the tip of her finger. “But while most of the dogs did need the little reward treats to keep them focused, mostly they seemed happy to be pleasing their Master or Mistress, taking joy in their owners’ pleasure in them. I liked that.”
“Why?”
“Because it said there was something more between them, something that made them obey beyond treats. Maybe love. Maybe sort of the for better or worse bonding that dogs seem to be so much better at than people.”
His fingertips reached out, touched her face with unsettling accuracy. Lauren looked up at him.
“Don’t be sad,” he said softly.
She laid her cheek in his palm, and let him feel the attempt of a smile.
“Okay.” She straightened, gripped his forearm for balance and stepped into the tub, grimacing, as she had to shift weight to the tender ankle. All pain was forgotten at the blissful embrace of hot water. She shut off the water as he had instructed, leaving the fountains running. Lauren picked up a couple of the sapphire colored bathbeads Lisette had in a dish in one corner and dropped them in with her, changing Page 43
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the texture of the water so it became a soft oill upon the skin, perfuming the air with rosemary and lavender.
“Mmmm,” she lowered herself down further and rested her head on the edge. She looked at Josh, still standing, a bit uncertain in his expression, as if he was not quite sure what to be doing and feeling awkward as a result. She reached out and took his fingers.
“Come, kneel here beside me.”
He felt his way to a position parallel to the tub and knelt just as he should, his legs folded under him, his thighs cradling his genitalia into a triangular, straining area of denim. He laid his palms flat on his thighs and she permitted it, because it did not obstruct her view of anything and it kept his forearm in stroking distance.
“You may open your eyes, but only if you keep your gaze on the floor. One flicker of those beautiful lashes,” her finger brushed them, gently, but they quivered in response, “and I’ll blindfold you with my robe.”
She watched his eyes open, blink, and focus on the tile. He tried so hard to control the involuntary flicker toward his peripheral vision that his eyes teared up. He would steal a glance when she started to wash, she was sure. She was hoping for it. She tilted her head back and let the water from the fountain nearest splash down on her head, the back of her skull seated comfortably on a smooth ledge of rock.
The water ran down her face, her throat, and pitter-pattered down her breasts, the rounded tops floating just above the water’s edge, like the smooth curve of a dolphin’s rise.
"Would you like some help scrubbing your ears, sweet love?" Marcus asked.
Chapter 9
Lauren raised her head. He leaned in the doorway, watching them both. "Nothing more relaxing to a lady than being groomed by a good looking eunuch or, in this case," he smiled enigmatically, "The closest thing to one."
His gaze passed over Josh, kneeling by her tub, his eyes down. Marcus's expression reflected acceptance, and no surprise. Somehow, Fate had brought together three who knew how this game was played. She knew it as a way to intimacy and to explore the deepest regions of her heart. Marcus seemed to have turned its practice into just another art form he admired. Her eyes strayed to Josh. It was a mystery as to how Josh knew the secret handshake, so to speak, and uncovering that mystery would become as much a part of the game as anything else.
For now, she knew she felt comfortable, and she had not felt that way in a sexual situation in a long time.
She had not felt comfortable with Jonathan. This wasn't the same game she had played with him. The same field perhaps, the same essential rules, but not the same game.
It was a relief to realize that Maria might be right, that the game was not the problem. What had unbalanced
“Why?”
“Because it said there was something more between them, something that made them obey beyond treats. Maybe love. Maybe sort of the for better or worse bonding that dogs seem to be so much better at than people.”
His fingertips reached out, touched her face with unsettling accuracy. Lauren looked up at him.
“Don’t be sad,” he said softly.
She laid her cheek in his palm, and let him feel the attempt of a smile.
“Okay.” She straightened, gripped his forearm for balance and stepped into the tub, grimacing, as she had to shift weight to the tender ankle. All pain was forgotten at the blissful embrace of hot water. She shut off the water as he had instructed, leaving the fountains running. Lauren picked up a couple of the sapphire colored bathbeads Lisette had in a dish in one corner and dropped them in with her, changing Page 43
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
the texture of the water so it became a soft oill upon the skin, perfuming the air with rosemary and lavender.
“Mmmm,” she lowered herself down further and rested her head on the edge. She looked at Josh, still standing, a bit uncertain in his expression, as if he was not quite sure what to be doing and feeling awkward as a result. She reached out and took his fingers.
“Come, kneel here beside me.”
He felt his way to a position parallel to the tub and knelt just as he should, his legs folded under him, his thighs cradling his genitalia into a triangular, straining area of denim. He laid his palms flat on his thighs and she permitted it, because it did not obstruct her view of anything and it kept his forearm in stroking distance.
“You may open your eyes, but only if you keep your gaze on the floor. One flicker of those beautiful lashes,” her finger brushed them, gently, but they quivered in response, “and I’ll blindfold you with my robe.”
She watched his eyes open, blink, and focus on the tile. He tried so hard to control the involuntary flicker toward his peripheral vision that his eyes teared up. He would steal a glance when she started to wash, she was sure. She was hoping for it. She tilted her head back and let the water from the fountain nearest splash down on her head, the back of her skull seated comfortably on a smooth ledge of rock.
The water ran down her face, her throat, and pitter-pattered down her breasts, the rounded tops floating just above the water’s edge, like the smooth curve of a dolphin’s rise.
"Would you like some help scrubbing your ears, sweet love?" Marcus asked.
Chapter 9
Lauren raised her head. He leaned in the doorway, watching them both. "Nothing more relaxing to a lady than being groomed by a good looking eunuch or, in this case," he smiled enigmatically, "The closest thing to one."
His gaze passed over Josh, kneeling by her tub, his eyes down. Marcus's expression reflected acceptance, and no surprise. Somehow, Fate had brought together three who knew how this game was played. She knew it as a way to intimacy and to explore the deepest regions of her heart. Marcus seemed to have turned its practice into just another art form he admired. Her eyes strayed to Josh. It was a mystery as to how Josh knew the secret handshake, so to speak, and uncovering that mystery would become as much a part of the game as anything else.
For now, she knew she felt comfortable, and she had not felt that way in a sexual situation in a long time.
She had not felt comfortable with Jonathan. This wasn't the same game she had played with him. The same field perhaps, the same essential rules, but not the same game.
It was a relief to realize that Maria might be right, that the game was not the problem. What had unbalanced
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