Chapter 341

“Because it smells good and then so will I.” I grin at him, enamoured that he’s taking a dip with me just to keep me happy. Overwhelmed with a need to squish him in a grateful hug. Fizzing up inside with elation.

“You tell my brother about this and I may smother you to death.” He pulls off his clothes quickly and I lean forward to perch my arms on the tub, crossing them, and rest my chin on the hollow as I watch the layers peel away to reveal all that muscled toned body and black ink. Perving on him the way he did with me. Laughing at his threat and mentally filing it for future blackmail.

“You’re such a baby.” I point out and bite on my lip to curb the hot urges that flash through me when he takes his boxers off.

Even when it’s not erect it’s still impressive.

“I’m not drunk enough to sit in there for more than ten minutes.” He warns me and then walks forward and steps in. Making ‘ahh’ and ‘ouch’ noises as his foot hits the water. I can only guess he’s a pussy when it comes to hot water.

I like my baths at skin boiling temperatures.

“Jesus Christ, are you taking a bath or boiling soup? Cam, it’s like five fucking thousand degrees in here.” He snaps, dances his limbs about in it as he tries to get in properly and makes it way more dramatic than it really is. I just stare at him with one raised brow and immediately re-evaluate his manliness as he bops his butt in and out a few times before even thinking about committing to full-body submergence. It just kills all that alpha prowess dead, and he may have scarred me for life.

“Shut up and sit down.” I grab his hand as he flails his arms around and pull him to get him moving. I was hoping for an epic splash as he fell in but he’s too strong, and all I do is tug his arm, like a child wanting Mummy’s attention.

It’s painful to watch a grown man the size of Alexi, slowly lower his derrière into the bath for the fifth time, stopping and lifting with ‘ahh’ noises before his butt actually hits the base. Kills any sexual urges dead.

“I’m starting to think you were formed in hell … this is not relaxing. Pretty sure my dick will fall off.” He sulks when slowly leaning back, arms up in the air to avoid adding them to the burning pit of hell at the same time as his torso.

Baby!

“Jesus Christ. Its hot water, you absolute woman. Stop your moaning, lie back and chill out.” I assume the position as though demonstrating but he just sits as he is, reaches for his glass and downs it in one. Sitting stiffly upright and obviously afraid to lower any more skin into the water.

“Now what?” he asks expectantly. Staring at me like a child who just finished his candy and isn’t satisfied.

“Umm, you lie back, close your eyes and let the water pull away all your stresses. Soften the tension out of your muscles.” I look to the ceiling in exasperation and go back to my pre-Alexi invasion lounging.

He mumbles under his breath, something about sex being the answer to that and women being crazy.

He huffs, he sighs, and he turns the simple act of lying back into a monumental effort that has me eye rolling so hard I almost strain an eyeball.

“You know you can just get out again if it’s that horrendous.” I point out, feeling irritated that what should have been something romantic turned into Alexi reverting to the age of five and me feeling like a mother with an unruly child.

“It’s fine. I just need my skin to stop disintegrating, peeling off in chunks and then my skeleton can assume the pose.” He finally leans back and mirrors my pose, head on the padded waterproof cushion that is suction cupped to the edge and lifts one foot up so he can nudge me in the thigh and pushes me over further to one side roughly.

“What are you doing?” I ask, lifting my head to fix my glare on him. Annoyed that I’m now being kicked, and he is making this whole experience infuriating.

“I’m bigger than you are, I need more leg room.”

He shoves me again, bodily with his knee and hip and almost sends me under a mini wave he causes with the motion.

Ugh!

“Five minutes ago, you wanted to get out and now you’re stealing my space. This is not how I envisioned this going.” Sighing heavily, shaking my head at him as I strain to look him in the eye. That sinking feeling that maybe, call me crazy, he might not be the romantic type who enjoys shared bubble-bath time.

Shock.

“I don’t see how this is romantic. Women are fucking weird. Sex in water is dry and awkward and slippery. What’s romantic about getting naked and not being able to enjoy anything about it.” He genuinely sounds perplexed at this and that shrug sends me over the edge.

“That’s it! Get out … I’m never doing this again. Honest to God! If I ever suggest a romantic bath again, like ever, then give me a good hard shake and remind me you’re a tosspot about it and a fucking baby.” I sit up, sending water sloshing everywhere and my wine glass falls in with the overflow, turning the area around me red for a second. It just adds to my annoyed sizzling temper, insides twisting with the anxiety his behaviour is giving me and ruining the calm I normally get from this pursuit.

“Thank fuck.” Alexi darts up and sloshes even more water over me, soaking my hair that I was trying to keep dry and just stands in front of me in all his glory. A little lobster red from the chest down and oblivious to the fact he is standing bollock naked, staring, while I simmer and rage at him.

“Can we go have sex now?” he asks innocently, and I throw my bloody head support at him, whipping it off its suction cups and aim right for his dick with aggressive intent. He dodges and bats it away and hits me with that devilish smile of his. Amused with his own behaviour despite my obvious rage.

“Fuck off, you wanker.”

“Enjoy your rose scented wine water. I will await you on the bed … take your time. I have third-degree burns to recover from.” He hops out, grabs a towel and saunters off with it, not even trying to cover up or dry himself and I flop back with an exasperated ‘argh.’

“Don’t hold your breath. I happen to like long soaks that take hours!!” I yell after him, tone tight and snippy. Intent on punishing the sod for being his usual prick self.

I won’t make the mistake of trying to entice that tosser into something I deem romantic ever again. Alexi cannot be coerced. I should remember that.

He thinks I don’t know he deliberately goaded me into throwing him out; he knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted to act like he was making the effort and I did ask him, yet he’s really not romantic at all.

Dickhead.

I should have known better!