She gathered all the reasons to resist him. Reasons that had ironically kept him from her over the past few months. "You may turn around and leave."
"Not until I wash your hair."
That would qualify as an unusual request. "Why?"
"Could you humor me, please?"
She caught the faint scent of alcohol. "Are you intoxicated?"
"Only with your beauty."
Clearly the liquor was speaking for him. "I smell scotch."
"I might have had a drink. Or two."
"I consider that inadvisable in light of your fatigue."
"I'm not too exhausted or too mashed to wash your hair. In fact, it would be an honor to do it. And I promise you will enjoy it."
Granted, she would, though she wondered who had kidnapped her stoic husband and replaced him with this considerate clone. She mulled the offer over a few minutes and surrendered to the prospect of pleasure-with one concession. "Oh, all right. But only if you will leave after you are finished."
"Agreed."
Nasira faced the tiled wall again and attempted to feign indifference. Yet when Sebastian slid his hands into her hair and began to massage her scalp, she practically melted against him. "That feels exquisite," she murmured.
Sebastian brushed a kiss across her cheek. "You deserve to feel that way. I recognize I've neglected my duties and haven't exactly been a doting husband."
She had never expected him to be doting, yet she did approve of this version of Sebastian. Then suddenly his hands drifted from her hair to her shoulders and came to rest on her breasts. Odd how he had not touched her in six months and now, as if someone had snapped on a sexual light switch, the former version of her husband had returned.
"You are exquisite," he murmured as he pressed against her bottom.
"You are a cad."
"Henry is the cad. I have no control over him."
Nasira stifled a laugh. "I have always wondered what would possess a man to name a cherished part of his anatomy after his prized horse."
He winked. "It's quite logical because that horse is a premiere stallion."
She elbowed him in the ribs. "Since you are finished washing my hair, I need to rinse out the shampoo and you need to vacate the premises."
Against her better judgment, she turned her back to him, stepped beneath the flowing water and soaked her hair, giving Sebastian complete access to her body. He took supreme advantage of her vulnerable position by running his palms down her torso, over the bend of her waist and on to her hips.
Regardless of her nagging need for him, Nasira sidestepped Sebastian and sent him a frustrated look. "You agreed that when you were finished, you would leave."
He took the blue washcloth folded on the shelf and added a small dollop of gel. "I'm not finished yet."
Unable to move, Nasira watched as Sebastian washed her body, beginning with her shoulders and arms before he moved down to her breasts, and then her belly. He knelt and bathed each of her legs gently, all the while smiling up at her until he straightened. His crystal blue eyes seemed to darken as he shifted his attention to between her thighs. He lingered there for a time, teasing slightly, setting her on edge before he stepped back and draped the washcloth over the chrome rack to his left.
"There you go," he said. "Clean as a whistle."
"Why are you doing this, Sebastian?"
His eyes looked a bit hazy now. "Because I want you to relax. I'm certain you will sleep much better now."
Not very likely. Not when she still wanted him in every way. "I am onto you, Sebastian."
He attempted an innocent expression. "I'm sure I do not know what you mean."
"Yes, you do. However, you can attempt to seduce me from dawn to dusk but we will still remain at an impasse."
"I was simply trying to be considerate." He grabbed the bottle of gel and began lathering his body. "Granted, a dawn-to-dusk seduction sounds interesting. Perhaps we shall try that in the near future."
"I'm going to bed now," she said as she quickly rinsed off without looking at him.
"I will join you shortly."
"I'll make you a nice place on the rug."
"I so cherish being treated like the family hound."
She sent him a quelling look as she opened the glass door. "We agreed on that arrangement."
He gave her a half smile. "Spoilsport."
As usual, he glossed over the seriousness of their situation with wit and sarcasm. Angry with him, and herself, Nasira left the shower, dried off, wrapped the towel around her and tucked it closed between her breasts. She then twisted her hair into a braid, brushed her teeth and returned to the bedroom, leaving Sebastian alone to finish his shower.
In the past, she would have crawled into bed without clothes but decided with her husband in the house, it would be best to dress in a short blue gown, as if donning silk armor. Of course, if Sebastian sneaked beneath the sheets in the middle of the night, the negligee wouldn't provide any real protection.
Protection. He would not attempt consummation without any form of birth control. He had made that quite clear earlier. In that case, she supposed she could be benevolent and allow him into the bed.
She questioned the wisdom of that reasoning when Sebastian entered the room, a thick white towel slung low on his hips. Even after all their years together, even after seeing him completely nude in the shower a few minutes ago, the sight of his lean swimmer's physique still took her breath away. Many nights she had explored all the masculine planes and valleys, at first under his tutelage, until she had learned exactly how to touch him and kiss him. She had possessed a certain power over him during those times. She dearly wanted to experience that now...
"Sira, are you all right?"
Startled into reality, Nasira averted her eyes and shook off the recollections, though she could not shake the heat. "I am tired."
"As am I," he said as he approached the bed. "So exhausted I could sleep on the floor. Oh, that's right. I'm supposed to do that very thing."
Nasira pulled back the comforter and pointed to the opposite side of the mattress. "I am willing to take pity on you as long as you maintain a wide berth between us."
He grinned. "You are most generous, my lady. And I promise I will be the perfect gentleman."
If only she could believe that. "I will hold you to that promise."
As Nasira slid beneath the covers, her husband returned to the bathroom then came back without the towel or any clothes whatsoever. "Could you possibly put something on, Sebastian?"
He frowned as he climbed into bed beside her. "Sweetheart, you know I prefer to have nothing on when I sleep. So do you."
"We are guests in this house."
He rolled onto his back and stacked his hands behind his head. "I highly doubt Rafe or Violet will do a bed check to make certain we're appropriately dressed."
That led Nasira to another question. "What did you and my brother discuss tonight?"
He continued to stare at the ceiling. "The strange ways of women and the complete ignorance of men."
"Be serious."
"I am."
"Then please explain."
"At times women say one thing, then do another, while most men are painfully honest. You'd rather spend a day shopping and men would rather engage in sports. Women want to discuss their feelings. Men would rather discuss something as dull as the weather to avoid that at all costs."
"The last part is definitely accurate," she muttered.
"Perhaps that's because we don't necessarily have deep feelings."
"Or at least those you care to share."
Too weary to continue the conversation, Nasira turned off the lamp and turned her back to her spouse. "Good night, Sebastian."
"Sleep well, Sira."
If only she could. For at least an hour, maybe more, Nasira tossed and turned, well aware that her naked husband was very near...and deep in throes of slumber, as evidenced by his steady breathing.
Little by little Nasira began to drift off and soon found herself immersed in an erotic state when Sebastian's hand drifted to her breast. She reveled in the intimate stroking between her thighs. Once more she was captive to his skill and to her own sexuality. Another orgasm-the second one tonight-claimed her with remarkable force. Before the climax had completely calmed, Sebastian moved atop her then eased inside her. Steady thrusts, ragged breaths, undeniable mutual desire...
He whispered her name and she stroked his hair, as if nothing bad had ever transpired between them.