by Omasta, Ann
He pushed the unlocked front door open and carried me inside and up a set of stairs. “Um, you can set me down now.”
He ignored me and continued on to a huge bathroom. He used a foot to flick the lid closed and plopped me down on the toilet. “I don’t really have to go right now,” I told him as he continued ignoring me and started the tap on the biggest sunken, garden tub I had ever seen. He went to a cabinet and retrieved a giant bottle of bubble bath and a couple of fluffy, light blue towels.
I enjoyed watching him move. He was sleek and graceful, and I wondered what he was up to. He took one of the towels and placed it at the back of the tub for a headrest. Then he went back to the tap to test the stream of water and adjusted the temperature before dumping a generous dollop of bubbles into the water. He used a long, tan hand to swirl the concoction around. The scent of the bubble bath was heavenly.
Once he was satisfied, he turned and caught me staring. I looked away quickly and saw that the dog was sitting nearby watching his every move as well.
“Do you need help getting undressed and into the tub?” he asked me.
All of this was for me? Wow. “I think I can manage,” I responded.
“Happy to help,” he responded with a knowing smile, the first remotely friendly look he’d given me all evening. I shook my head, so he headed for the door saying, “Come on, Miss Dixie. I guess we aren’t needed here.”
I snorted with laughter. He slowly turned to look at me with a questioning raised eyebrow. “That behemoth’s name is Miss Dixie?” I couldn’t help it, the giggles bubbled out.
“Spanking me and laughing at my dog’s name?” he cocked an eyebrow at me. “I might just have to get even with you later,” he promised before slipping out the door with Miss Dixie hot on his heels. She was probably relieved the bath wasn’t for her.
I wondered what he meant by getting even with me later. Was it a sexual innuendo? You wish, I laughed at myself. I couldn’t get a clear read on him. He probably flirted with everyone that way. He was a lady-killer. Besides, I had been with his twin brother.
I peeled off my wet clothes, hopped on my good foot over to the tub and sighed as I sank into the warm, soothing bath. It felt like heaven, and was just what my tired, sore body needed.
Chapter 23
I was so warm and relaxed that his soft knock on the door startled me. “Umm. I’m still in the tub.”
He opened the door but didn’t cross the threshold. I quickly moved to make sure the bubbles were covering all of my important parts and was relieved to find that they were. “What are you doing?” I asked, annoyed that he had opened the door when he knew I was naked in here.
“I brought you some clean clothes.” He held up some neatly folded black sweats to emphasize his point. “Your clothes are soaked. I can come back with these dry ones later, when you are standing there with just a towel to cover your wet, naked skin, if you like.”
My whole body tingled when he said the words ‘wet, naked skin.’ “No, just leave them over there, please.” I pointed to the antique dresser where he had retrieved the towels and bubble bath.
He pointedly ignored me, setting the clothes next to the sink and then walking over to sit on the floor beside the tub. I was unnerved by his nearness and overly aware of my nudity. “You can’t stay in here,” my voice sounded shrill.
“Sure I can. Besides, your girly bits are covered, and I won’t climb in there unless you want me to.”
I snorted with laughter at his reference to my girly bits, surprised by his word choice. He leaned his head on the tub and smiled at me. I felt my traitorous nipples pucker into hard nubs and looked down to verify once again that they were covered.
I needed to put some distance between us, so I said, “would you please bring me the phone, so I can give Courtney a call as soon as I get out of the tub?”
“Already done,” he responded.
I was pleasantly surprised that he had listened and remembered the number, but that quickly wore off when he continued. “I told her you would be spending the night here, and that I would drive you home in the morning.”
“Absolutely not!” In my alarm, I started to sit up, but promptly remembered my state of undress and hunkered back under the water. A mental image of spending a hot, sweaty night rolling around in Sam’s bed flashed through my mind. I fought to suppress it as I added adamantly, “I will not be spending the night here with you.”
“You are as stubborn as a mule, Woman.” He shook his head at me. “You saw the storm rolling in out there. The road to town from here isn’t great in the best of conditions. It’s certainly not safe to drive it tonight.” As if to prove his point, lightening flashed and thunder boomed, shaking the whole house.
“You are my brother’s girlfriend, and I won’t touch you,” he reassured me, as I attempted to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. “No matter how much I want to.” He said the last part so quietly I wasn’t sure if he had actually uttered the words, or if I had imagined them.
He feels it too! I was elated and confused. I didn’t want to like him. I didn’t want to crave him with every fiber of my being. I didn’t want him to want me and, at the same time, I wanted him to want me like no other. None of it made any sense.
We dropped the subject of where I was staying tonight, knowing that I didn’t have a valid argument, and that it was settled. My body felt electrified by his nearness. I didn’t know how I would survive an entire night in the same house with him, especially if he felt remotely the same way I did. I would just have to make sure we stayed as far apart as possible.
Chapter 24
Staying far from him was not going to be an easy task, especially considering he had made himself comfortable right next to the tub where I was currently soaking completely naked. My body was achingly aware of his proximity, and my mind worked furiously to devise a reason why he needed to leave the bathroom.
I finally decided on, “Please excuse me, the water has gone lukewarm; so I’d like to get out of the tub.”
I was appalled when he reached down between my feet and pulled the drain up. “What are you doing?” I spluttered, panicked. I tried to scoot my body down to reach the plug without raising up to expose myself, but my arms weren’t quite long enough. “This sudsy water is the only thing that is covering me.”
“Believe me, I know.” He chuckled, obviously enjoying himself. He reached up to turn on the tap, tested the running water and adjusted it to his liking, then dropped his hand into the water and retrieved my foot.
He began rubbing my heel, so I jerked it away from him. “You are supposed to be relaxing,” he reminded me, as he grabbed my foot again and set it on the edge of the tub. I wanted to protest more, but when he started circling his thumb from my heel up over the arch, I decided to let my defenses down and enjoy it for a minute.
I eased further down into the tub and let the relaxation wash over me. Despite my sore ankle, this was the best I had felt since I had last seen Seth.
As if sensing the change in direction of my thoughts, Sam said, “So, what’s up with you and my brother?”
“What do you mean?” I stalled for time, not wanting to admit that whatever was between Seth and I was over.
“Well, for starters, he showed up at our family brunch without you today.” I felt like I had been punched in the gut at this confirmation that Seth was alive and well and just avoiding me, but I tried not to let it show on my face. I had been hoping that there was some other logical explanation, even though I hadn’t been able to think of one.
Sam didn’t seem to notice my inner turmoil, as he continued on, “And since you would rather spend time with the twin that you hate than to have me call him, I’m guessing that there’s trouble in paradise.”
“I don’t hate you,” I answered automatically. He raised his eyebrows, waiting for my response about Seth. I struggled to find the right words, and finally settled on, “We’re taking a break.”
I didn’t miss the s
parkle that lit Sam’s eyes before he was able to mask it. “Hmmm,” he murmured noncommittally.
I was glad that he didn’t question me further, and decided to use the opportunity to question him a little. “Enough about me, what’s with you and the ‘I’ girls?”
“Whatever do you mean?” He smiled and batted his dark lashes, letting me know that he knew exactly what I meant. He lowered the foot he’d been rubbing and gingerly lifted the injured one to give it the same treatment before continuing. “They serve two purposes. They look good on my arm and they feel good in my bed.”
I was surprised and rather taken aback by his blatant honesty. “So, women are just playthings to you, meant to be shown off and used, then tossed aside?”
He stopped rubbing as he looked directly in my eyes to answer. “Make no mistake. They are using me every bit as much as I am using them. They know exactly what they are getting into. I make no pretenses about it.”
“And that makes it okay?” I wondered aloud. “So, that’s why you never kiss them on the lips? You don’t want to give them any false hopes?”
If he was surprised that I knew this little tidbit of information about him, he hid it well. “It’s something like that, I guess. I don’t want anyone getting too attached.” I wondered if he was referring to the never-ending parade of women or himself becoming attached.
The discussion had taken a serious turn. He still had my foot in his hands, but his fingers had stilled. I gently nudged him with my foot, and he smiled as he resumed my fabulous, relaxing massage.
“It’s a good thing you picked Seth,” he said somberly. I hadn’t even met Sam when Seth and I started dating, so I didn’t really have a choice, but I wasn’t about to point that out to him.
When he continued, his words surprised me. “Sometimes I think I’m the evil twin.” This uber-confident, stubborn man was opening up to me about his insecurities. I wanted to proceed carefully, lest he clam up or, worse yet, put up his overbearing, obnoxious façade.
“I wouldn’t say you’re evil.” At his grin, I decided to tone it down a little, “Ornery and vain and annoying, but not evil.” I smiled to let him know I wasn’t being too serious.
“Ornery, vain and annoying – yep, that pretty much sums me up. I need to write a theme song.” He gently laid my foot in the water, turned off the tap, restored the drain plug and situated himself beside me at the head of the bathtub. I lowered myself further into the water. I felt as relaxed as a bowl of noodles, with the exception of my heart, which was about ready to beat out my chest, as it always did when Sam was near.
I had sensed the return of his façade, so I shifted the conversation. “Why would you think you are the evil twin?”
“Because Seth is so good, and I am so bad.” His answer was simple.
“Seth wouldn’t agree with that. He was quick to tell me that he wouldn’t be alive, if it weren’t for you and your ‘twin sense’.”
“Well, what he doesn’t know, what no one knows, is that I hesitated that day out on the boat.” He peered up at me from lowered lids as if concerned that I would be shocked by his confession. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I waited for him to continue.
I didn’t have to wait long. “Seth was born first, and ever since, I have been trying to catch up with him. He’s always been a little faster, a little smarter and a little better at everything. The really annoying part is that he doesn’t even try. He doesn’t have a competitive bone in his body and couldn’t care less if he wins, but somehow he always comes out on top. I try not to let it bother me, but sometimes it gets to me.”
He ran a hand through his shiny black hair before forging on. “When we were out on the lake that day, no one else noticed that he didn’t surface right away. I could feel that he was in trouble, and I waited. I stood there imagining what life would be like without him, rather than immediately jumping in to save him.”
The tortured look on his face said more than his words. I grabbed his hands with mine before saying, “You did save him, that’s the important part. Anyone might have had wayward thoughts, but you overcame them and did the right thing.”
“I shouldn’t have hesitated. What if something had happened to him because I didn’t jump in right away?”
“Nothing bad happened. It all worked out in the end, so you need to stop beating yourself up about it. We all have thoughts that we aren’t proud of, but it’s our actions that matter.” I pictured the sexy fantasies that I imagined whenever I was with Sam.
I wondered if he could read my mind when he said, “What if I have naughty thoughts about my brother’s girlfriend?”
Was he teasing me? I couldn’t read him very well, but he certainly seemed sincere. I decided to play it off as a joke. “Oh please, I’m not your type at all.”
“How do you know what my type is?” he countered. “I’ve been thinking about you non-stop since our unbelievably hot make-out session in the bathroom at the charity auction.”
“I thought you were Seth,” I responded automatically.
“I know, and that makes it even worse. He always wins. Why did he get to you first too?” He was looking down, shaking his head. “Now I sound like a whiny brat,” he muttered.
I realized what this was. He wasn’t interested in me. It was just another way to compete with his brother. “I won’t be a pawn in your rivalry with Seth.” I spat the words out.
“I thought that too at first, but it’s more than that.” He placed my hand directly over his heart and I could feel it thumping wildly. It was beating almost as frantically as my own.
I yanked my hand back. “That is a purely physiological reaction. My heart is racing too.” He held up a hand and wiggled his brows, indicating his willingness to feel mine. I shoved his hand away, chuckling at his naughtiness.
“I’m very attracted to you, Abby, and believe me, it has nothing to do with my brother.”
I felt flustered by his direct gaze and blunt words. I could feel my body reacting to him, wanting to pull him to me. I didn’t dare to admit, even to myself, how much I wanted him, but there was no denying that my body had a magnetic reaction to him.
He shifted so that he was face to face with me. “I do have one question, before I jump your bones.” His words filled me with anticipation, as arousal zinged through me. “Are you and Seth finished?”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. I desired this man more than I had ever wanted anyone, even though he had made it clear that he uses women for sex. I was appalled that I wasn’t utterly revolted by his attitude.
My brain wanted to tell him to buzz off, but every pore in my body was screaming at me to go for it. The rational side of me couldn’t fathom being intimate with brothers, especially not twins; but the lusty side of me just didn’t care. I wanted him. My body craved him.
I wondered if Seth would mind if he found out. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t like it, but hadn’t he given up the right to say anything about whom I slept with when he unceremoniously dumped me?
It’s just wrong, my brain screamed at me. Do you want to end up on a sleazy talk show?
“I’m waiting for an answer,” Sam reminded me.
I took a deep breath, still struggling to formulate my response.
Chapter 25
“So?” Sam prompted me again.
“I think Seth and I are done, but I still can’t sleep with you,” I finally answered him.
“Why not?” Sam seemed genuinely perplexed.
“Because you’re his brother. You’re his TWIN brother. It’s not right. It wouldn’t be fair to Seth, and it’s kinda creepy.”
“Creepy? From the taste of you that I had that night in the bathroom, I can tell that our sex life will be a lot of things, but creepy is not one of them. I can promise you that.”
I was annoyed that he referred to “our sex life” as if it were a given, but my body was not annoyed. My body was utterly turned on, and it wanted me to pull Sam into this tub with me.
I shifted to
answer him and realized that he was openly staring at my bathwater. When I followed his gaze, I saw that my bubbles were nearly gone and he was getting an eyeful of my underwater naked peep show. I quickly moved my arms to cover private parts and glared at him. “Out!”
He chuckled, but got up. He went to the sink and retrieved the towel, then walked back to the tub and held it open for me.
“Not happening.” I glared up at him.
“You can’t blame a guy for trying.” He laid the towel on the side of the tub for me and grabbed my wet clothes, before leaving with Miss Dixie loping slowly behind him.
I let out a deep breath once he was gone. How am I going to make it through an entire night with that infuriating, annoying, sexy man? I wondered.