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Mara managed to sip this one as Alex pulled away from the hut and drove along the paths. When he came to the turn for the girls’ quarters, he surprised her by continuing onward. Mara’s heart sank—she had so been looking forward to a long, hot soak in the tub and then the cool, soft sheets on her bed. He’d said the punishment was over, but apparently he wasn’t done with her.
She sank back against the warm leather of the golf cart, too exhausted to think. Now that the worst of her thirst was slaked, her stomach, which hadn’t had food since the prior morning’s breakfast, twisted in furious protest.
Alex drove past the bungalow where the two Wallace men stayed when they were on the island. He drew the cart to a halt alongside a smaller structure, built as the others of white stucco and red-tiled roofing. Climbing out of the driver’s seat, Alex came around and gently helped Mara from the cart, placing a supporting arm around her waist as he led her to the front door of the bungalow. He tapped in his code to release the lock and opened the door, gesturing for Mara to precede him.
She entered a cool, airy space, sparsely furnished in a decidedly masculine fashion, with streamlined leather furniture, tables of chrome and glass, the color palette of muted grays and blues. “Welcome to my home. This will be your home as well while I help you to refocus on your goals.”
Mara stood uncertainly just inside the door as Alex closed and locked it. Her stomach rumbled audibly and Alex turned to her with a smile. “Hungry?”
She was too weak to even take silent offense at the obviousness of his stupid question. She only nodded, remembering at the last moment to add, “Yes, sir.”
“I will feed you. But first I will bathe you. You reek.” He wrinkled his nose with distaste. Mara flushed with embarrassment, even though he was the one directly responsible for her filthy, disheveled state.
He led her into a large bathroom just off the master bedroom, where a king-size bed loomed invitingly, covered in a pale gray silk coverlet. As the sweat evaporated on her skin, she began to shiver while Alex filled the large sunken tub with steaming water. She felt dizzy again, and moved toward the wall to lean against it as she waited.
From that angle she could see herself in the mirror over the sink. Her face was haggard and drawn, dark circles beneath her eyes. Her body was covered in dark red welts of varying lengths, the skin bruised beneath. She turned away from the image with a shocked inhalation of breath. Tears blurred her vision.
Alex turned to her, beckoning with a finger. “Climb in.” She moved unsteadily toward him, blinking back the tears. He stepped to meet her, placing a supportive hand on her arm as he helped her into the steaming water.
Mara settled carefully against the porcelain, adjusting herself as best she could to avoid contact with the worst of the welts on her ass. The water was soothing, a scented bath oil filling her nostrils. She sighed with pleasure as the water enveloped her body. Leaning back, she closed her eyes.
After a moment, Alex said, “Get your hair wet. I’m going to wash it for you.”
Mara opened her eyes. Alex was holding a bottle of shampoo, an expectant look on his face. Mara slid down, dipping the back of her head into the water to wet her hair. She sat up again, watching as Alex squeezed a dollop of shampoo onto his palm. He massaged it into her itchy, sweat-soaked scalp. He worked with gentle efficiency, the effect soothing.
He brought the rest of her hair up onto the top of her head and pulled the sudsy shampoo through the ends. “Rinse. Then we’ll do it again.” Mara lowered her head once more, letting her hair swirl out into the water around her head. After a moment, she lifted her head and Alex repeated the process. This time, he used a large plastic cup to rinse her hair, which he filled with fresh water from the tap, pouring it again and again over Mara’s head, the water cascading down her face and back.
Reaching his arm into the water, he pulled the tub’s plug, allowing the bath to drain until Mara lay shivering in the empty tub. “Now, I’ll wash your body,” he announced. Replacing the plug, he turned on the faucet again. As the tub began to refill, he added more of the sweet-smelling bath oil. He held the washcloth beneath the tap until it was wet. Wringing it out, he took a bar of soap from a little dish on the side of the tub and rubbed it onto the washcloth until it foamed and bubbled.
