Page 90 of Love Bound

My body, this close to release, begins to shake.

He steps into the fray. It's got to be a twelve-person tub. There are four jets along each side with a set of three steps to the bottom. It seems huge. He stands in the center, water swirling around him just below his waist.

Then, he gently leads me by the hand, the hot water instantly unknotting my muscles. Shivering, my legs buckle slightly and he catches me, easing me down into the hot swirling water.

It's heaven.

Water laps all around, churning, forceful, pounding into muscles and bones. I want to hold my breath and go under, but that’s impossible for right now.

It might be impossible forever.

My morning swim, I believe, is a thing of the past.

"How does it feel?" His voice is in my ear, deep, and for the first time since Miller took me out to the boat, my chest feels Finn's voice resonate.

"It's amazing. Oh. My. God." I can feel sweat already beading on my forehead. I ease my head back onto the tile and tilt my head up, feeling for the jets as I try to position them to target my shoulders.

"Let me help," he says, kneeling so the water is above his waist. Finn gently moves each of my arms up onto the tiled rim. "See these little handles? Hang onto them." He juts a jaw to something behind me.

There, to help guests climb in and out are two grips. I slop a hand into each one, but I don’t have the strength to lower myself carefully against the jets.

"Hold on," he says, and then, supporting my head, he slowly lifts my rump and stretches me out, so the jets shoot down the length of my spine.

My head begins to slip into the water and I jerk up, but he kisses me on the cheek.

"I got you," he says, pulling me even straighter so my delts and arms are in the stream as well.

Still, he's supporting me, and I feel his wide hand under my neck. With his other hand, he massages those little muscles nipping and tucking along my back, and then my ass and hamstrings. Water flows over and around me, his hand underneath me, and I moan it feels so good. No pain, no tightness, no weight, just delicious pounding.

He is heaven.

Suddenly, I want him. I don't know how, or why now, or if I can do this, but I arch my back and look directly at him. My eyes feel heavy-lidded.

"What are you asking?" he inquires.

"Find me," I say, my voice sounding deep to my own ears.

"Are you sure?"

I regrip the handles and close my eyes. "Yes."

I feel him come close to me and with a deft pull of the tie, my halter slips off. Still holding my head with one hand, he places his knee under my rump to keep me floating on my back. With whisper touches, he runs his other hand down my jaw, which immediately opens, and I moan again. That hand starts down my throat, to my chest. My breasts, pummeled by water, are now stroked by his large hand and fingers. My skin, extra sensitive from the hot water makes each stroke exquisite.

"You're so beautiful, Claire."

I look up at him. The love in his expression makes me want to cry. His eyes, such a depthless color of green-blue. His face, beautiful. His body, achingly perfect. He is the man I love. The man I have chosen to love. That I was bound to love. It's fate. I never believed in it, but now, I always will.

Heat rushes between my legs. "Touch me," I say.

"Oh, I'll touch you," he says in my ear, abruptly sliding his hand under my swimsuit bottom just at my mound.

My mind has not been my own since everything happened, but now, my mind is his. Leaning down to kiss me, he lifts my head slightly out of the water as he probes deeply with his tongue. I nearly let go I’m so nerveless with lust.

He stops for a moment, reaches for the rim of the tub and tears open a condom. I grip the handles harder, knowing he has to let go of me to put it on.

Then he returns, swiftly, breathing me in, exhaling, and kisses me again while his finger slips inside me.

I’m shaking—and I let go.