shocking to you, isn’t it?”
“They seemed to like it.”
“I don’t see why that is at all shocking. I very much enjoy when I get to put my hands all over you. I wonder how many incidents they have here with lycanthropes going blind from lust and jealousy by the end of each session.”
I slung my gift bag over my wrist and checked my brochure, which included the spa rules. What I read made me giggle. “Oh. The gift bags are a gimmick. When the guests behave during their sessions, they get a present. The value of the present is directly related to how well the guest behaves. What kind of spa did I bring us to, Sebastian?”
“The kind that understands how lycanthropes tick. A challenge to be best behaved to get the equivalent of a trophy? They probably have minimal incidents, and because repairing the building and equipment is expensive, every time they dodge an incident, they save a lot of money, so bribing guests is really clever. I wonder what really well-behaved lynxes get.” Sebastian eyed my gift bag with interest. “And I’m really curious what well-behaved lions get.”
“Attention from a lynx once back in our room.”
“I am really liking this spa now. And in better news, between rounds of giving each other attention and making plans, I have information on the job that will get rid of your scars.”
“You have my attention.”
“You’ll just have to give me your attention after we enjoy a bath and have dinner. I have you penned in for non-work engagements for at least three hours.”
“You’re a tough boss.”
“I really am, and I look forward to you trying, in vain, to put me in my place. I am the one with the true power here.”
“We’ll see about that,” I muttered.
The bathtub redefined what luxury meant to me. I expected a ledge barely able to handle some bottles and soap, and if I were particularly brave and foolish, a drink. The bathroom devoured a ridiculous amount of space, and a set of steps led up to a dais, which contained a path to the tub itself and enough of a ledge to place a full course meal several times over. Four people could fit in the tub with room to spare. “Is this a bathroom fit for gorgons?”
“A small hive of gorgons probably could do unspeakable things in this tub, yes. But this is meant for two amorous people seeking to have a very good time in a watery environment.”
“This sounds like a quick way to drown.”
“You’re not going to drown. You will be thoroughly attended to, but you will not drown during my careful attention to your person. But before we get to the amorous part of our evening, you have gifts to explore.” Sebastian set the gift bag he’d acquired on the ledge. “You left stuff in the basket, too.”
“We should have catnip cheese to go with our dinner.”
“We absolutely should. I’ll go prepare plates for us, so we can enjoy them with our dinner.”
“If this is romance, I like it and want more of it.”
“Romance is whatever we want it to be,” he replied before strutting out of the bathroom.
Huh. I’d never thought of it like that before. “But what about the sex? Is that romance?”
“Absolutely. Even rough sex is romance if we decide that is what our version of romance is. If you don’t like roses, roses are not romantic and they should be avoided. If you like spankings, spankings are romantic as long as they are done romantically.”
“How can a spanking be romantic?”
“I’m sure there’s a lot of sweet nothings, stroking, and squeezing involved. We could explore that if you’d like. I’m game for anything where we both walk away happy.”
“Can you walk after a spanking? I mean, the one time my daddy took a belt to my ass, walking was not in the picture.”
“What did you do to deserve a belt to your ass?”
“I ran out in front of a car,” I admitted. “It was the first and last time I earned the belt. I am one of three kittens to have earned the belt, and for some reason, it always involved us running out in front of vehicles. He only got the belt out when we participated in potentially lethal activities. I’d say I didn’t experience any lifelong trauma from the belt, but I check four times before crossing the street now, and once I’m across, I check again to see if my father caught me and approved