelievable.” Sitting down
on the edge of the tub. “Why Jacoby would you go through so much
trouble to arrange this? You don’t owe me anything and you’re
definitely not sorry for anything?”
    He snorted annoyed narrowing his eyes at her.
“Is that your ex-husband wisdom again?” Reaching behind her, he
calmly unzipped her dress, which came down quite easy now that he
wasn’t in such a rush.
    She flushed remembering what he had asked her
to do before. “It’s hard to change from what you’re use to.”
    Kneeling down at her feet, he took off her
shoes, then guided her to stand up. With a tug on her dress, the
soft velvet fell to her feet. He planted soft kisses on her
stomach.
    Her breath caught in her throat at the
pleasurable sensation he could cause within her by doing something
so simple. Swallowing hard and licking her dry lips, she said,
“Even I find it rather strange you would go through so much trouble
for me when I didn’t ask for it or expect it, Jacoby.”
    He looked up at her. “That’s why it was done.
I wanted to do it for the effect it would cause.”
    “ So you do these things to
see me surprised?”
    “ Were you?”
    “ Yes.”
    “ And did it make you feel
something?”
    She only smiled not answering the question.
“Is that what you are trying to do?”
    He stood up and handed her a thick terry
cloth robe to adorn then began to undress himself. Phoebe found
herself watching him reveal every inch of skin closely admiring the
muscles and tone of his body, which he was not a bit ashamed of.
While he undressed he spoke matter of fact, as if he was discussing
the weather.
    “ I realize that we both
were in the same rut. Feeding off the hurt others had done to us,
but I also realized something else. In order for anyone to
experience the thing we call life, one must experience the terrible
hurt and the pain life gives so that we can also truly experience
the unbelievable happiness life delivers.”
    “ Does that mean I make you
unbelievably happy?” she allowed to slip out.
    “ I wouldn’t have asked you
back if you didn’t.” He checked the water. “Are you
ready?”
    “ For what?”
    “ To take a
bath.”
    She frowned looking at him as if he had lost
his mind. “Together?”
    He pulled her to him. “Trust me, you’ll love
it.”
    Phoebe watched as he slipped himself into the
water, and then looked up waiting for her. “When are we going to
talk?”
    “ Soon as you get in.” He
patted the space in front of him.
    Filled with hesitation, she