Page 43 of Shark’s Pride

I stepped in as well. “Move forward so I can sit behind you.” When I was settled, I pulled her back against my chest. Cradling her like this, surrounded by the warm water and the candle glow and the mellow music, significant weight started to melt away from my psyche—and my body. I drew lazy circles on her stomach and arms, and she lightly scratched her nails up and down my thighs.

Finally I said, with quiet care not to disturb the bubbles or the ambiance, “I’ve never done this before.”

“Taken a bubble bath?”

“Taken a bath,” I clarified. “Let alone with a woman. Or just sat still like this. Just…existed.” I chuckled. “I think I can hear myself breathing.”

“Is that…a good thing?”

“I think so. It’s nice.”

“Yes. It is.” Abbi meshed her fingers into mine, and we both watched tiny suds emerge from the contact. “Thank you for doing this for me. Your timing was perfect.”

“Do you want to tell me about your lunch date?”

Another minute passed. Two. Abbi took several deep breaths. Just when I thought she’d speak up, she’d stop.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” I offered at last. “I just thought it might help to get it out of your head. Sometimes it’s the only thing that helps.”

“Is that how you handle stressful stuff?”

I laughed, really meaning it this time. “Hell no. That’s just shit Grant always says to me. Thought I’d try it out.”

She joined a soft chortle to mine, though she dropped it to a groan as I stroked my free hand up her arm and focused on the tension in her shoulder. With my thumbs, I found matching knots on either side to work on. She was happy to give me nothing but relieved sighs for a few minutes before finally speaking up again.

“When Sean asked me to have lunch, I had no idea what he’d want to talk about.”

She let out a low moan when I applied deeper pressure to a particularly stubborn knot.

“Feel good, baby?”

“Yeeesss. Don’t…stop.”

She extended her joyous groan while I chuckled and rubbed harder—and forced my mind away from an image of her making the sound under different circumstances.

“So what did you and your brother talk about? Everything okay with your family? Your sister-in-law?”

“Everything’s fine. Really good, actually.” Abbi’s head lolled side to side on my chest before she let out a long yawn.

“Do you mind if we get out? The water has gotten cold.”

She turned back to look at me—sort of—before sitting forward. I was right behind her. Once I gained my feet, I grabbed one of my bath sheets and wrapped her in it. I didn’t set her free. I caged her arms along her sides and held her tightly.

“Hey? Abs?”

But she wouldn’t look up.

It was time to bring out my dominant baritone.

“Abbigail.”

That worked—at least to snap her attention for a second.

“Baby, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“I think I’m just exhausted. Everything that’s happened over the past couple of days seems to be catching up to me. All the emotions, you know? Like a tidal wave.” She swiped a tear off her cheek. “But I promise, I’m fine. Will you—”

I waited for her to finish, but she just swallowed roughly, having trouble asking for what she wanted.