And tell Cabot what, he didn’t know. But there would be plenty of time to figure that out. Later.
* * *
Tamsyn
She wasn’t the kind of person who took baths. Ever. They were a waste of time, a waste of water, they didn’t even really get you clean, and honestly, what was the point? Well, that was past Tamsyn, and past Tamsyn was a moron.
Her daddy giving her a bath was wonderful. He’d given her a quick rinse in the shower first, and then helped her into the steaming water he’d run in the tub. Tsked at her when she reached for a washcloth.
“Not a chance, babygirl. You might not be wearing your mitts right now, but you’d best be acting like it or I’ll haul you out of that tub and spank your bottom for being naughty. Understood?”
Okay, so being turned over her daddy’s knee would not be awful but she would not enjoy breaking out in goosebumps because she’d be freezing outside the almost-too-hot water she was currently soaking in. While Huxley was washing her hair, massaging her scalp with strong fingers. Honestly, past Tamsyn had pumpkin guts for brains.
It was just short of being all-consuming enough for her to forget about Lowell. Where was he? Cleaning up shouldn’t take this long. Was he not coming? Her daddy was taking very, very good care of her, but as much as she loved being pampered and stroked by Hux, there was something missing. A Lolo shaped something. She was a miserable, ungrateful girl, and she shouldn’t—
“He’ll be here, babygirl, don’t you worry.”
She looked over her shoulder and into Hux’s impossibly handsome face. “How did you know…?”
“You keep turning toward the door, and you twitch every time there’s a noise outside. Also, even if you were better at hiding it, I’d know you would be wondering where he was because you deserve both of us here.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make you feel bad. You’re plenty, you’re more than enough, and I—”
“Don’t apologize. You have every right to expect him to be here and it feels off that he’s not, especially with no explanation. He can be an asshole but he’s better than this. Must be something really important to tear him away from you.”
That was nice to know, and she did believe Hux. But it was—
Just then the door opened, and Lowell ducked in. Something in her chest loosened. He was here. He was here and he’d changed into some loose pants that clung to his narrow hips and showed off the curve of his butt, the thickness of his thighs. Handsome devil.
He knelt by the tub and slid a hand around the back of her neck, bent down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before pulling back.
“I’m so sorry about that, princess. Got a call from one of my siblings. Should’ve ignored it, but—”
“No you shouldn’t,” she said. “I like that you two are so close with your family. It’s nice.”
“Cabot is not nice, he’s a pain in my ass,” he grumbled.
For a second she got the impression that the edge in his voice was real, not just good natured siblings-giving-each-other-shit, but then he gave her a small, rueful smile.
“Anyway, I’m all yours now. No more phone calls, no more work. Not until we’ve put you to bed, anyway,” he amended.
“Will you come back though?”
It was maybe asking too much, but after Hux had put the idea of sleeping with both of them in her head, she couldn’t let it go. She could hardly think of something she’d like better than being in the middle of a Foster-Webb sandwich.
“Yes, I’ll come back.”
Lo held up a hand at the edge of the tub and she reached for it. He knit their fingers together, and kissed the back of her knuckles. It eased whatever tension had gathered inside her so she could enjoy their attention, and melt right into bed between them once they’d readied her for sleep.