"For you," I interrupt gently. "To help you relax. To remind you that you are precious and deserve to be pampered."
Her eyes fill with tears—those hormonal tears I am learning to recognize—and she launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her face against my chest.
"Thank you," she mumbles against my shirt. "Thank you for this."
I hold her close, breathing in the scent of her hair, feeling the way she fits perfectly against me. "Anything for you, Bella. Always anything for you."
Akiko slips out discreetly, closing the door behind her, and we are alone in the candlelit room with steam rising from the tuband the weight of everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours hanging between us.
"Come on," I say softly, pulling back and taking her hand. "Let me take care of you."
I help her out of my t-shirt—she is not wearing a bra underneath, and the sight of her bare breasts makes my mouth go dry—and then the shorts, leaving her standing naked in the soft light. She is self-conscious, I can see it in the way she tries to cover herself with her arms, but I catch her wrists gently.
"Do not hide from me," I murmur, letting my eyes travel over every inch of her with undisguised appreciation. "You are so fucking beautiful it hurts to look at you."
"Luca—"
"I mean it." I trace one finger down the center of her chest, between her breasts, down to her stomach where I spread my palm flat. "Especially now. Knowing you are carrying our baby. God, Rosalina, you have no idea what you do to me."
She shivers under my touch, and I see her pupils dilate, see the way her breathing picks up. "You are supposed to be helping me relax," she says, but her voice is breathy.
"I am helping you relax," I assure her, guiding her toward the tub. "Just—later. After you have had a proper soak."
I help her into the water, watching the way her eyes flutter closed as the heat envelops her, the way her body seems to melt into the tub with a sigh of pure contentment.
Beautiful. She is so goddamn beautiful.
I strip off my own clothes quickly and slide into the tub behind her, pulling her back against my chest so she is cradled between my legs. She makes a small sound of protest that quickly turns into a hum of pleasure as I start massaging her shoulders.
"Relax," I murmur against her ear. "Just feel this. Feel me taking care of you."
My hands glide down her sides, over the swell of her hips, and find the generous curves of her ass. I knead the firm flesh, my thumbs pressing into the tense muscle there. She whimpers, a soft, surrendering sound, and grinds back against my erection. The friction is maddening, a delicious torment.
"Patience," I whisper, nipping at her earlobe. "Let me open you up for me."
My hands slide forward, over her lower belly, and she gasps as my fingers delve into the hot, slick space between her thighs. She’s already so wet. I trace her folds, finding her clit, already swollen and eager.
Yes.
I circle the sensitive bud slowly, then with more purpose. Her breathing hitches, becomes ragged. Her head lolls against my shoulder, and she pushes her hips against my hand, seeking more pressure, more friction.
"You like that, don't you?" I murmur, my lips brushing the shell of her ear. "My perfect girl, so ready for me. So greedy for it."
I slip two fingers inside her, and her inner walls flutter around me, tight and welcoming. I crook my fingers, finding that sweet spot inside her, and stroke it relentlessly as my thumb continues its work on her clit.
"I can feel how much you want me," I growl. "Your pretty little cunt is clenching on my fingers like it’s begging for my cock.Are you begging, Rosalina?"
She moans, a raw, unfiltered sound. "Yes. God, Luca, please."
"Please, what?"
"Please… I need you inside me."
That’s all the invitation I need. I withdraw my fingers, bringing them to my lips to taste her. She watches me, her eyes dark with lust, as I suck her essence from my skin. "So sweet," I say. "Now, turn around. Ride me."
I help her pivot in the water, her legs straddling my hips. The water sloshes around us. She braces her hands on my shoulders, and I take my aching length in my hand, guiding the head to her entrance. For a moment, I just hold it there, teasing us both.
"Look at me," I command.
