Tag reached out with one hand to grasp hers so he could help her sit up and slide off the bed. As they walked toward the bathroom, Zander headed to the kitchen to fetch the wine. Things were going well. Not according to his original plans, but as long as everything worked out in the end, Zander would be happy.
As he chose a bottle of wine in the wine cooler, Zander thought about what she’d told them about her past. How could someone treat another human being like that, especially a woman? He shook his head. There were sick people in the world, he knew that, but hated thinking about it and hated even more that it had touched their sweet Tessa. Her thoughts and perceptions would forever be tainted with those memories no matter how hard they worked to banish them from her mind.
He poured the wine into a delicate, stemmed wine glass then replaced the recorked bottle back in the cooler. Zander added a bowl of fruit to a tray and carried it to the bathroom. Tessa lay almost completely submerged beneath the bubbles that stood at least six inches deep. All that was visible was her serenely smiling face and neck. Even her shoulders lay beneath the cloud of effervescent foam that spread the scent of vanilla through the room.
Tag sat on the floor with his back to the vanity cabinets just watching her with as much of a contented smile as he ever managed on his face. The other man looked up when Zander walked in carrying the tray of goodies. The quick half smile he gave let Zander know that everything was going well.
“Tessa, honey? I’ve got something for you,” he said, setting the tray on the counter. “Would you like some wine?”
Her eyelids fluttered open and she smiled. “Thanks. I’d love some.”
He handed her the glass then set the bowl of fruit on the shelf side of the tub so she could reach it. Picking out a ripe strawberry from off the top, Zander leaned over and held it just above her wine moistened lips. The tip of her pink tongue slipped out to lick away the excess wine before she opened her mouth to allow him to feed her the succulent berry. When she bit into it, the juice from it coated her lips and gathered at the corners of her mouth.
Zander held in a groan but couldn’t resist leaning over and licking the juice from her lips in one swipe from corner to corner. He sat back on his heels with a grin.
“You taste juicy and sweet, kitten.”
She giggled before taking another sip of the wine. “The strawberry is very good. Thank you for fixing this for me.”
He moved to sit back against the cabinets next to Tag. “You’re welcome. Enjoy yourself. We’re here if you need us.”
“That can’t be very comfortable sitting on the cold floor without clothes on, Tag.” Tessa lifted her eyebrows, showing a hint of tease.
“Don’t worry about me, baby girl. I’m just fine watching you,” his friend said.
Zander had pulled on his jeans though he was naked beneath and hadn’t bothered to button or zip them. The extra room proved essential as turned on as he was now after feeding her that strawberry and licking her mouth free of the juice from it. In fact, if things didn’t progress pretty damn soon, he was going to have a case of the blue balls. He was hard as brick, his need pulsing through his dick with each beat of his heart.
“How long do you plan to let her soak?” he asked Tag in a soft voice.
“A few more minutes is all,” Tag told him. “My balls are aching like a fucking bad tooth. She’s got my blood boiling lying there less than four feet from me without a stitch of clothes on. Add in the fact that she’s wet…well, you get the picture.”
He couldn’t help it. Tag had a way with words when he actually said something. Yeah, he could commiserate just fine. Now all he had to do was last long enough that Tessa wouldn’t fuss too much when they pulled her out of the water. He didn’t want to screw things up when they were so close to claiming her.
The minutes ticked by as they watched Tessa sip her wine and sample the fruit Zander had prepared for her. By the time she’d finished her glass of wine, he was ready to roar with frustration. Still, they sat and waited.
“Which one of you guys is going to help me out and dry me off?”
Chapter Six
Tessa didn’t have to wait more than a half second as both men jumped to their feet and dove for her together. If she hadn’t been so startled by their near frenzy in getting her out of the tub, she might have laughed at the sight. As Tag steadied her with his hands, Zander pulled an oversized bath towel from a warming bar and proceeded to dry her body, using gentle pats.
“Bedroom, Zander. Now.” Tag moved past them into the other room.
Zander chuckled. “I thought I was anxious to get near you. I think he’s about to explode.”