Our master bathroom was really large. There was a spa-style tub with jets, a double shower, and a closet that was almost as big as my kitchen back in LA. I turned the water to steaming hot and stripped off my clothes. “Coming in?”

He watched the steam pour into the air. “How did you do this?”

“You don't know how to work your shower?”

“When you shewed me tae use the room ye dinna explain this part. My showers hae been freezin', or hot as a cauldron at full boil. I heard Zach and Emma talkin' about how perfectly warm the water is in the third bathroom, and I guessed I dinna ken tae work it right.”

“You could have asked Chef Zach to show you?”

“Aye, but I am asking them tae live here on my lands, under my protection. I dinna want tae tell them I dinna ken tae do it.”

I said, “You push this handle down. When you push it up you aim it for here and let it run until it's warm. This direction is cold. This one hot.”

While I taught, he pushed his kilt to the ground, pulled his shirt over his head, and stepped in after me with a large hand on my hip. He spun me around and we kissed, steam rising around us. “Or I could just ask ye tae turn it on for me every time.” He grinned and pulled my hips close to his.

I squirted shampoo into my hand and gestured for him to lean forward. I rested my elbows on his shoulders and massaged the shampoo into his hair. “Who bought you the shampoo?”

“Emma. She purchased all these ointments for me.” He closed his eyes and moaned. I ran my sudsy hands down and around his rear, feeling his form, rounded and taught and slippery and — I lathered up my own hair while his hands were busy up and down my back and sides and then I pulled the shower head from its holder and sprayed his hair and then my own. I arched back to get mine perfectly rinsed and he folded toward me, “I want ye, mo reul-iuiel.”

I teased, “I can tell. Here's the hard part though. Showers have the potential to be awesome, but are also notoriously diffi—”

There was a knock on the outer door of our bedroom. Magnus stopped still and listened. Emma's voice reached us. “Katie, your father is here with paperwork. He says you have a meeting with him?”

I opened my eyes wide. “I forgot Dad was coming from the bank.” I slammed the shower off, grabbed two towels, tossed one to Magnus, called, “It will take me a moment, I'm still changing from the workout!” and pulled Magnus's hand to the bed.

I dropped back and pulled him on top of me; there was no way I was missing out on this moment. He caught on immediately and entered me with a breathless rush. I held on, steamy skin, his hair the scent of lavender mixed with that scent he carried around always, musky and sexy. My legs wrapped around his back, deep breaths in his ear. His mouth heavy on the edge of my neck.

He was fast. It was intense. His moan at the end made me feel powerful, desired, loved. Could it be? He hadn't said it, not really, and love takes time, right? But this was really, really liked. And I really, really liked him too. Deep.

He pulled away and wrapped the towel around his waist. “Would you turn the shower on for me again?”

I was sprawled naked on the bed, an arm behind my head, a grin on my face. “Is that why you married me, to turn on the shower for you?”

“I married ye because I canna live without ye, mo reul-iuiel. Tis nocht to do with the shower.”