Free Being Emerald by Sylvia Ryan Page A

on the floor. “Up.” He nudged her rear end and she stood. He unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, hooked his thumbs at the waistbands of her pants and panties and slid them down until they landed on the floor. A moment later, her bra was unhooked, and sliding off her shoulders to the ground.
    He took her hand and helped her into the tub of tepid water. She sat awkwardly, sloshing the water around as her rear landed clumsily on the smooth porcelain of the tub.
    Rock grabbed the hand-held showerhead and pressed the button, diverting the spill of water filling the tub to the hand sprayer. “Learning to defend yourself is a huge part of your training,” he said softly. “You need to be able to fend for yourself if the worst case scenario happens.” He soaked her hair and upper body before returning the water flow back to the faucet.
    “What exactly is the worst case scenario?”
    “I’m not there to protect you, and Garret and Sydney are trying to kill you.” He lifted from his knees and leaned over to grab the bottle of shampoo before sitting on the edge of the tub. He unscrewed the cap and held the bottle under her nose. “Smell.”
    It smelled like him. She opened her eyes, smiling.
    He sniffed the bottle before he poured some in his hand. “Look up at the ceiling. I’ll wash your hair.”
    For a split second, she was going to tell him she could do it herself, but she thought better of it. He treated her like a queen, literally, and she wouldn’t turn away a second of this china doll treatment. Head tilted up and eyes closed, she savored his strong fingers scrubbing her scalp. A mass of bubbles slid down her back as he washed different areas, working down toward the ends of her hair. When he grabbed the hand sprayer to rinse, the absence of his touch made her greedy for more.
    He took care not to get any shampoo into her eyes. He was so good, she was sure he’d done this many times before. “Did you do this for the girl assigned to you, your roommate in Amber?”
    His eyes softened. “Yes.”
    “What was her name?”
    “Journey.”
    “Do you miss her?”
    He didn’t answer right away, and avoided her gaze. She lifted a hand and touched his cheek. His sorrow was palpable even without opening herself up to his feelings.
    “Did you love her?”
    He nodded. “Still do.”
    A tinge of jealousy toward Journey darkened Laila’s mood while Rock coated her hair with conditioner. She didn’t particularly like the fact this man, who so carefully took care of her, had done this with someone else. Not just someone else, but someone else he still loved.
    “You shouldn’t be giving me a bath if you’re in love with another woman.” She plucked the soap and washrag out of his hand. “I can finish myself.”
    He rumbled the deepest laugh she’d ever heard. Then, he leaned in close. “You’ve got a little brat in you.” His deep brown eyes twinkled.
    His amusement exasperated her.
    He sobered. “Do you want me to stop?”
    She looked down at her hands, hating herself for the truth. “No,” she whispered.
    “I didn’t think so.” He took back the soap and washrag and coated every part of her above the waterline with bubbles. The gentle cleansing stimulated every sense. The slow glide of the washcloth, the slight breeze of his exhalations floating across her damp skin. The smell of the soap and warmth of the water. She was enthralled by the reverent attention she received from this man.
    “Stand up.” He gripped her hand to assist her.
    When she faced him, he examined every subtlety of her form. From his seat on the edge of the tub, he rubbed the washrag slowly over the curve of her hips and then between her legs, making sure to get between her lower lips. He stroked once, twice over her clit.
    She held her breath. Their gazes met. His glittered with desire, but he moved the washrag along, coating her legs.
    He nodded at her. “Sit.” The word was raspy. He cleared his throat and said the word again as