Page 61 of Stuck with My Bossy Protector

I look at her with a lopsided grin. “Oh yeah.”

“Stop it,” she laughs. “You and I both know neither of us has the energy to do anything.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t look,” I tease.

We strip out of our damp clothes. I turn up the heat in the room while she starts the water in the shower. She’s already standing under the spray when I return to the bathroom. I step in behind her, the heat seeping into my very cold bones. The hot shower feels like heaven. As we take turns under the spray, we stay silent, both lost in our own thoughts.

Chapter twenty-five

Mia

“Inever knew a shower could be so good,” I sigh.

Noah is behind me, washing my back with the complimentary soap. “It does feel good. I’m feeling almost human again.”

“I can tell,” I tease, referring to his hand tracing the small of my back as he washes me. A part of me is terrified, yet another part is comforted by the closeness to another living being. This man has protected me—he saved me from death on multiple occasions. My heart swells with fondness and gratitude for him.

We spend another ten minutes under the comforting heat of the shower before Noah shuts off the water. Wrapping one of the thin hotel towels around myself, I exit the bathroom while he takes a minute to dry himself off.

The room is cozy and warm, thanks to Noah turning up the heat. I immediately pull back the blankets and climb into bed. I can’t fathom putting on my damp, dirty clothes again. I want to revel in being clean and warm.

When Noah emerges from the bathroom, toweling his hair dry, he looks at me and smiles. “You look cozy.”

“I am. I’ll get up in a minute and hang up our clothes to dry, but not yet. This bed is so comfortable. I think it’s the most comfortable mattress I’ve been on.”

He laughs. “I think you’re comparing it to what we’ve been sleeping on. Anything would be better.”

He rubs a towel over his wet hair. “I’ll go get us some food from the restaurant. They can charge it to the room.”

“Give your clothes a few minutes to dry,” I tell him. “We’re not going to starve to death.”

“I might,” he jokes.

I watch as he hangs his jeans and shirt in front of the heater. “I’ll put yours on after mine,” he says.

He climbs into the bed and lets out a groan. I snuggled my warm, naked body against his. “Damn, I see what you mean. This is good.”

We lay there, soaking up the heat and the comfort of the bed. A restful peace surrounds us, broken only by the occasional hum of the heater. Noah’s hand finds mine under the covers, his fingers intertwining with mine in a gentle squeeze.

I can feel my fatigue returning with a vengeance. The adrenaline that had been fueling my actions has drained away now that we are safe, leaving me weary both mentally and physically.

“You rest,” Noah says, reading my thoughts by the look on my face. “I’ll take care of everything.”

“I’m fine.” But my protest lacks conviction, even to my own ears.

“No arguments.” His tone is stern yet affectionate. “You need it. You’ve been through hell.”

He untangles our fingers, giving me a pat on the arm before standing up. The room isn’t big, so it only takes him a few steps to reach our damp clothes. He pulls on his jeans and shirt, which I know are still wet.

“I have to go now, or I’m going to pass out,” he says when he sees me looking at him. “If I’m not back in thirty minutes, call the police.”

“What if they find us? Any of them.”

“They won’t,” Noah assures me. “We’re safe here. They’re not going to risk drawing attention to themselves. The Feds will be here in a few hours, and then we’re leaving.”

He tucks me into the bed, cranking the heater up. The warmth is soothing, but my mind is still racing. I keep waiting for Carter to pop up. I have no idea what lengths he will go to. Does he want me dead? Will he find me here? When this is solved, I have no idea where I will go. I don’t know if I will ever feel safe again. My hand drifts to my flat stomach. What if I am pregnant? How am I going to protect a baby? My mind starts to spin out of control. I work myself into a real panic.

I close my eyes and force myself to calm down. I’m getting way ahead of myself—one thing at a time. Before I know it, I feel myself drifting to sleep. I wake with a start when the door creaks open.

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