Logan’s hands slid up her arms until they settled upon her shoulders. His breath was warm against her neck and the timbre of his voice vibrated inside her. She shivered once more as he spoke. “The water’s ready.”
Carefully he set her onto her feet and though Kira tried to be strong, she swayed and grabbed at his chest, her fingers fisting into his t-shirt.
“I’ve got you.” He murmured.
Kira’s eyes remained closed as his hands traveled down her back until he grabbed the edge of her shirt and slowly pulled it upward. She held her arms aloft and when cool air drifted across bare flesh, she quickly covered herself. Ashamed. Frightened. Anxious.
She felt his hands at her waist.
Bit her lips at the gentle tug on her waistband and tried like hell to remain still as he pulled her pants down to her ankles. Still, with eyes closed, she stepped out of her clothes and turned from him.
Logan’s hands were on her hips—fire burned in their wake, and she jerked, her knees buckling beneath her. He was there and scooped her back into his arms and then he set her into the tub full of hot water. It slid over her tired, aching limbs and for a second she tensed, but as the heat absorbed into her flesh, Kira eventually relaxed.
Hands soon joined the water that lapped at her body. Fingers smoothed her skin with soap, slid over her stomach and up her rib cage and to her breasts, where they lingered—but only for a moment. Her nipples were already hard pebbles and they ached as he glided over them, spreading electric heat along the way.
He worked his magic up to her shoulders and to the back of her neck. Heat from his mouth blew over her flesh there, spreading goose bumps across her skin and awakening such longing that it was painful.
And still she kept her eyes closed.
“Sit up a bit.” His words sounded forced, and Kira moved at his urging, her hands bracing either side of the tub as he wove his magic down her back—kneading her sore muscles until all the knots disappeared.
Logan pushed her back and then tugged a leg forward, up and out of the water. His hands worked their way down her thigh, then to her knee until he gently scrubbed her foot. Then he did the same for the other, taking his time as he lathered up her ankle and massaged the arch. When he was done, she was a mass of electrified nerve endings that screamed for his touch and cried out at the loss.
Don’t stop. The words echoed inside her head.
Kira’s chest rose and fell in rapid, exaggerated breaths. She’d never felt as alive as she did at this moment, nor as scared.
Her hands covered her breasts once more, and she sat up, knees locked together, suddenly unsure. What the hell was she doing? Cool air caressed her face and for a second she thought he’d left, but then Logan spoke, his voice rough and bordering on loss of control.
“Open your eyes.” He was there, right beside her.
She exhaled slowly and licked her lips, more than a little confused.
Kira did as he asked and as her gaze settled upon Logan, everything inside her stilled. Her heart lurched and for a moment it was painful for her to breathe. Or maybe she wasn’t breathing at all.
“What are we doing?” Was that her voice? Full of smoke and whisper?
His eyes morphed into deep crimson and as his nostrils flared, she sensed the beast that lived inside him, lurking beneath the surface. Instead of scaring her, the thought of such a wild creature only served to excite. To inflame.
The throb that had begun minutes earlier, there between her legs, erupted with a fury, and the accompanying ache drew a groan from her lips as she shifted in an effort to alleviate the tension.
“I think you know, Kira.”
God, the way he said her name, with that slight accent on the “r,” made her weak.
“But . . .” How could she articulate the questions—the notion that someone like him would want someone like her? Someone broken and damaged? She glanced at the scars upon her wrists. “But, why?”
His ice blue eyes glittered and the rumble she heard in his chest was powerful. She stared into his eyes until she couldn’t take it anymore, and when she would have closed her own, Logan growled. “Because you are mine.”
Her eyes widened at that, and he licked his lips as if she were a delectable piece of food he was going to taste. And taste. And taste again.
“What are we doing?” she asked again. Her mind was muddled, and she was both afraid and filled with anticipation for his answer.
A wicked grin spread across Logan’s face as he shed the last remnant of humanity. His jeans were thrown to the side and as he stood there—naked, powerful, and incredibly sexy—Kira knew she’d just taken a turn down a road from which there would be no return.
“Why, we’re taking a bath, little Dove.”
Her mouth went dry and she jerked backward. “But there’s no—” She squealed as he slid into the tub, his large frame displacing a considerable amount of water.