man.”
Eleanor blinked at him, confused. She was the daughter of a prestigious Eastern family. She had to remind herself that she was also Mr. Burke’s servant. Cyrus wants me to wash his back? I can’t think of him as Mr. Burke while I put my hands on his naked skin.
Her intimate address would have to remain purely mental if she intended to maintain their employer and employee relationship. I will think of him as Cyrus and call him Mr. Burke. That settled, she answered him.
“No, Mr. Burke. My husband and I did not share such intimacies.” She repressed a shudder remembering William’s pudgy frame.
“Guess I’ll have to teach you how then,” Cyrus drawled. “Take this and lather it up good, then scrub my shoulders and back with it.”
Eleanor accepted the dripping sponge and obediently rubbed it against the soap, coating it with lather.
“Okay, you’ve got the first part down,” he growled sarcastically. “There’s foam dropping on the floor you’re so worried about. Now let’s see if you can manage the next step.”
“You’ll have to lean forward.” Eleanor knelt at the end of the tub, sponge in hand. Her breath caught when she saw the scratch marks she’d left the night before. They were reminders of their coupling and her limbs felt weak anticipating another encounter.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she muttered to cover her heated response.
“I should charge you for your instructions.” Of course he heard and taunted back.
Eleanor squeezed the sponge full of water over his head, sending a cascade of frothy liquid over his face.
“Why in hell did you do that?” he sputtered.
“I didn’t have a bucket of water to use,” she answered grimly.
Eleanor decided washing his back was the safest way to avoid whatever else he had planned. She trickled water in a stream downward, enjoying the way his muscles twitched and he jerked under the tickling caress.
“Your tongue would feel good doin’ the same,” he suggested.
“Why would I want to lick your back?” Eleanor asked, startled at the way the idea made her sex clench.
“You don’t want to taste me?” he asked innocently.
“No,” she lied, remembering the flavor of his sweat.
“Not even a nibble?” He ignored her rebuff, reaching around to grasp her skirt, tugging on it.
“Let go of my dress,” she snapped.
“Might be better if you shucked it altogether before you climb in here.”
“You want me to disrobe and get in the tub with you?” The man has lost his mind.
“Yep. There’s nothing like sharing a bath with a woman to get to know her better.”
“Good night, Mr. Burke. Your back is clean. Your suggestion is impertinent and we know each other quite well enough. I’ll leave you to finish your ablutions alone.” Eleanor’s face flamed and she stood, throwing the sponge at his head before hurrying to the door.
“Eleanor, I didn’t give you permission to leave.” The sound of water splashing on the floor accompanied his warning as his wet feet hit the floor.
She slammed shut the door and took off running, making it down the stairs and outside to the swing with him following close behind.
“Eleanor, you sure you want to conduct our business out here?” He came out on the porch, his nakedness outlined by the house light.
She edged behind the swing, keeping it between them. Speechless, she gazed at the beast stalking her. His bare feet were big, his long legs topped by muscled thighs and the evidence of his manhood jutted rigidly in front of him as if it were made of steel.
Gauging the distance to the steps leading to the ranch yard, Eleanor risked a glance away from the savage.
“You run off the porch and I’m gonna chase you,” he drawled, crossing his arms over his chest. Waiting for her next move, he added, “Might be kind of fun.”
“Don’t you have something better to do than tormenting me?” she asked tartly.
“Yep, I figured on doing it in that bed upstairs. But if
Eleanor blinked at him, confused. She was the daughter of a prestigious Eastern family. She had to remind herself that she was also Mr. Burke’s servant. Cyrus wants me to wash his back? I can’t think of him as Mr. Burke while I put my hands on his naked skin.
Her intimate address would have to remain purely mental if she intended to maintain their employer and employee relationship. I will think of him as Cyrus and call him Mr. Burke. That settled, she answered him.
“No, Mr. Burke. My husband and I did not share such intimacies.” She repressed a shudder remembering William’s pudgy frame.
“Guess I’ll have to teach you how then,” Cyrus drawled. “Take this and lather it up good, then scrub my shoulders and back with it.”
Eleanor accepted the dripping sponge and obediently rubbed it against the soap, coating it with lather.
“Okay, you’ve got the first part down,” he growled sarcastically. “There’s foam dropping on the floor you’re so worried about. Now let’s see if you can manage the next step.”
“You’ll have to lean forward.” Eleanor knelt at the end of the tub, sponge in hand. Her breath caught when she saw the scratch marks she’d left the night before. They were reminders of their coupling and her limbs felt weak anticipating another encounter.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she muttered to cover her heated response.
“I should charge you for your instructions.” Of course he heard and taunted back.
Eleanor squeezed the sponge full of water over his head, sending a cascade of frothy liquid over his face.
“Why in hell did you do that?” he sputtered.
“I didn’t have a bucket of water to use,” she answered grimly.
Eleanor decided washing his back was the safest way to avoid whatever else he had planned. She trickled water in a stream downward, enjoying the way his muscles twitched and he jerked under the tickling caress.
“Your tongue would feel good doin’ the same,” he suggested.
“Why would I want to lick your back?” Eleanor asked, startled at the way the idea made her sex clench.
“You don’t want to taste me?” he asked innocently.
“No,” she lied, remembering the flavor of his sweat.
“Not even a nibble?” He ignored her rebuff, reaching around to grasp her skirt, tugging on it.
“Let go of my dress,” she snapped.
“Might be better if you shucked it altogether before you climb in here.”
“You want me to disrobe and get in the tub with you?” The man has lost his mind.
“Yep. There’s nothing like sharing a bath with a woman to get to know her better.”
“Good night, Mr. Burke. Your back is clean. Your suggestion is impertinent and we know each other quite well enough. I’ll leave you to finish your ablutions alone.” Eleanor’s face flamed and she stood, throwing the sponge at his head before hurrying to the door.
“Eleanor, I didn’t give you permission to leave.” The sound of water splashing on the floor accompanied his warning as his wet feet hit the floor.
She slammed shut the door and took off running, making it down the stairs and outside to the swing with him following close behind.
“Eleanor, you sure you want to conduct our business out here?” He came out on the porch, his nakedness outlined by the house light.
She edged behind the swing, keeping it between them. Speechless, she gazed at the beast stalking her. His bare feet were big, his long legs topped by muscled thighs and the evidence of his manhood jutted rigidly in front of him as if it were made of steel.
Gauging the distance to the steps leading to the ranch yard, Eleanor risked a glance away from the savage.
“You run off the porch and I’m gonna chase you,” he drawled, crossing his arms over his chest. Waiting for her next move, he added, “Might be kind of fun.”
“Don’t you have something better to do than tormenting me?” she asked tartly.
“Yep, I figured on doing it in that bed upstairs. But if
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