Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
I stripped out of my clothes and slipped inside the tub, even though it was only a quarter of the way full. My tits were exposed to the air, and the tops of my legs were covered in bumps. But it had a great view, so I didn’t mind sitting there waiting for the water to rise.
He grabbed the bar of soap and scrubbed his body everywhere, rubbing it against his chest and stomach before moving to his arms. Then he cleaned his dick and balls, based on the way he held himself. He did his legs next then lathered shampoo into his hair. When he was ready to rinse, he turned around, exposing his front, more lines of segregated muscles visible. His eyes found mine through the foggy glass, and then the corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk.
The water had risen farther, covering my stomach and legs, except for my bent knees. My chest was still exposed. I had a front-row seat to the sexiest show, and I didn’t even have to pay for it.
He dipped his head back and closed his eyes, letting the soap disappear down his back. His hands swiped at his face, pushing aside the extra water that got into his eyes. Then he grabbed the handle and shut off the water, the backdrop of falling water gone, only the echoes left behind.
He stepped out, scrubbed his hair dry with the towel, and then headed for the tub.
“What are you doing?”
“You didn’t join me, but I’ll join you.” He dropped into the opposite end of the tub, making the water rise so high that I had to turn off the faucet. He propped a towel behind his head, his shoulders above the water, and relaxed, his arms on the sides of the tub.
I felt like I was back in time. The only thing that had changed was the length of his hair—and the black wedding ring on his left hand.
Ever since I’d moved in to his suite, I hadn’t removed mine. It felt so alien and heavy, but now, it had become a part of me. If it were ever missing, I would know, because my hand would feel five times lighter.
He studied me across the tub, his stare hard like always. “Should we order a pizza?”
“I mean…I’m not going to say no to pizza.”
He smirked before he reached for his phone and sent a message to his live-in butler, the nice man whose entire purpose centered around Axel’s happiness. If Axel asked him to go find the perfect hooker, Aldo would probably comb the streets for the woman and escort her right to Axel’s bed.
When Axel was finished, he looked at me again, his eyes drinking me in.
My hair was pulled up in a tight bun on top of my head to keep it dry. Earrings were still in my lobes. It’d been a cold day on the streets of Florence, and the warm water helped me thaw. But what made me melt was that heated stare.
“You like what you saw?”
“Even if I were gay, I would have liked what I saw.”
That cocky smirk was there—as usual.
“I know I should work out.”
“For your health, yes. But for your appearance, I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“I have an ass and a stomach.”
His grin widened. “You think I mind?”
My husband had a perfect body, worked out every day, and ate clean most of the time, possessing incredible discipline…and I ate an entire pizza myself most days. The fact that he was as attracted to me as I was to him was a mystery to me. “I’ve always wanted to get in shape, but then I see the couch…and think about pizza, and all those ambitions go out the window.”
“You don’t need those ambitions, baby. You’re perfect.”
The water suddenly felt several degrees warmer. It pressed against me like a heated blanket. “You’re the one who’s perfect, and I know that takes hard work.”
“Once it’s a habit, it’s not work anymore.” His cocky grin should be present, but now he looked serious, staring at me so hard, it seemed as if his mind was not in the conversation. He was thinking about me, not his workout routine. “Watch me tomorrow. I’ll flip that tire for you.”
The heat that rose up my neck practically burned my skin. I had nowhere to turn, nowhere to hide my face, not when I was stuck across the tub from him. All I could do was clear my throat slightly and look away.
He stared at me, his arms on the sides of the tub like he sat on a throne. “What’d you do for lunch today?”
My eyes moved back to his.
“Aldo said you went out.”
“You ask him to keep tabs on me?”
He smirked. “Calm down, baby. He mentioned it in passing.”
“I went out to lunch with my father.”