Page 24 of Falcon

“Thanks,” I practically whispered. Before I could begin the debate with myself about whether he was good or bad, I let the hot water beat down onto my head and down my back. The hard spray helped relax my aching muscles some, then I washed myself. All the little cuts stung as the suds rolled into them, but I needed to clean them up so I didn’t get any infections. After I finished, not very gracefully since I was keeping all my weight on one foot, I stood back under the hot water for a few minutes, trying to cleanse the rest of the last couple of days away.

My back was sore from the long ride and probably the tumble we took in the woods. The hot water wasn’t doing shit for my ankle, but it felt good everywhere else.

I must have lost track of time, because Falcon stepped back into the bathroom.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, sorry.” I turned the water off and reached for the towel. His eyes locked on mine again, and I was impressed they stayed up high and didn’t wander down to my naked breasts when I leaned out for the towel.

His gaze was hotter than the shower water that left my skin beet red. I clenched my jaw and tried to remind myself I could be appreciative of help without falling into bed, or more, with this guy. But fuck, did he have to give the smolder?

I winced and groaned when I straightened up again, putting my weight down on my bad ankle. The shower curtain flew back, and Falcon reached in, strategically tucking the towel around me then he grabbed me, lifting me from the tub. A tiny yelp escaped me, and I tensed as he carried me to the bed.

After he set me down, he went back and grabbed the bag. He pulled clothes out and dropped them next to me, but he held up a sports bra. “Not sure how to work this, but I can work a normal one.”

I reached for it and snatched it from his hand, pulling it on. He stood back and I grabbed the panties, holding them up to inspect them. “I haven’t had panties that covered my ass in years.”

“Must be Penny’s stuff. The bunnies don’t wear shit like that.”

Being a dancer, I wasn’t shy about a lot, and I already knew that being around Falcon without a barrier between me and leggings wasn’t a great idea. The underwear didn’t look used, but they weren’t in a pack so there was no way to know. I leaned over, and gingerly slipped my bad foot in first, then the other and pulled them up, wiggling to get them up all the way to my hips. After grabbing a t-shirt from the pile and pulling it over my head, he grabbed the leggings and knelt down to help me get them on before he pushed the material up on my bad side.

“Here,” he said as he turned me to rest my feet on the bed. “I’ll wrap that up, then you can hobble to the bathroom to finish up whatever women do.”

“Like brush my teeth and my hair? I’m dripping all over the bed.” I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around my head to soak up the water.

He shrugged and sat on the edge, lifting my foot onto his lap. “That’s your bed for now. So you gotta sleep in it, not me.”

I wanted to grab a pillow and smack him but that was too cute and friendly. I didn’t know if I wanted to get cute and friendly. But I couldn’t help but notice how gentle he was with me. And he seemed to know what he was doing.

“You must see a lot of broken bones.”

“Maybe. Why?”

Watching him wrap my ankle, I answered, “You seem good at that.”

He clipped the end of the wrap into place. “Feel okay?”

“Yep. Seriously. You do that well.”

He lifted my foot and stood, going back to the bathroom. He came back with a bottle in his hand. “Here, take two and call me in the morning.”

I took the bottle of Ibuprofen from him. When I popped it open and poured a few out, I looked them over.My paranoia would probably take a long time to subside.

“Those help with pain and swelling. I’ll get you some ice when we get to Mama Hen’s.”

“Who?” I wasn’t sure I was ready to leave the confines of the room. I didn’t know what to expect outside of it. Everything about him seemed safe, but clearly my judgment in men was shit.

“You met her yesterday. She was the lady that helped you up after I tackled you.”

The reminder of the chase and capture that followed flashed in my mind and my arms lifted, wrapping myself in a protective hold over my chest.

“Listen, sorry I pinned you. I just didn’t want you running off.”

My eyes widened and I curled into myself even more. What the fuck?

“Shit, that sounded bad, too.” He let out a deep sigh and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “We had some trouble recently. Until we sort out the problem, I can’t let you just tear off in the woods.”

“So you plan to just keep me locked up here?” My voice went up an octave. “No thank you. I’m sorry about your issues but I am not interested in being a prisoner anymore.”

---