Page 169 of His Ruin
I can do that.
I fill up our massive clawfoot tub with scalding water, knowing that Melody likes to boil herself alive. It can’t be healthy to take such hot baths. I rip the bag open, blinking at the smell.
It’s actually nice.
I pour a generous amount, staring down at the heavy salt that sits at the bottom of the tub. I think I’ve done well until my wife returns and smacks my bicep sharply.
“Did you use the whole thing?!” She exclaims.
I scoff as I show her what’s left at the bottom of the bag. “It saidgenerous. How the fuck am I supposed to know what that means?”
She snorts, taking it from my hands before tossing it into the sink. “You’re supposed to mix it in the water.”
I shove my hand under the surface, twirling my wrist as the salt moves with the current. There’s so much that I know it won’t mix properly.
“Kaden.”
“Yes, my love?”
“Get in the tub.”
I hang my head, running a disgruntled hand down my face. “I’ve failed you—”
“Shut up.” She giggles as she holds somethingup to me.
Her e-reader is in her hand, the screen illuminated with the title of chapter one. I lift a brow. “Are we reading porn in the bath?”
“Yup.”
“Fuck, you should have said that earlier,” I say as I get in. I settle in the water, wincing as bath salt gets in places it shouldn’t be. “Get in so you can suffer with me.”
She smiles as she eases down in front of me, resting her shoulder back on my chest. She uses her toe to cut the water, then leans her elbow on the lip of the tub so I can see the book. A few words jump out at me instantly, and my eyes widen.
“This guy is a monster?” I ask, intrigued.
“A shifter,” Melody corrects.
“I have no idea what that means. What the fuck is aknot?”
My wife glances over her shoulder at me, something mischievous sparking in her gaze. “Have you ever heard of the omegaverse?”
“No, I have not,” I say matter-of-factly with a smirk.
“Oh, my god!” She exclaims excitedly. “I get to explain this to you.”
“Well, go ahead. I have to know what I’m getting myself into.”
She rambles on about this new world I’ve never heard of before. The whole time, I’m on the edge of my seat, actively listening to the fast cadence of her voice and soaking in the joy that radiates from her. I’ve missed these moments so much that I trail a hand across her shoulder as she talks, basking in the rekindled connection that mends with every day.
She gives me a complete crash course, and I’m confident that I know the basics enough to go into this book without being clueless. As she holds up the e-reader for us, the warmth of the water surrounds us. It’s the most relaxed I’ve been in years, and I end up becoming immersed in the story.
“That’s what a knot is!” I say loudly as we get to the first sex scene.
Melody giggles. “How did I know you would like this?”
“You’d better find a safe spot for your e-reader because I’m going to steal it to jump ahead,” I smirk.
She turns a warning glare over her shoulder at me. “Don’t you dare.”
