beds and several chairs, everything in soothing white.
Looking exhausted and shell-shocked, Marisa wandered the room, fingered the soft cream coverlets, then kicked off her shoes
and wriggled her toes in the thick carpet underfoot. “Would it be possible to take a bath?”
Pleased he could fulfill such a simple request, he adjusted the program to insert a large spa tub into the room. But this
time he used his imagination. He added flower petals to the tub’s steaming water, and globes with candles that drifted through
the room for scent, atmosphere, and pregnancy prevention. Soft music filtered in, and he dimmed the overhead lighting.
He turned from the control panel. She plucked one of the drifters from the air and slowly inhaled the vanilla scent of the
floating candle.
“Anything else you’d like?” He wished he could take her to the Isle of Laniap on Honor, where the emerald sea washed across
pink sand beaches and trade winds rustled the palm trees. He doubted the Unari appreciated the pink sunsets with the lavender-streaked
clouds—at least not the way he did. His family had always escaped the summer city heat for the cool island breezes and healing
waters of the sea. Cousins played in the pink sand, and parents admonished and taught the children, no matter who had sired
them. Those were carefree times, fun times, times he hoped might one day come again.
“This is cool.” Marisa released the drifting candle and watched it soar into the flight pattern, its tiny antigravs keeping
it airborne. “And to answer your question, yes, there’s something else I’d like—walls for the bathroom.”
“Of course.” He materialized partitions to give her privacy, and she entered the cubicle and shut the door.
He could have used a bath himself—anything to drain the tension of waiting for Phen to return. He could call up vids or text
readers, but he doubted his tortured mind could concentrate on anything, especially with Marisa behind those walls, taking
off her clothes.
When she’d come out of the store with her skin and hair tinted, wearing that short dress, he’d had difficulty keeping his
gaze off her. Yes, he’d seen her naked, but between that sexy halter top that teased him with the curved shadows between her
breasts and her long, toned legs, he’d had to fight his overwhelming desire.
And now that she was getting naked, he imagined the water lapping around her skin, sensuously seeping into her every pore.
He couldn’t stop thinking about how inviting she’d look with her hair piled atop her head, tendrils curling softly around
her face as scented steam drifted from the hot water.
He hadn’t realized how much he craved her. But if he wanted to earn her trust, he couldn’t go barging in there. No matter
how much he desired her. No matter how much he ached.
Something between a groan and a grunt rumbled up his throat.
Marisa called out to him. “Rion?”
He opened the door and strode into the bathroom. She looked even lovelier than he’d envisioned and not a bit surprised to
see him. A soft smile played at her mouth. With her hair slicked back against her head and water trickling over her shoulders,
she stretched out naked in the tub.
Thank the universe they didn’t have bubble bath here. He could see every delectable inch of her sweet flesh. From her secretive
smile to her delicate collarbone to her silky-soft breasts, she was lovely.
His gaze searched her face.
He
wanted to be what she sought. “Rion.” Her tone was soft and sensual and her eyes held a hint of challenge. “I was going to
ask you which of these containers was the shampoo. But now that you’re here, maybe you could wash my hair?”
“I’ll be happy to do anything you ask.”
“Thank you. Soaping up and rinsing seems like so much effort.” She closed her eyes, tilted back her head, and left the rest
to him.
Had she deliberately raised her breasts out of the water so that her
Looking exhausted and shell-shocked, Marisa wandered the room, fingered the soft cream coverlets, then kicked off her shoes
and wriggled her toes in the thick carpet underfoot. “Would it be possible to take a bath?”
Pleased he could fulfill such a simple request, he adjusted the program to insert a large spa tub into the room. But this
time he used his imagination. He added flower petals to the tub’s steaming water, and globes with candles that drifted through
the room for scent, atmosphere, and pregnancy prevention. Soft music filtered in, and he dimmed the overhead lighting.
He turned from the control panel. She plucked one of the drifters from the air and slowly inhaled the vanilla scent of the
floating candle.
“Anything else you’d like?” He wished he could take her to the Isle of Laniap on Honor, where the emerald sea washed across
pink sand beaches and trade winds rustled the palm trees. He doubted the Unari appreciated the pink sunsets with the lavender-streaked
clouds—at least not the way he did. His family had always escaped the summer city heat for the cool island breezes and healing
waters of the sea. Cousins played in the pink sand, and parents admonished and taught the children, no matter who had sired
them. Those were carefree times, fun times, times he hoped might one day come again.
“This is cool.” Marisa released the drifting candle and watched it soar into the flight pattern, its tiny antigravs keeping
it airborne. “And to answer your question, yes, there’s something else I’d like—walls for the bathroom.”
“Of course.” He materialized partitions to give her privacy, and she entered the cubicle and shut the door.
He could have used a bath himself—anything to drain the tension of waiting for Phen to return. He could call up vids or text
readers, but he doubted his tortured mind could concentrate on anything, especially with Marisa behind those walls, taking
off her clothes.
When she’d come out of the store with her skin and hair tinted, wearing that short dress, he’d had difficulty keeping his
gaze off her. Yes, he’d seen her naked, but between that sexy halter top that teased him with the curved shadows between her
breasts and her long, toned legs, he’d had to fight his overwhelming desire.
And now that she was getting naked, he imagined the water lapping around her skin, sensuously seeping into her every pore.
He couldn’t stop thinking about how inviting she’d look with her hair piled atop her head, tendrils curling softly around
her face as scented steam drifted from the hot water.
He hadn’t realized how much he craved her. But if he wanted to earn her trust, he couldn’t go barging in there. No matter
how much he desired her. No matter how much he ached.
Something between a groan and a grunt rumbled up his throat.
Marisa called out to him. “Rion?”
He opened the door and strode into the bathroom. She looked even lovelier than he’d envisioned and not a bit surprised to
see him. A soft smile played at her mouth. With her hair slicked back against her head and water trickling over her shoulders,
she stretched out naked in the tub.
Thank the universe they didn’t have bubble bath here. He could see every delectable inch of her sweet flesh. From her secretive
smile to her delicate collarbone to her silky-soft breasts, she was lovely.
His gaze searched her face.
He
wanted to be what she sought. “Rion.” Her tone was soft and sensual and her eyes held a hint of challenge. “I was going to
ask you which of these containers was the shampoo. But now that you’re here, maybe you could wash my hair?”
“I’ll be happy to do anything you ask.”
“Thank you. Soaping up and rinsing seems like so much effort.” She closed her eyes, tilted back her head, and left the rest
to him.
Had she deliberately raised her breasts out of the water so that her
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