She reached him in a couple of quick strides, wrapping her arms around his taut middle. Wow, this night was just full of surprises. She and Dominic were both still nude and she was comfortable with that as she hugged him. Normally, she would never have made it this long without at least putting a shirt on. With him, though, things were just easy. It was as if they’d known each other intimately for far longer than two days. “I love candles,” she whispered against his chest. “I think it’s a great idea.”
Gwen felt him relax against her as he ran a hand up and down her back soothingly. “Good, I’m glad.” They stood there locked together for another few moments until he stepped away to turn the water in the big Jacuzzi tub off. He tested the temperature again before reaching for her hand and pulling her gently forward. She bit off a moan as she settled back into the warm, scented water. She closed her eyes in bliss, almost forgetting where she was until she felt a tug on her hair. “Mind if I join you?” Dominic quirked, smiling down at her indulgently.
“Oh crap, sorry.” Gwen moved suddenly to her knees to give him some room, which was a big mistake in a slippery bathtub. She had just enough time to squeak out, “Yikes,” before her knees went out from under her and the silky water engulfed her. Before she could panic, hands were pulling her up and he was gently pressing a towel against her face.
“Baby, are you okay?” Dominic asked, sounding concerned. “Shit, I didn’t mean to startle you. Do you need to get out?”
“No, no,” she stammered as she pushed her damp hair out of her face. Dominic kept a hand on her shoulder while he stepped in carefully behind her before pulling her gingerly between his legs. She sighed against him before letting a giggle escape. “Oh, dear Lord, that was so ugly, wasn’t it? I think Justin Timberlake can relax because there’s no way I’m ever ‘bringing sexy back,’ ugh.”
His chest vibrated against her back as he laughed along with her. “It was quite a sight, but I disagree with the sexy part. You don’t need to bring it back, babe, because it never left.”
“You’re pretty sexy yourself,” she joked, running a hand down his thigh. “I mean, where did you get a body like this? I know you run because I see you when you’re coming back all hot and sweaty. But, you’ve also got serious muscles so you must spend a lot of time at the gym.”
Chill bumps covered her body as he lazily moved her hair aside and kissed the nape of her neck. “We have a workout room at the office that we use in the mornings. It’s easier to get it out of the way early instead of waiting until the evening. Running is just something I enjoy doing to de-stress. How about you? You’re tight in all of the right places so you obviously exercise.”
Gwen shifted around nervously, not wanting to answer his question. There was no way a hard-core fitness buff would be impressed with her brand of exercise. He would probably laugh her right out of the bath. “I . . . um . . . take classes at the gym next to the office.”
“What kind of classes?” he asked, sounding genuinely interested.
“Er . . . water classes,” she replied, still trying to keep her answer short.
“You mean like swimming?”
“Well . . . not quite.” Good grief, the man was like a drill sergeant. Couldn’t he just let it go?
He turned her sideways until he could look at her and asked, “If you’re not swimming, then what kind of water classes could you be taking?”
“Senior Swingers, okay? Are you happy now?”
“Senior Swingers?” Dominic parroted as if testing out the words on his tongue. “What’s that?”
“It’s a water class for active seniors. We do jazz exercise, Zumba, water ballet, and water spinning. It’s completely awesome,” she finished defensively.
He studied her for a moment before saying hesitantly, “You know you’re not a senior, don’t you?”
“Duh,” she snorted, “of course I do. I just thought it would be fun to join a gym and all of the other classes are full of nothing but a bunch of Lycra-wearing Barbie dolls who look down on those of us who are less than . . . coordinated. I always felt so self-conscious that I found myself not wanting to go. One day in the locker room, I met a nice lady named Marion who was sitting next to me on the bench in a swimsuit. She was really friendly and urged me to bring my suit the next evening and take a class with her. Well, I did and I loved it. Yes, I’m the youngest one in the class, but everyone is so friendly that I look forward to going. And . . . I never feel bad about wearing a swimsuit.”