4
Chapter Nine
The housekeepers were stocking the carts inside the pool room with freshly folded white towels. As the brunette girl finished filling her cabinet, she closed it up and stood up to stretch her back when she saw the largest and most handsome man she had ever seen. His thick mane was multicoloured with shades of red, orange, bronze and blond, mixed with the fierce black stripes of the tiger clan. It blew in the breeze as he ran, and as he drew closer, her heart began to race at the sight of him. She nudged her friend who looked up and gasped at the sight of the bare-chested Tiglon who was running directly towards them, barefoot in the snow.
Figuring he was heading for the warmth of the inside of the lodge, they each reached forward to pull open the French doors that would allow him entry. The Tiglon saw the two women and the swimming pool just beyond them, but he had his sights set on a much more desirable destination. Without stopping, he ran directly towards the Jacuzzi that had steam rising off the water's surface.
The housemaid gasped and called out to him, "My lord! You must enter the water slowly! It's going to feel terribly hot!"
Water splashed everywhere as Argo jumped right into the hot water and roared again as his skin and fur felt like it had been both scalded and set on fire. Terrified for their lives, the maids screamed and ran back into the building, leaving the doors swinging shut, but did not lock. Argo hurriedly pulled himself out of the round in-ground tub and rolled onto the cold stone patio, still feeling the pain shooting through every neuron in his skin. Managing to get to his hands and knees, he pushed the glass-paned doors back open, crawled inside and fell sideways into the pool water. Although the pool was heated, it felt by no means hot, but its ambient temperature dulled the pain that had been coursing through him. He held onto the side of the pool in relief and exhaustion as he remained buoyant in the deep end, allowing his hands, feet, and the rest of him to thaw out slowly.
As he slowly became acclimated to the water, he looked around and sighed, glad that none of his friends, or his mate had seen that production. After a few minutes, he decided to give the hot tub another try. This time he grabbed a large white towel from the rack and wrapped it around him before stepping outside. He turned on the water jets and watched as powerful thrusters caused the Jacuzzi water to begin to swirl and bubble. He gently and slowly eased himself into the effervescent pool and sighed contentedly.
Now this is more like it!
He dunked his head under water and surfaced, then ran his fingers through his mane and rested his head on the edge of the hot tub, feeling bliss, relaxation, and warmth.
Upstairs in the guest suites, Rangerkitty was changing her clothes when she noticed Galina standing by the window, with both panes of glass opened and out. Cold wind was whipping inside, letting the heat from the fire out. "Gali! For Jaga's sake! If you want to have the windows open, do it in your own room!"
"Oh, but you have a much better view from your window than I have from mine." Galina replied dreamily, not moving from where she was standing and looking out.
Confused, knowing Galina had a great view of the mountain range from her suite; Rangerkitty went to the window to see what she was talking about. Expecting to simply see the patio and the covered tables and chairs, the tigress gasped at the sight down below. Sitting alone and waist deep in the hot tub was Argo, bare-chested and magnificent as ever. His eyes were closed and his hands were behind his head as he rested it against the side of the tub. Steam rose around him, swirling and dissipating into the air, making the scene seem ethereal, as though it were part of a dream. For a few moments, the two of them simply stood there and admired him until Galina broke the silence.
"I think I'm in the mood for a swim." Galina pulls off her shirt to reveal her swimsuit
"You just went swimming." Rangerkitty pulls off hers as well
"I feel like warming up." Galina steps out of her boots and pants
"You hate hot temperatures." Rangerkitty does the same and steps between Galina and the door
"I'm going down to the hot tub to drool over Argo at arm's length. How's that?!"
Rangerkitty pushed her and grabbed the doorknob. "Not if I get there first!"
She dashed out of the room and pulled the door shut behind her. Startled, Galina pulled the door open and gave chase. Rangerkitty had made it down the hall and had grabbed the banister of the staircase, whipping around to descend the stairs. Galina vaulted over the banister and landed in front of Ranger and pushed her against the wall, gaining the advantage and rushed down ahead of her. Growling, Rangerkitty ran down as well, and slid down the banister at the landing, conveniently landing on top of Galina and knocked her to the carpeted floor. She jumped up off of her and ran towards the back of the lodge where the pool was located. Hearing fast footsteps approaching quickly behind her, she quickened her pace and broke in to a sprint and they entered the room with the indoor pool.
Two waiters were setting the tables inside the pool's indoor courtyard when the two tigresses came dashing inside. They looked up in surprise and tried to call out caution as to the wet floor that had just been mopped. Too late, they gasped as both Galina and Rangerkitty lost their footing and began to slip and trip, but had not slowed down. They fell and began to slide together quickly towards the glass doors, certain to crash into them. Acting on instinct, the waiters each grabbed a door and opened it, allowing the tigresses to slide right out of the room, across the frozen ice-covered patio and into a snowdrift just past where the deck chairs were normally located. They hit the bushes causing the snow that had settled on top to be knocked off. The snow landed on top of the girls' heads and shoulders, covering them in frozen white powder and red berries. The waiters hurriedly closed the doors and ran for the cover of the locker room so they would not be identified as the two ThunderCats dusted themselves off.
"Well that was embarrassing." Rangerkitty groaned, picking berries out of Galina's hair.
"Yeah, lucky for us, no one saw that."
"Ahem… ohhhh… someone saw that all right!" Came Argo's bemused voice.
The tigresses looked over and saw him leaning on the side of the hot tub, grinning at them. "And it was darn funny!" he called out louder, laughing throatily now.
Rangerkitty scowled and stood up, dusting herself off as Galina grinned and also got up to her feet. "You got room in there for two more, mister?" she asked with her hands on her hips and her brightest pearly white smile.
He smiled back, admiring the two swimsuit-clad beauties and stood up slowly, "For you two? You better believe it."
Both women slowly sucked in their breath as the Tiglon stood. Steam rose off his sculpted body as he stood waist deep in the bubbling hot water. Drops of water dripped down his neck and shoulders, heading down, along with their gazes. His swim trunks were hanging low on his pelvis, and they could see his amazingly ripped washboard stomach, along with the suggestive lines that ran down from his hips. Seeing that they had not yet moved, he motioned with his hand for them to come closer.
"Come on, girls. I don't bite."
"Pity…" Galina whispered, then winced as Rangerkitty elbowed her. "Ow!"
"Gali! Seriously!" she hissed.
"What?! Don't say it's not a pity!" she whispered back as they arrived at the side of the tub. Rangerkitty went to step in when Argo held his hands up and cautioned her.
"Uh, may I suggest you ease yourself in? It's much more comfortable that way."
That's what she said… Galina thought to herself with a grin as she sat down on the side of the tub and dipped her feet, then her lower legs into the hot bubbling water. Rangerkitty did the same, then slipped in so she was waist deep, then submerged herself to her shoulders.
"Ahhhhh, this feels sooooo good…" she sighed.
That's what… oh forget it! Galina thought to herself and scowled as she saw Argo put an arm up on the rim on the round tub behind Rangerkitty's shoulders. Her red-haired friend relaxed her head back on the hybrid's muscular left arm and grinned with bliss.
"This is the life. Oh Argo, what a brilliant idea."
Oh Argo, what a brilliant idea, Argo! Oh Argo, why don't I snuggle with you while my friend Galina who has sworn to keep her hands off you has to watch us, Argo? Galina began arguing with herself inside her own head, bobbing it back and forth in sarcasm, not noticing the strange looks the other two were giving her as they watched this strange display. Finally, Argo chose to interrupt Galina's thoughts with herself.
"Galina, are you all right?"
Snapping back into reality, she looked at him with brilliant eyes and a glowing smile, "Never better!"
"Then why not join us over here?" he asked, holding up his right arm out of the water. "I have a free arm here, and what could be better than having a beautiful woman on both sides?"
Galina gasped and looked around, then back at Argo. "Oh…. Um, I don't know…"
"Aw, come on… that whole look but don't touch thing was a long time ago. I'm sure it's not still expected, especially as we're all so much closer now. What do you say?" he coaxed her, grinning with that award winning smile of his.
