Page 12 of The Year of Us 2: February

“An hour?”

“You’re adorable when you pout. But yes, an hour. Stay here.”

I left him lying there while I slipped into the bathroom and poured a bath. I added some bubbles to the water, just for fun.

When I turned to go get him, Reese was already standing in the bathroom doorway, his arms folded over his chest. I arched an eyebrow at him.

“I thought I told you to stay put?”

He shrugged. “Is that for me?” He glanced over at the tub, then back to me.

“It’s for us, yes. Get in.”

Reese unfolded his arms and stepped closer to the tub. “Bubbles?”

“Yes, bubbles. Quit fussing and get in before I spank you.”

The smile Reese flashed me at that was wicked. It looked like a dare, but lacked the verbal challenge to go with it. Without any further dramatics, he stepped into the tub. His eyes practically rolled into the back of his head when he sank into the water.

“Good?”

Reese’s only response was a deep throaty moan that woke my dick up.

Half-hard, I padded over to the side of the tub. “Scoot forward a little.”

I slid in behind him and leaned back, then pulled him against me. He slid down a little so that his head was resting on my chest and my arms were around him. Reese made a little sound that might have indicated contentment.

“This is your aftercare?” Reese asked after a few minutes of silence.

“Well, not always. But yeah. I like baths. I like the closeness they provide and they’re less hurried than showers. They let me cuddle with my submissive and get them all cleaned up at the same time. It’s a win-win.”

I hadn’t missed the way he stiffened when I’d saidmy submissive.

“Is that what I am to you?”

“No, but would you hate it if you were?”

“I’m not sure I have an answer for that yet.” Reese put his hands on my legs, for lack of a better place to put them. He was bigger than me and I liked the way it felt to have him cradled between my legs.

“You don’t have to.”

I spent the next few minutes carding my fingers through his hair and gently massaging his scalp until he was practically purring in my lap like an overgrown house cat.

Reese shifted around like he was trying to get comfortable, or maybe something was making him uncomfortable.

“I hate that I don’t think I’d hate it,” he answered, his voice soft and vulnerable. It made me want to protect him and help him through whatever turmoil meeting me had created.

“Why do you hate the idea that you might like it?”

“Because it’s confusing.” Reese snorted, then stood and climbed out of the bath. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. I climbed out after him and did the same. Then I went over to him and took his towel off and started to dry him.

“You’re not the only one confused, for the record. I’m wondering how I managed to pull a dominant man in the first place, and then I wonder if I’m going to screw things up between us because we’re alike in some ways.” I took my time drying him, circling around behind him, patting his shoulders, then down the curve of his spine.

“You don’t seem confused.” Reese glanced back at me over his shoulder.

“I have a hell of a poker face.”

After I finished drying us off, I grabbed the robes that the hotel provided and helped Reese into his before putting mine on.We ended up sitting on the bed, side by side. I wiggled closer to him so our arms were pressed against each other.