Sometime later that morning, Mr. Cross said, "Allow me to properly introduce myself... I am Ben Hunter."

My gaze was fixated on his handsome features. My mind was completely blown, and I will explain why. A typical exchange between two persons often takes place in a coffee shop or a cosy sitting room, but who in their right mind would even dare to have a conversation in the nude while soaking in the tub? I could not believe it when Mr. Cross insisted that we talk while taking a bubble bath. How was I supposed to focus on anything with him lounging in a tub? 

This was how it all went down: Following breakfast, I tidy up the table and neatly place all the dishes in the kitchen sink. Out of nowhere, Mr. Cross abruptly suggested. “Thalia. How about we have a conversation in the bathtub?”

I arched my eyebrows, clearly puzzled. "What do you mean? Are you being serious?"

Mr. Cross nodded enthusiastically and hurried to the bathroom, where he started to fill up the bathtub with warm water. "Yes. Come on. It will be fun!" He exclaimed upon re-entering the kitchen.

I burst out laughing. "You are insane. Who in the world has a conversation while completely naked in a bathtub?"

Mr. Cross shrugged, still grinning. "Why not? It is something different.”

I possibly could have responded to his foolish appeal with an eye roll, but I must confess that I was somewhat captivated by the prospect of talking in such an atypical environment.

“We need to have that conversation, right?” He asked. “And I feel like this will be a relaxing setting.”

I could not possibly refute that reasoning. The events of the last few hours had been overwhelming, and I suppose a conversation in the bathtub would be a welcome break from the chaotic pace.

“Fine, but make it a quick one," I said, trying to hide my excitement.

My ass was straight-up self-conscious as fuck when I had to get naked in front of Mr. Cross. I was talking full-on anxiety up in here. This man was drop-dead handsome, and I was just, well, me. I begged him to cover his face as I stripped off my clothes. Of course, he laughed, and I knew my request sounded ridiculous.

“Upon learning that your name is Ben from Grace, I thought to myself: how utterly mundane for a man who exudes such a mysterious aura."

As soon as he raised that eyebrow, my heart skipped a beat. I felt drawn to him, like a magnet to metal. The way he spoke and carried himself with such authority had me completely captivated. It was hot as hell!

"I have never been told that before, at least not directly to my face,” Ben admitted.

I had no clue why my cheeks were turning all shades of red, but they were. It was probably because Ben and I were sitting there, butt naked, in a bathtub full of water and bubbles. It was giving me all sorts of naughty thoughts. This man knew exactly what he was doing, and I was thoroughly falling for it. Every single inch of my body was tingling with excitement. It was like my mind was in overdrive, imagining all the wild and steamy things he and I could be doing right now. Even my damn nipples were standing at attention. And my vagina? Let me just say it was more than ready for some action. It was my birthday, for God's sake. I deserved to have some fun. The universe owed me some pleasure on this special day.

"Can you tell me about Ben Hunter?" I enquired, hoping to divert my attention from my racy thoughts. But deep down, I was in fact very curious about him.

"Ben Hunter is...” His voice trailed off as he searched for the words to describe his true identity.

"Oh, my!" I let out a gasp as realisation dawned on me.

“What is it?” Ben asked with sudden concern.

“Your names, when said together, have a certain charm,” I quipped playfully.

The warm water and gentle bubbles were like the cherry on top of our intimacy sunda. It had been too long since I felt so cosy and relaxed. Like all my worries and stress just melted away in this tub.

"Is that so?" He flashed a broad smile. "I am glad they finally fancy you.”

“Yes, it certainly does. Ben Hunter. Such a strong and powerful name."

With a sly grin, he casually ran his fingers through his deep locks. "You truly have no clue of my immense strength," he stated with confidence.

I arched an eyebrow. "Can you elaborate on that?" I asked, my voice expressing interest.

“Thalia.” Ben's voice called as if I were in a different room, rather than sitting right before him. His long fingers clutched onto the rim of the bathtub, propelling his body closer towards me. A gasp caught in my throat, and my heart skipped a beat.

Holy crap! I had seen some beefcakes on television, but Ben? His body was like a freaking work of art. He had these perfectly sculpted muscles, like they were chiselled out of solid stone or something. They were defined and cut in just the right places. When Ben got closer to me, my heart started beating so loud it could have been mistaken for a thunderstorm. I could feel his warm breath tickling my skin as he leaned in even closer, his lips almost brushing against my ears.

"I know I have made a promise to talk about my background, but the intense way you keep staring at me... the way your sexy little nipples keep showing themselves is driving me crazy.” Ben breathed in my scent as if it were intoxicating him.

He leaned back a little, giving me a second to catch my breath. When I looked up at him, I must have had a stunned expression on my face. Like a deer caught in headlights because Ben chuckled at my reaction.

"Relax, my little, Thalia.” His finger stroked my bottom lip. “I promise I won't bite. Unless, of course, that is what you want." His voice was playful and teasing.

His words made me laugh, and I could feel the tension in my body release a little bit.

Ben's lips were dangerously close to mine as he asked. “May I kiss you?”

Why would he bother asking that question? This man had total control over me and what he wanted to do with me. I would not dare object to anything.

Ben nibbled the edge of my ear, eliciting a soft moan from me.

"Please, have me. All of me." The yearning in my voice was impossible to conceal.

It was like a freaking explosion when his lips finally touched mine. A fireworks show was going off inside my body, and when he started exploring every inch of me with his electrifying touch, I was gone. Ben was like a puzzle piece that seamlessly fit between my legs in the most perfect way. It was almost as if that was his designated spot, made just for him, and when his manhood grazed against my leg, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. My mind was screaming. “Touch it. Touch it!" But my body was frozen with shock because I realised I was completely inexperienced with this kind of stuff.