Free MemoriesofParadise by Tianna Xander Page B

tub. It was nearly half-full—just the depth she liked it.
    Stepping into the tub, she turned off the water and sat down with a groan. She hadn’t realized just how much her muscles ached until the warm water soaked into them.
    Looking down, she noticed a bruise where the seatbelt dug into her and wondered if Holly had a bruise from hers as well. She sighed. What had she gotten them into? How could she ever trust her instincts again? Her instincts had almost killed them this time.
    Gingerly, Riana rested her head against the back of the tub. The warm water surrounded her, easing her sore muscles, and feeling silky on her skin. She wished she could wash her hair, but knew it wouldn’t be good for the stitches even though the doctor had obviously forgotten that part of her discharge instructions.
    Instead of washing her hair, Riana concentrated on the rest of her body, gently massaging the citrus-scented bath gel into her bruised body. After she finished, Riana was exhausted. Closing her eyes, she relaxed with a sigh. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe. Riana wasn’t sure she wanted to examine the reasons why.
    For a moment, she allowed herself to drift on a warm cloud of security and contentment, the likes of which she couldn’t remember ever feeling in her life.

Chapter Fifteen
    After nearly an hour, Gunter knocked on the bathroom door. What if Riana had fallen asleep in the tub and drowned? He berated himself for waiting so long to check on her. When she didn’t answer, he knocked again. This time he was more insistent. Instead of a few light raps, he pounded on the door, hoping to wake her if she had fallen asleep. When she still didn’t answer, he kicked the door in—her modesty be damned.
    His heart nearly stopped when he saw her hand dangling limply over the side of the tub. Rushing into the room, Gunter breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her head above the water and the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She was alive, but why wasn’t she awake and railing at him for bursting in on her bath?
    “Riana.” He reached out and took her hand, hoping to rouse her. “Riana, wake up.” Gently, he shook her shoulder—still no response. Reaching down, he pulled the knob and started draining the cold water out of the tub.
    Any other time, he would have taken special note of the size of her generous breasts with the berry-colored tips beckoning him. However, instead of admiring them, he bent down and lifted her from the tub, her body limp in his arms. Clay, call the doctor and get your ass in here. Something’s wrong with our mate.
    What’s wrong?
    She’s unconscious and unresponsive. Make sure you tell the doc that when you talk with him. Gunter stared down at her slack face and brushed the hair from her cheek. He wanted to remove the bandage from her wound, but remembered the doctor saying something about keeping the bandage on for a minimum of twenty-four hours.
    Hell, it had barely been ten hours since they left the doctor’s home.
    His chest ached as he looked at her. When he was younger, he wouldn’t have believed in love at first sight. However, standing here, looking at the woman he knew was compatible to Clay and himself in every way, he knew he loved her already. He would also die for her, but how could he find a way to express those feelings without scaring her away?
    She was human. Humans didn’t believe in love at first sight—that had been his experience. He couldn’t blame them. He hadn’t believed in it himself until a few short hours ago. How could he criticize others for their lack of belief?
    “What’s going on?” Clay stepped up next to him, peering down into Riana’s face. “I thought she was taking a bath.”
    “She was, right up until I thought she’d been in there too long and went to check on her.” He glanced over his shoulder at the bathroom door. “We owe Gemma a new door. I broke it down to get to her.”
    “I don’t give a damn about the door and I