Page 2 of Don't Look Away

I nod and guide Lux to the cold, gray conference table. She sits down across from Detective Garcia’s female counterpart and then Garcia takes me to another room to question me separately. Over the next couple of hours, he asks me everything under the sun: when was the last time I saw Bree? Have I heard anyone talking about her? Who do I think could have done this? I’m as helpful as I can be, but I don’t have a lot to contribute.

I’m finished before Lux, but I wait around until she’s done. There’s no way I’m leaving this building without her. It’s another hour before she finally steps out of the conference room looking completely demolished.

Jumping up from the hard plastic waiting-room chair, I wrap my arms around Lux. She practically sinks into my embrace, and after assuring the detective we’ll contact her if we remember anything, I guide Lux out to my car.

She doesn’t fight me as she slides into the passenger seat, and I drive her back to Rush House. I take her straight to my bedroom, remove her clothes, and put her in bed, where she stays for the better part of three days. I comfort her, bring her food, and talk to her professors to get notes for her classes….anything I can do to get her through this.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, I crawl into bed with a bag of hot fries. “I brought you the fries you like from In-N-Out,” I say, pulling one out to hover over her nose.

The last three days have been a crash course in Lux’s likes and dislikes. I’ve learned soups are a no-go, but anything starchy is more likely to interest her. She’ll usually eat a little, at least. Also, root beer. Not water, or tea. Root beer.

She opens her mouth and lets me feed her the french fry, then she turns toward me. “I should probably shower,” she says with a groan.

I lean down and kiss the tip of her nose. “I’ll draw you a hot bath.”

“Thanks,” she says, her voice hoarse. She’s been crying off and on for days, and she’s been talking to Bree’s parents, relatives, and mutual friends. It’s been a whirlwind of shock and grief and I can tell it’s all taken a toll on her.

I pull a few fries out of the bag and put them in a little pile on her chest. The grease will get on the bedsheets, but who gives a fuck at this point? “Eat these while I get your bath ready. There’s root beer on the nightstand next to you.”

As I’m just finishing up the bath, Lux walks in. She’s still wearing the same bra and underwear she was wearing when I brought her home from the police station. I’d stripped her down, and immediately put her to bed, and unless she was using the restroom, that’s where she stayed.

Unabashedly, she unhooks her bra and flings that aside, then she steps out of her panties and into the tub. Her lush body is on full display, and my cock immediately comes to attention.

It’s not the time or the place, butfuck,I’m dying to run my tongue across those rose-pink nipples. I can practically taste her sweet, salty skin.

Clenching my jaw, I kneel next to the tub and reach for a washcloth.

Keep it together, Roman.

She sinks into the hot water with a groan, leaning against the wall of the clawfoot tub. Biting the inside of my mouth, I lather up a washcloth and start washing her legs.

Maybe this wasn’t the greatest idea, because all I can think about is hauling her out of the water, throwing her against the bathroom counter, and fucking her from behind.

The only thing stopping me, to be honest, is the blank, almost numb look on Lux’s face. She’s staring off in the distance, barely even blinking.

“What are you thinking about?” I venture.

It takes a second for her to answer, but when she opens her mouth to speak, she doesn’t even look at me. “No one believed me when I told them Bree was missing when I said something was wrong. I wonder if it would have mattered. Could she have been saved?”

The autopsy isn’t final, and we don’t really know how long Bree had been dead, but Detective Garcia told me confidentially that she’d been in the water for quite some time, most likely since the day Lux noticed her missing.

“There was nothing you could have said or done that would have saved her,” I assure her. “By the time you noticed she was missing, she was likely already gone.”

Lux stifles a sob and nods. “Yeah.”

Gently, I run the washcloth along her stomach, then up her ribcage, and over her shoulder, avoiding her breasts like the fucking plague. I don’t trust myself, and grief or not, every man has his limits.

I wash her hair as gently as I can, rinsing it with a clean cup I grabbed from the bedroom. As I watch the soapy water slide down her chestnut hair, I’m surprised by the ease with which I’ve stepped into the role of her hero, and even more surprised by the fact that it’s a role Iwantto play.

I’d wonder what the fuck is wrong with me, but the truth is, I’ve known something was twisted up inside me for a while now. Ever since Lux came onto the scene, I’ve been obsessed with her, and not for the reasons I should be. I’ve been drugged by her, and I just can’t seem to get enough.

“Mmm,” she moans, twisting her head, and sitting up a little more. “The water is cold. I think I’m ready to get out.”

Standing, I move to grab a towel off the towel warmer, and then help her stand. Water drips down her porcelain skin, and I clear my throat, fully aroused. That’s all it takes with her. One glimpse of those curves, and I’m ready.

Folding the towel around her, I help her out of the tub. She takes the towel from me, and finishes drying herself, thank God. I honestly don’t know if I can keep it together. It’d be so easy to fuck her raw until we’re both oblivious to anything and everything around us.

“I’ll grab some fresh clothes,” I say, taking a step toward the door, anything to get the hell out of this room where temptation is on full display.

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