Chapter 56 **

Sandra felt extremely pampered as she slipped into the hot water, gasping at the depth of the porcelain lining. She turned the knobs on the side of the tub and sighed as the jets came to life, bubbling gently across her tired body. She slowly reclined beneath the scented water and closed her eyes. She could easily become used to this, she thought under the drying layer of mud.

Several long minutes passed before a soft tapping sounded at the door, making Sandra reluctantly open her eyes in time to see Creighton step across the threshold, the familiar thick blue robe across one arm and two glasses of white wine in his hands. He smiled brightly at her as he moved closer to the edge of the tub, tossing the robe to the nearby bench before sitting on the rim and handing her a glass.

“You look much more relaxed,” he said in a husky tone as he watched her sit up a little, trying to sip from the glass around a hard, crusted green face.

“I am really sorry for the way I snapped at you,” she sai