the table, helping her off, too, and pulled her against him. He ran his hands down her back and over her bottom. “Now I get to pamper you.”
“Pamper me? How about you go make sure there’s no serial killer in the living room while I get cleaned up?”
“If anyone tries to get near our cereal, I’ll kill them.” He smacked her butt, and she giggled as she headed for the bathroom off the kitchen.
She cleaned herself up and was bent over in the kitchen, pulling on her underwear when the sound of leather cracking made her jump and shriek. She spun around and found Zev holding a leather whip covered with dirt. Bandit stood beside him, panting like he was due a good petting.
“One leather whip. I’d say it’s worth about a hundred bucks,” he said. “But that view of your gorgeous ass? Priceless.”
“My heart is racing! You scared the heck out of me. Where did you get that thing?”
“Our resident thief dragged it into the house.” He looked down at Bandit, and the dog woofed. “I don’t want to know what my brother and Char are into, but I think Beau has trained his wingman pretty damn well. Now, get that pretty little ass upstairs so I can pamper you.” He cracked the whip again, and she squealed and ran out of the kitchen.
“Get that thing away from me!” she shouted through her laughter as he and Bandit chased after her. “Whips are not pampering!”
Zev dropped the whip and took the steps two at a time, catching her around the waist, making her laugh even harder.
“Zevy!”
He hauled her over his shoulder like a sack of grain and smacked her ass as he carried her down the hall. “You’re mine, lover girl. All mine.”
She wasn’t about to argue with that.
Bandit ran around them, nearly tripping Zev as he followed them into the bathroom.
“Give it up, thief.” He set Carly down and said, “Dude, didn’t you hear me? She’s mine. I’m the lucky one.” He turned on the water to fill the tub.
“Aw, that’s so mean,” she said as he poured bubble bath into the water.
Zev drew her into his arms. “The day that dog can make you come with your clothes on is the day I’ll relinquish my claim.”
“Guess I’m stuck with you.” She went up on her toes and touched her lips to his.
“Be right back, beautiful.” He disappeared out the door, returning a few minutes later with his phone, candles, a lighter, and fresh towels. He set them all on the counter, queued music on his phone, and placed candles along the ceramic shelf next to the tub, the windowsill, and the sink.
“You know you don’t have to pamper me,” she said as he lit the candles.
He turned out the lights and said, “I’ve got to show my girl that I’m more than just a good lay.”
She wiggled out of her underwear, and he reached for her hand, pulling her into a toe-curling kiss. When the tub was ready, he helped her in and climbed in behind her so she was sitting between his legs. She settled back against his chest and said, “I recognize these songs. They’re from one of the CDs you made for me.”
“I’ve got them all on playlists.” He used his hands to bathe her arms and shoulders. “They kept me company when we were apart.”
Every little thing he said brought them closer together. “It’s been years since I’ve taken a bubble bath. It feels luxurious.”
He gently massaged her arms and kissed her shoulder. “I’ve been looking forward to doing this ever since we left the lab. In all the years we were together, I never had the chance to pamper you.”
She’d never thought of herself as someone who needed pampering. But as he rubbed her sore muscles, she realized that maybe it wasn’t about need, but about accepting the love he had to give in all the ways he wanted to give it. “And you want to?” She glanced over her shoulder, and the look of contentment on his face made her feel good all over.
He pressed his lips to hers and said, “More than you could know. I want to do so much for you, with you…to you.”
He began massaging her fingers, and she closed her eyes, sinking into him.
“I can’t erase the hurt I caused, but I can show you how much you mean to me, and hopefully one day you’ll trust that when I say I never want to hurt