The Tycoon's Temporary Bride

The Tycoon's Temporary Bride - Chapter 4

They were in a tub of cool water, yet the heat from his body was so intense it seemed to scorch her skin from her bones. Or was it her skin that was generating the flames that seemed to fuse their naked bodies together in the scented bubbly liquid?

The water was all the way up to her chin, but she had no fear of drowning because the man sitting behind her, cradling her between his muscular thighs had a secure grip on her lower body.

He was scooping water up with a container and pouring it over her head, then he was massaging her scalp, running his fingers through her hair while he spoke to her in a soothing voice, telling her that everything would be all right, that she was safe, and that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her.

He washed her tenderly like a mother washes her newborn infant, passing a soft washcloth across her back, up along her neck and throat, over the mounds of her breasts, then beneath them. His fingers and the cloth trailed across her chest and her stomach, lower and lower he washed until the cloth brushed between her thighs sending shock waves rushing through her.

"You've been sold to an Arabian Sheikh. They're shipping you out tonight. You've been sold... Sold... Sold... Sheik.... Sold... S..."

"No. No." She struggled against him, fighting to disconnect her body from his. "Let me go. Please let me go." She tried to stand up, to get out of the tub.

"It's okay, Tashi. It's okay. It's me, Adam. You're safe, dear one. I'm just giving you a bath. Relax, baby. Just relax..."

His voice was like a cascading waterfall, deep and soothing, bringing her back, or pushing her forward—she didn't know. She closed her eyes and settled back down, allowing her body to relax into his.

"There, there," he murmured. "It'll all be over soon."

The distant sound of a deep male voice brought Tashi awake. She lay still, her heart racing in her chest as she tried to get a perspective on her surroundings. Turning over onto her back, she opened her eyes and took a panoramic look around.

The room was enormous and everything was white—the walls, the chandeliers extending on silken cords from a vaulted, white tray ceiling that seemed as far away as the sky, the floor-to-ceiling drapes that had been drawn to shade the room, the sofas and chairs scattered about on a white carpet, and the white marble fireplace on a far wall.

Frowning, she narrowed her range of vision. She was lying on a soft mattress covered with white sheets. The padded headboard and footboard of the bed were upholstered with a white silky material that matched the intricate designs of the fluffy white comforter spread over her. Lifting the comforter, Tashi noted that she was wearing a white satin nightgown and panties—items of clothing she'd never seen before.

Was she in heaven? Had she died and gone to heaven?

"No," she whispered as the desire to pee, and a dull ache on the backs of her hands alerted her to the fact that she was still mortal. Her uncle used to take her to church, and according to the minister, there was no pain or peeing in heaven. Well, he didn't actually say that one didn't pee, but she'd gotten the gist of his account of what it meant to be an immortal soul living in heaven.

She glanced toward the left side of the room where a wide archway opened up onto a white marble floor and walls. Bathroom. Throwing back the covers, Tashi tried to raise herself up, but immediately fell back against the pillows. The room seemed to spin around her. She let out a soft moan and was trying to gather her strength for a second attempt when she heard a noise like a chair being pushed along the floor. She cocked her ears. The voice she'd heard earlier had stopped, but the sound of heavy footsteps approaching made her pulse quicken.