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I met Caspian and Beth in the lobby, and we followed her down to one of the closed doors. She unlocked it and led us into a small, warm room with two mud-filled tubs.
Beth closed the curtains over the one window while talking to us. “These are filled with man-made mud and supplemented with minerals that mimic the original mudholes. However, we did not include the sulfur smell. You’re welcome.” She pointed toward pegs on the wall. “Robes go there. And be sure to drink all the water in the pitcher I left for you. You’ll sweat a lot and need to replenish.”
I thanked her, and she left us alone. For a moment, we stared at each other. I giggled nervously. “Should we do it?”
“I’m ready.” He untied his robe. “Do you want me to turn around when you take the robe off?”
I almost said yes but decided instead to be brave. “No. I have nothing to hide.”
A glint in his eyes told me he wanted to say something but didn’t, simply nodding instead.
He slipped the robe from his shoulders and hung it on one of the pegs.
Good Lord, he was gorgeous—muscular and lean and long-limbed. His stomach boasted a six-pack. Those shoulders. Lord have mercy. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one who worked out before a shift.
He didn’t look at me as he crossed over to one of the tubs. “Do I just plunge right in?”
“Yep. There’s not much skill involved. Only don’t go above your neck.” I shrugged out of my robe and hung it on the other peg, then walked over to the other tub, holding in my stomach. Those hash browns seemed to have doubled in size.
Instead of getting in, he stared at me, shaking his head slightly.
“What?” I asked, fighting the desire to hold my arms over my stomach.
“You are…exquisite.” He visibly swallowed. “I hope you don’t mind me saying that.”
“Not at all. This is an old suit,” I added, as if he cared.
“I’m not commenting on the suit,” he said hoarsely.
A wave of desire washed over me, weakening all four limbs.
I shook off the compulsion to jump into his tub and lifted one leg and then the other into mine. He did the same and soon we were both lying down, necks resting on the pillows. The mud covered my entire body up to my collarbone and felt warm and soothing. My first time I’d been surprised how I floated in the mud instead of sinking to the bottom.
“This will take all our bad toxins,” I said. “We’ll be good as new in an hour.”
“Somehow I doubt that a little mud is going to suck the poison from that tequila out of me.”
“Just you wait,” I said. “Close your eyes and try to relax.”
“I’ll try,” he said.
I closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the jungle mixed with music that played in the speakers above us.
“What happens if I fall asleep?” Caspian asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
I opened my eyes and looked over at him. “You’ll just float there.”
“Are you sure I can’t sink into this like quicksand and never get out?”
“You’re not going to get stuck in here.” I laughed when he widened his eyes.
“Are we supposed to spill all our deepest secrets in here?” Caspian asked.
“No, you’re supposed to be quiet. Be one with the mud.”
“Sharing something deep and personal seems like something you’d do in a place like this.”
“Do you have a secret?” I asked, curiosity piqued.
