“Well, I’d say ye dinnae need another seduction lesson from me. Get Laird Grant tae walk in here when ye are in yer bath, and he’ll probably just join ye in there.”
“Very funny,” she said snidely, snatching up a towel and trying to dry off her legs beneath the robe. “I didnae think ye would come here so quickly.”
“Now, that shall be our last lesson.”
“What will be?”
“Flirtation, banter. Ye see, Ava, what ye should have said was… wereyenae tempted tae join me?”
She dropped the towel in amazement, turning to face him, her blonde braid framing the perfect blush across her face.
“Are ye propositioning me, Kai?”
“Nay, I’m giving ye a lesson.” He crossed toward her, doing his best to adjust his trews as subtly as he could so she couldn’t see what she had done to him. He halted on the other side of the bath as she stood straight. “Now, try it.”
“Try what?”
“Try flirting with me, Ava. Imagine I am Laird Grant.” At his suggestion, she snorted. “That’s nae flirting.”
“It was a snort of derision.”
“Oh, aye, that’s the way tae get intae a man’s bed.”
“Kai!” She huffed and threw down the towel, seconds after she had managed to pick it up again. “This isnae helping.”
“Ye wanted a lesson, didnae ye? Men arenae subtle creatures. We like obvious flirtation. It’s what ye have tae dae. Now, yer turn.” He gestured to her, folding his arms in front of his chest. “If Laird Grant had come in and found ye in this bath, how would ye proposition him?”
She stood straight, matching his stance in challenge. Kai purposefully kept his eyes on her face, for he was well aware that her breasts had hardened, the nipples visible through the cover of her robe. He wouldn’t give into temptation by looking at them.
“I’d say…” She started looking anywhere in the room but at Kai. “I’d say he was welcome tae join me in that bath.” Yet her voice was wooden and uninviting.
“Ye sound more like ye would kill him if he dared take a step toward yer bath.”
“Tempting idea,” she mused.
“Apparently I have taught ye nothing in our seduction lessons.” He leaned forward, resting his hands on the edge of the tub. She matched his stance, leaning forward too as she gripped to the other side. It was becoming increasingly hard not to look down at her body, now he knew the neckline of her robe was hanging open for him in this new position. “Aye, very well, practice on me. Dinnae think about Laird Grant.”
“Kai,” she warned in a hissing tone.
“It’s just practice,” he assured her. “Proposition me, Ava. If ye were still there in that bath, what would ye say tae me?”
Ava clamped her lips firmly shut. Apparently, she was not going to do as he asked.
“Aye, aye, very well. Let me give ye a few examples of what ye could have said.” Deciding that their proximity wasn’t helping her comfort, nor was it helping the hardness in his trews, he backed up away from the bath. Increasing the distance as much as possible between them, he moved to sit at the bottom of herbed. “Ye could have invited me tae help cover ye in soap. Ye may have said I was looking dishevelled meself, perhaps I also needed a bath. Ye could have offered tae help me relax, fer the water is so inviting.”
“Ye’re too good at this.” She stared at him with her mouth open.
“Ye dae it.” He encouraged, waving his hand at her. “What would ye say tae me?”
Tae Laird Grant.
He reminded himself in his own mind, though he had little of it working to bring up Laird Grant at that moment.
“I…” She paused, still gripping to the side of the tub as she stared into the water. “I’d say…” She inhaled deeply, then lifted her chin, turning to face Kai with a perfect look. Her expression was soft, as was her voice. “I’d say that I was lonely in me bath. I’d been waiting fer ye tae join me.”
“Och, love.” The word slipped out of him as he scratched his face, trying to dispel that perfect look from his memory. “Aye, aye, that’s a good start. Ye’ll have any man tearing his clothes off tae get in that bath with ye.”
“Will I?” She stood tall, releasing the bath. “Anything else I should learn?”
