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Alexander started laughing like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. I, on the other hand, was thoroughly annoyed.
“This isn’t funny, Alex!”
“Well, it does put a damper on my plans for you, but it’s your reaction that’s making me laugh.”
He laughed harder when I scowled at him. I reached for one of the satin throw pillows on the bed and threw it at him.
“You’re such an ass,” I told him, although my words didn’t carry any true venom. I, too, was fighting off a smile.
“I take it you’re surprised by your monthly friend?”
“Sort of. I started getting a headache this afternoon. That’s usually a warning it’s coming.” I frowned, feeling somewhat chagrinned over my negligence to the matter. “I really should keep better track, but since I wasn’t having sex until recently, I guess I didn’t see the necessity. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for nature, Krystina. It’s not your fault.”
“I suppose, but it doesn’t change the fact our night is ruined. No point in me staying over now.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” he exclaimed as if it were the most absurd thing he had ever heard. “There are other things we can do besides have sex.”
“Like what? That’s the only thing we do!”
I tried to say it with a laugh, but it sounded forced. I was all revved up with nowhere to go. I wanted nothing more than to sit in a corner and pout for the remainder of the night.
This sucks.
Alexander came over to where I was standing, his expression stoic as he pulled me into his arms.
“You really should give us a bit more credit, Krystina. Do you still have a headache now?” he asked.
“Yeah, just a little one, though.”
“Well, let’s see what we can do about that. Shall we?”
He released his arms from my waist and took hold of my hand. Leading me into the bathroom, he opened up the linen closet and began searching for something. I expected him to pull out aspirin for me, but instead, he produced a bottle of bubble bath and scented oil.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“My grandmother used to say the best cure for a headache was a hot bath. So, my angel, that’s what you’re going to have.”
He went over to the massive, sunken marble tub and began to run the water. Unscrewing the cap for the bubbles, he slowly poured the thick soap into the water, mixing it with the scented oil. Before long, the soft scents of lavender and vanilla filled the room.
“You know, if you’re trying to warm me up to the idea of you taking care of me, it’s working.”
He flashed me one of those sexy grins I loved so much.
“I must say—you certainly make me work for it,” he said lightly. He leaned in to plant a tender kiss on my forehead. “I’ll give you some privacy so you can get into the bath. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Once I was alone, I had a moment to digest the unexpected. The impromptu bath Alexander had drawn for me was sweet—remarkably so. It was the exact sort of thing Alexander said he wasn’t capable of and the same thing I told him I wasn’t looking for.
Teddy bears and roses.
If the perfumed bubble bath wasn’t the definition of teddy bears and roses, then I didn’t know what was.
An uncomfortable feeling began to form in my stomach, and I tried to ignore it as I undressed. After removing my clothing, I wrapped myself in a towel and stood in front of the vanity mirror. My cheeks looked flushed from the swelling steam in the bathroom, and my hair was growing bigger by the minute. I hastily pulled it up into a messy bun on top of my head and secured it with a rubber band I had around my wrist.
Satisfied my hair would stay put, I made my way over to the bath. Seeing it was almost filled, I reached down to turn off the faucet.
Once the noise of the running water was silenced, I noticed music coming from somewhere. I looked around and saw tiny speakers strategically built into the walls of the bathroom. The sound was soothing, fitting the serene environment Alexander had created for me.
