said, referring to the fact that he’d done all the heavy lifting. But she followed his command and stayed as still as possible.
“Can I put my legs down now?” she suggested, teasing him for maintaining their position.
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you’d like to be able to walk on your own? Without my help?”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “I’m not sure I can walk, but perhaps you’d like a bit of my weight taken off of your own legs?”
He nuzzled her neck, making her laugh. “Individuality is overrated.”
She giggled once again but pushed against his shoulders. When he stepped back slightly, she lowered her legs to the shower floor, grateful for his arms that stayed around her to help her regain her balance which wasn’t so easy after that episode.
When she finally had her balance, she stepped back, self-conscious suddenly. She grabbed the shampoo and used some in her hair, turning her back to him so he couldn’t see her face
“You can’t hide from me, you know.” He said it softly, but there was a firmness in his voice that told her he wasn’t going to let this thing go. “What happened to the smiling woman of moments ago?” he asked as he slid his hands into her hair to help her shampoo.
She sighed, bracing her hands against the sides of the shower stall. “She’s very happy in the throes of passion but when that subsides, a self-consciousness emerges that is hard to ignore.”
He laughed and pulled her against him. “So what can I do to help you get over this self-consciousness?”
She turned and looked over her shoulder. “Give me clothes?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Won’t they get wet?”
She laughed and threw her washcloth at him. Missing of course and then he had to grab her around the waist. “Did you just toss this at me?” he asked with an evil tone.
Rachel couldn’t help it. Playful Rais was just too new to her. They used to laugh and tease each other, but because she’d avoided him for so many years, she’d forgotten this side of him. “I don’t think I did,” she muffled, and then screamed out because he smacked her on the bottom, not hard but enough to sting and get her attention.
Her eyes widened and she looked up at him. “Did you just spank me?” she asked, not sure if she should be horrified or turned on.
He smiled smugly down at her. Before he responded, he grabbed her wrists in each of his hands. “I think I did. What are you going to do about it?” he challenged, his eyes alight with mischief.
She licked her lips and shook her head. “Why don’t you let my hands go and I’ll show you.”
He laughed softly and shook his head. “I don’t think that would be a very good idea. You threw your washcloth at me, madam. That’s tantamount to treason in Dunari.”
She shrugged but she was trying hard to smother her own laughter. “So what? I’m not afraid of you.”
That answer caused his eyes to widen. “I think you should be afraid,” he cautioned.
She tried to yank her hands free, but he had a very good grip on her hands. She thought quickly. “So are you going to condition my hair? Since you’ve already washed it, I mean.”
He looked surprised by her apparent change of subject. “Condition?” he asked, stupefied by her request. He glanced down at the second bottle sitting next to the shampoo. “Is that it?” he asked and glanced back up at her.
“Yes,” she replied, trying very hard to look innocent.
He put both of her hands in one of his before he reached down for the conditioner. He knew something was up, but he couldn’t figure it out. He took the bottle and squeezed some into her hair. When he realized what he needed to do, that he would need both hands, he spun her around easily, pressed her back against the tiles and pinned her in place. “You’re up to something,” he said with his husky voice. “But for the life of me, I can’t figure it out.”
She continued to keep her face straight and all the amusement out of her eyes while he massaged her scalp with his hands once again. He was completely missing the point of the conditioner, but to win this battle, she was more than willing to sacrifice today. “MMmmm…that feels really good,” she said, closing her eyes so he wouldn’t see her intent. “And you know what’s best?”