Page 55 of Downpour

Ray closed his eyes and scrubbed his hands down his face. Hurt was painted across his sharp features. “You’ve gotta be fucking careful out there. I can’t come out and get you if you get hurt or pass out.”

“I won’t let it happen again. Promise.”

Ray tipped his head toward the house. “Get inside.”

I took my scolding and headed into the blissfully cool house.

“Sit on the couch,” Ray ordered as he wheeled himself in after me and closed the sliding door.

Oddly specific, but okay.

I toed off my sneakers, sat on the couch, and waited. Ray made his way around the house, collecting things before coming back to the couch.

“Drink that,” he said as he pushed a red sports drink into my hand. He tossed a bottle of lotion onto the couch, then eased out of his wheelchair to sit beside me. “Take your shirt off.”

Hello, fantasy.

I set the drink on the coffee table and pulled my tank top off. I hissed as the straps scratched my burned skin.

Fantasy destroyed.

“Sit still and drink your drink,” he said as he worked at the flip cap of the lotion.

I squealed when something cold touched my back.

“I told you to sit still,” he snapped.

I turned to look over my shoulder at him. “You didn’t warn me!”

Ray leaned forward, bringing our faces close. “I’m putting lotion on your back before you turn into a potato chip. Is that warning good enough?”

My eyes lowered to his mouth. “Uh-huh.”

“Then sit still and do as you’re told.”

I closed my eyes as he worked the lotion over my shoulders and back, carefully sliding his hands under my bra straps.

I sucked in a breath when his fingers spanned my collarbone, working down toward my breasts. I was totally cool with it if he wanted to keep going, but he quickly moved back to my arms.

He worked more lotion around my lower back, even though it wasn’t burned. His hands spanned my waist, trailing up, up, up until they were grazing the sides of my breasts.

I sucked in a sharp breath and cursed the fact that I was still wearing a bra.

I could feel the heat from his chest radiating against my back. I wanted to fall into him. To have those arms wrapped aroundme. To know what it felt like for him to work those calluses over my breasts.

The moment was shattered when he let go and squeezed more lotion into his palm.

I glanced at the bottle. “That’s for tattoo aftercare.”

“It works like magic on sunburns too.”

“I like your tattoos.”

His hands stalled on my biceps. “I, uh… I got ‘em for the girls.”

I peered over my shoulder. “For Bree and Gracie?”

Ray nodded. His touch shifted from simply smearing my skin with lotion to a massage. “I had a few when they were real little. After their mom died, I’d watch the girls for Christian and they’d color my tattoos in with markers. So, I kept getting tattoos. It was our thing. When…” He sighed. “When I’d compete in Houston or Dallas, I’d always come out here for a night or two, and they’d color my tattoos in for good luck.”

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