Page 70 of Better When Shared
They complied, Julian with a skeptical smirk, Nisha with eager anticipation. I pushed open the door, guiding them forward a few steps before positioning them just so.
"Now look."
Their gasps were everything I'd hoped for. The bathroom opened before us like a Roman temple—honey-colored Bath stone forming walls that glowed golden in the late afternoon light streaming through a domed skylight. At its center, sunken into the floor, was an enormous oval tub hewn from a single massive piece of stone, ancient and smooth as silk.
"Holy shit," Julian whispered, stepping forward to run his hand along the tub's edge. "This is..."
"Original Roman," I finished for him. "Or at least second century. The hotel was built around it when they discovered it during excavations in the 1800s."
Nisha approached it reverently. "And it works?"
"Better than works." I moved to an ornate brass fixture at one end, turning it with a satisfying click. Steaming water began to flow, filling the room with the mineral scent I'd grown up with. "Direct tap to the sacred spring. The same waters that have been flowing since before the Romans arrived. Legend says they heal anything from gout to heartbreak."
"Not that we need healing," Julian said softly, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that still made my breath catch.
I crossed to him, unable to resist pressing my lips against his. "No," I agreed when we parted. "But some pleasures are worth experiencing together."
Nisha had already begun unbuttoning her blouse, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Shall we test these legendary waters?"
Julian and I turned to her in unison, twin expressions of hunger that made her laugh—that throaty sound that never failed to make my cock stir. I reached for the hem of my sweater, pulling it over my head while Julian began working on his shirt buttons.
"No rush," I told them. "The water takes time to fill."
Nisha's blouse dropped to the stone floor, followed by her bra. The sight of her bare breasts in the golden light stole my breath as effectively as it had the first time. Julian was equally transfixed, his fingers stilling on his buttons.
"What?" she teased, hands moving to the fastening of her jeans. "You've seen these before."
"And will never tire of the view," I assured her, stepping closer as she shimmied out of her jeans, leaving her in only a wisp of black lace.
Julian finally managed to finish with his shirt, shrugging it off to reveal the lean torso I'd mapped with my tongue countless times. He kicked off his shoes, reaching for his belt while watching us with hungry eyes.
"You're both wearing too many clothes," Nisha declared, hooking her thumbs into her panties and sliding them down her legs in one fluid motion.
She stood naked before us, all golden skin and lush curves, and I felt my heart stutter in my chest. Mine. Ours. Not just for stolen weekends or frantic video calls, but forever. The enormity of it—of what we'd committed to on that Oregon beach—hit me anew.
"You're staring," she pointed out, amusement coloring her voice.
"Can you blame me?" I asked, finally breaking from my trance to strip off my remaining clothes.
Julian did the same, and soon all three of us stood naked in the warm, steamy air. The tub was nearly full now, the surface of the water shimmering with mineral deposits that caught the light like tiny diamonds.
I turned off the tap, testing the temperature with my hand. "Perfect," I declared, stepping into the sunken bath first, the hot water rising to mid-thigh as I stood in its center.
Julian followed, his sharp intake of breath betraying the water's temperature. "Fuck, that's hot."
"The founders of this hotel believed the heat was good for the soul," I explained, holding out my hand to Nisha. "It opens the pores, releases toxins."
"Sounds lovely,” she said, taking my hand and letting me steady her as she stepped in.
We settled into the water together, the tub easily accommodating all three of us. Julian leaned back against the smooth stone edge, sighing as the heat penetrated tense muscles. Nisha floated toward him, her hair spreading out around her like dark seaweed. I watched them, these two beautiful creatures who had somehow decided I was worth keeping, and felt something expand in my chest until breathing seemed secondary to simply feeling.
"Come here," Julian said, extending a hand toward me. "You're too far away."
I moved through the water to join them, positioning myself so Nisha floated between us, her back against Julian's chest, her legs draped over mine. For several minutes, we simply existed in that space, letting the mineral-rich water work its ancient magic on travel-weary bodies.
Then Nisha shifted, turning to press her lips against Julian's throat. "I can think of better ways to relax," she murmured, her hand disappearing beneath the water to find him.
Julian's eyes closed briefly, his lips parting on a soft groan. "You're insatiable."
