He was also in the buff.

Drops of water slid off his solid chest, creating tiny ripples on the water's surface.

Kira covered her chest with both arms.

'Why am I naked?'This belongs to - ©.

'Do you want to take a bath fully dressed?'

'Where are my clothes?'

'In the hamper.

"Why are you here?"

"To take a bath."

'I meant, why are you HERE? There's a perfectly fine bathtub in the guest room.

I carried a heavy load up the stairs just now. I'm too tired to walk to the guest room.'

"What heavy load?'

Austyn didn't reply.

He just smirked.

'Wait, that wasn't what I wanted to ask. Why am in the tub?'

'To cleanse yourself. What else is the tub for?"

'But why?"

'Because I don't want to sleep in the same bed with someone who reeks of alcohol."

"What alcohol?'

Austyn opened his eyes. 'Really? You don't remember anything?"

'Remember what?"

It wasn't the first time Austyn had seen Kira suffering from an alcohol-induced blackout.

That was why he banned her from drinking.

'The Orchid Club. The private room. Isabel. Luca. Alcohol. Need I

go

on?"

Fragments of images flashed through Kira's mind.

The memory of the past couple of hours slowly returned.

She and Isabel had gotten bored after Austyn and Luca went out.

They got to talking.

Then Isabel invited her to try a private label merlot.

One bottle led to another, and they both got sloshed.

Everything was a blur after that.

The next thing she knew, she was waking up in the tub with Austyn.

They'd slept together more times than she could count, but this was the first time they were. sharing a bath.

Kira scooted to the other end of the tub.

The tub was 67 inches long and reasonably wide, but it wasn't so big that Kira could avoid coming into contact with Austyn.

He stretched out his long legs and took up most of the space.

Kira sat with her back against the rim and her knees drawn up.

She preferred a bubble bath if she had the time, but Austyn clearly didn't.

The water was crystal clear and completely foamless.