Page 48 of Coveting Catherine

“Then I guess I better help you. I think you’ll find we can handle anything as long as we do it as a team.”

CHAPTER FORTY

Leo set her on the vanity stool while he ran the water and pulled out something in the shower. His bulk hid what he worked on. He walked toward her and crouched to her level. His hands went to the buttons of his dress shirt, and he began unfastening them as he held her gaze. Her hands clench the bottom of her top. She sucked in her bottom lip as she watched, mesmerized and terrified at the same time.

The morning sun flooded the bathroom with soft light, too much in her opinion. The man she always dreamed of sat right in front of her, taking off his shirt and she wanted to flee. His body resembled perfection in its purest form. Bulging muscles, sculpted abs, and an ass to bounce a quarter on. She, on the other hand, represented the opposite of him. Her boobs sagged a little, her tummy carried a muffin top, and she bore the stretch marks from childbirth. Her thighs were soft, not defined quads and hamstrings. Not to mention she didn’t bother shaving between the burns and balancing herself long enough to perform a quick bath in the sink.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Doubt quivered in her voice.

“I know you love hot showers. I’m not making it melt your skin off hot because of the burns, but it’s warm enough for you to enjoy it. I’ll also wash your hair.”

Catherine shook her head. She didn’t think about water temperature. She was already hot enough. Her mind remained on his statement. He planned on getting in the shower with her.

“I can ask Kassie to help me. I wanted to talk to her anyway. Don’t you have work you needed to tend to this morning? I don’t mind waiting.”

He kneeled and sat back on his haunches. Throwing his shirt on the floor to his left, he didn’t bother to answer as he removed her sock with the sticky bottom. His attention focused on her.

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere unless I scare you. Am I making you feel uncomfortable? I’ve seen every inch of your body and the only thing I find wrong are these.” His hand lightly touched her fingers, the cast on her ankle, and he gestured to the burns covered in gauze. “I will help you wrap up in a towel to give you a few minutes of privacy. I’ll wear my boxers while I wash your hair and keep the water from hitting your burns.”

Her head bent and she rubbed her forehead with her injured hand. “It’s too bright in here. I can’t stand long enough for you to wash my hair.” A tear slowly fell from her cheek onto her lap.

Leo used his thumb and forefinger to lift her chin to meet her gaze. “Easy Kit Kat, stop thinking. Close your eyes. Breathe for me.”

She did as he bid. Her chest moved up and down erratically at first, then he placed his hand on her chest and held her good hand to his. “Breath with me,” he softly told her.

She felt his chest and his heartbeat under her hand. She sighed and gave in. “Keep your eyes closed,” he warned. A towel dropped onto her lap, and he moved her limbs as he lifted the top over her head and covered her. He lifted off her sports bra and tied the towel around her chest. A thick plastic boot with a rubber end covered her ankle. Placing his arms under her armpits, he gently helped her to stand while he knelt and pulled off the stretchy lounging pants and her panties. She gripped the edge of the towel to hold it down. She heard him sigh before covering her hand.

“I’m going to pick you up and put you in the shower. Kassie added a chair that goes against the wall. It pulls out and we can keep it from hitting the burns. I’ll change them when you get out.”

“Okay,” she replied meekly.

He lifted her and she felt the warm air surrounding them as he sat her down on the seat. “If you tilt your head, you can wet your hair while I change.” The door closed and she opened her eyes. Catherine adjusted the towel and tightened it around her chest. Then she did as he requested. The door opened a minute later, and the air around them suddenly changed.

A thick washcloth sat on her shoulder as he adjusted the chair and spray to avoid the burn. He wedged his body between her and the wall and moved her hair back. The spray from the water relaxed her as he rubbed a generous amount of shampoo through her hair and kneaded her scalp. Repeating the process, he rinsed again and applied conditioner.

The sound of him spraying something from a can caught her attention. He knelt at her feet, adjusted the water so she stayed under the spray, and began to apply shaving cream to her legs. She felt the heat rush to her cheeks.

“Leo…”

“Hmmm?” He moved the razor upward on her leg and rinsed it.

“You don’t have to do this. Really.” Mortification filled her.

“I want to do this. I love caring for you, Kit Kat.” His golden eyes glowed as he concentrated on her legs.

“You shouldn’t, Leo. I’ve made mistakes,” she whispered.

“We all carry regrets, Kit Kat. It’s what we do about them that counts.”

“What if you can’t change anything? No matter what you do, you end up hurting people.” Catherine searched his face. He continued shaving her legs.

“I recall overhearing a conversation where you gave Chase some sage advice. You told him love can overcome anything.”

“I don’t believe it anymore,” she replied softly. Ash ruined her opportunity for a second chance. Loving Leo came at a price. He risked his life and saved her abuser. She remembered the day they received the news of the helo crash and the team’s presumed demise.

Catherine set the bag of groceries down and proceeded to put everything away. The rental home they moved into in Serenity sported a beautiful view of the mountain her best friend lived on, and the rooms filled with natural sunlight. Kassie mentioned she received a text from Chase. The team was enroute to come home. Catherine's heart sped up as she thought of the man she loved. After two months of indecisiveness, her heart finally won. She trembled in anticipation as she thought of telling Leo she forgave him for her brother's death.

Several conversations with her mom over Leo and Olaf led her to face the conclusion missions carried risks. Unfortunately, her brother lost his life. Carol Reese encouraged Catherine to think of Olaf’s love for his best friend. Her brother would’ve been disappointed with her actions when she found out about his death. It was war, and it required decisions made in split seconds. The military didn't reveal how her brother died. Ash told her every sordid detail, etching it on her brain. She refused to tell her mother. Sometimes, moms didn't need the details. Carol Reese suffered the loss of her son, then Leo, who disappeared from their lives, and the death of her dad within three years. She didn't deserve the haunted images Ash described of Olaf's final agonizing moments. Thinking back to all his lies, deceit, and threats, she pondered whether he embellished the facts to fit his agenda. It didn’t matter, she was at fault for her own terrible decisions the night she broke up with Leo.

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