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jogging, and yoga moves were out of the question.
    I took some ibuprofen and then explored for an hour. Nathaniel had a wonderful selection of cookware, gadgets, and dishes. And his pantry was well stocked. Four deep shelves contained a chef’s dream world of supplies. The top shelf, I couldn’t reach. I’d investigate it later.
    I decided to make bread. Kneading dough would be the perfect way to work through my feelings. And it had the extra bonus of being work I could do standing.
    As I pounded the dough, I went over and over my feelings for Nathaniel. I had been stupid last week tothink—to hope—that he was falling for me. I was his submissive. For now, that would be enough. I wouldn’t think about the future. Just the here and now. Besides, after seeing him again, maybe I would discover my feelings toward him cooled.
    I took a cold cooked chicken from the refrigerator and cut it up. Chicken salad would go nicely with the fresh bread. I’d serve it with grapes and carrots.
    The morning passed quickly. I heard Nathaniel return at some point. Apollo ran into the kitchen. He spotted me, let out a ‘woof’ and jumped up to give me a sloppy kiss.
    At noon, I carried a plate into the dining room, where Nathaniel sat waiting. My heart pounded. I hoped he didn’t see the way my hand shook when I set his plate down.
    “Eat with me,” he said simply.
    I didn’t feel liking sitting down, but there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell I was going to disobey him. I made a plate, carried it into the dining room, sat it on the table, and pulled out the chair across from him.
    It had a pillow on it.
    I hesitated for just a minute. Was he trying to be funny ? Because there wasn’t a damn thing funny about anything. I shifted my eyes over to him. He was staring straight ahead, chewing.
    No. He wasn’t trying to be funny. The dining room chairs were hard. He was being considerate.

    I sat down cautiously. Okay. It hurt a bit. Not too bad. Nothing I couldn’t handle.
    We ate in silence. Again.
    I didn’t mind silence normally. Silence was good. Silence gave you time to think. But I’d had nothing but silence this morning and I was tired of thinking. I was ready for noise.
    “Look at me, Abigail.”
    I jumped. Nathaniel was looking at me with those strangely intense green eyes. I couldn’t breathe.
    “I didn’t like chastising you. But I have rules and when you break them I will chastise you. Swiftly and soundly.”
    Of that, there was no doubt.
    “And I don’t give gratuitous compliments,” he continued. “But you did well last night. Far better than I thought you would.”
    Something inside me I thought dead flickered back to life. Not a lot. Not even a spark. Just a flicker. But to hear him say I’d done well…it was the highest praise I could hope to get from him.
    He pushed back from the table. “Finish eating and meet me in the foyer in half an hour in your robe.”
    I quickly tidied the kitchen and went to my room, hoping to lie down and rest, even if it was just for a few minutes. I was tired and, despite the ibuprofen, still feeling very sore. Instead, I put on my robe and went to meet Nathaniel, who was waiting for me in the foyerin his own robe—not quite what I’d expected. I had no idea what he was planning.
    “Follow me,” he said, turning and walking through a door I’d never used.
    We made our way through a masculine living room. There was a large television above a massive fireplace. Leather couches provided ample sitting room and a tall, wide window overlooked an expansive patio.
    He opened the French doors leading to the patio and waited for me to go outside.
    Outside? In this weather? In a bathrobe?
    But, again. Snowball’s chance and all. I stepped outside and waited.
    He led me to a bubbling hot tub that sat low in the ground, surrounded by steam and fluffy white towels. It looked like heaven.
    He untied my robe and slipped it off. “Turn around.”
    I turned, just a little