Once through the door, he leaned against the wall, knowing from here he’d never hear the whisper of falling cloth on her side of the partition or even the small splashing sound she’d make when she stepped into the tub.
Again the visions assaulted him, the soft gown sliding down over her curves and fluttering to the ground ather feet. He slid down to sit, back against the wall, and dropped his head into his hands, fighting to push the vision from his mind.
He still had work to do this night.
Raising his voice, he called out to her. “Yer water is warm enough?”
“It’s perfect.” Her answer floated to him. “And I love your mom’s soap. I don’t know what she’s used, but it smells just like my favorite lemon candles.”
Candles! How could he have forgotten?
“Aye, it’s no so very different from the great steaming tub out back of yer own home, though we’ve no so many candles for you to light.”
Enough chatter. Time to address his purpose tonight. After another minute of silence, he sent the first volley of reason her direction.
“Yer accustomed to days on a horse, are you? It can be discomforting to a new rider.” Give her something to think on.
“I’m comfortable with horses. Granted, I rode for fun, not for transportation, but I’ll be able to keep up with you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I dinna recall saying I was worried. I’m only thinking of yer comfort.” And of convincing her to stay behind. “We’ll have need to ride hard to cover as much ground as we can each day. You ken we’ll be sleeping in the open as well, do you? There’ll be no luxuries to comfort you. No bathhouses, no garderobes for yer convenience.”
“Convenience? Ha!” The water splashed loudly as if she had sat up suddenly or moved about. “Garderobe? That smelly stone bench with a hole is hardly what I’d call a convenience. I’m not even sure that qualifiesas a whole step up from peeing behind a bush. Trust me, Colin, I’m fine with bushes. I’ve been training for archaeology field work for years. I can handle whatever you throw at me.”
Not at all the response he’d hoped for. She was likely the most stubborn woman he had ever encountered! Even his younger sister, Sallie, on her worst days had never been so set in her ways.
Neither his demands nor his arguments had worked, and now even reasoning had failed to budge her from her insistence on accompanying him.
Perhaps a more subtle form of persuasion would work.
If she was indeed his Soulmate, she should feel the pull of attraction every bit as deeply as he did. Taking advantage of that might be akin to dishonesty, but a little dishonesty seemed a small price to pay for his Soulmate’s safety.
“Not much longer,” she called. “I’m almost ready to go.”
It was the signal he’d waited for.
Pushing up to his feet, he turned back inside the building, picking up the plaid she’d dropped on the bench as he approached her. She bent from the waist, vigorously rubbing her hair with the end of the drying cloth she’d wrapped around herself.
Her eyes widened when she straightened and noticed him standing there.
“You’ll need this for the walk back.” He held out the plaid as he again started toward her.
A few more steps and she was within reach, the outline of her enticing curves just visible through thecloth. He wrapped his arms around her to drape the plaid over her head and shoulders, drawing her close within the confines of the soft material.
Too late he realized his inability to control his own attraction to her. Not even the plaid that separated them could disguise his quickly hardening shaft.
“Oh!” She looked up at him, her eyes large with surprise.
There was little he could say. His traitorous body spoke loudly on its own.
“He”—Colin glanced quickly down and back to her face again—“is, I fear, beyond my ability to control. While I canna prevent his appearance, I can see to it that he behaves himself while he’s here.”
She continued to stare up at him, the corner of her mouth twitching until she broke out in a peal of laughter.
“Honest to God, Colin.” She pulled the corners of the plaid from his hands and hugged them close before moving around him to collect her nightdress. “Men and their penises totally crack me up. I’m frankly surprised you haven’t given it a name.”
Struggling to regain both his composure and the upper hand he felt he might have lost in that exchange, he followed her out of the bathhouse. There was a slight chance he should be offended by her laughter and her comments, but the sight of her perfectly rounded arse swaying back and forth in front of him as they made their way back to their room occupied too much of his imagination to let him dwell on any slight or insult.
Though all of his other attempts to dissuade her from going with him had failed, he wasn’t yet ready toadmit defeat. The tactic on which he had just embarked, wooing her into agreement, would, if nothing else, be a most enjoyable way to spend his evening.
