Page 38 of His One True Wish

CHAPTER 12

AXL

Watching Billie shiver in the bathtub brought back a wave of memories I preferred stay buried. I’d seen what hypothermia could do to a person. Even in the military with all the right equipment and gear, nature will crush you if you aren’t prepared. Cold creeps in fast, and after the shivering comes the calm. I shook off my next thought and focused on Billie.

“Feeling better?” I asked, noticing her chills subside.

“Thanks,” she said, gathering bubbles to her chest. She piled them on top of her boobs, making them look like mountain peaks. I’ll admit, I stole a glance. She caught me looking at her bubble art and gave me a smile.

It was good to see her perking up. I knew logically that Billie was only trapped in the snow for a few minutes, but it felt much longer. She was lucky the snow was powder. A shit-ton of it fell on her, but it wasn’t heavy with ice or water. She could have been knocked unconscious.

I felt sick to my stomach remembering how I jerked the barn door open. It was my own fault. I pulled so hard it shook a big sheet of snow loose from the roof with no warning. It was a roof avalanche, and I caused it. I felt responsible; I should have been more aware ofour surroundings. I failed to properly read the margin of error. The most dangerous mistakes are the ones you don’t see coming. In my experience, that’s when people get hurt.

“Do you have a medical background from the military?” she asked, leaning back in the tub. The water was high enough now to give her better bubble coverage. No more peek-a-boo boob shots for me.

“I don’t have a formal medical background,” I said, “but I’ve been in extreme situations. I’ve learned a thing or two.”

“Oh,” she said. The tub made a funny sucking noise as the water reached above the overflow drain.

“I should lower the level,” I said, pushing up my sleeves.

She gathered her knees to her chest, bubbles shifting. As she moved in the water, I glimpsed the brown peaks of her nipples, erect and proud. Her tits were gorgeous and absolutely not there for me to see.

I looked away as I fumbled underwater for the drain. My hand found the lever. I flipped it, and the water gurgled. I flipped it again when the level dropped enough.

“All good,” I said. Billie stretched out her legs again as I removed my hand from the water. I felt the sensation of her feet tracing along my forearm. Her touch sent ripples of electricity through my body. I wondered if she felt it, too.

“Sorry,” she said, eyes on the water.

“It’s all good. More hot water,” I said, turning the faucet on again. I sat back on my knees and watched the water run.

“I should have let you get the lights on your own,” she said. “I’m sorry I pushed you. I’m not used to being taken care of like this.”

“Really?”

“I mean, my mom takes care of me,” she added, eyes darting to my face for a moment. “My dad was not around. He cheated on my mom and left before I was born. He didn’t want to be a husband or a dad.”

“Sounds like he missed out,” I said, treading carefully. She hadmentioned her cheating father briefly before. She was opening up to me, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.

“I’m sure I have daddy issues,” she said, using air quotes. “I have a super bad habit of falling for guys who lie, guys who cheat. And I’m not used to trusting people.” She paused. “I’m not used to trusting men.”

I nodded, drizzling more warm water over her shoulders. The bathroom felt hot, the air was humid, and my body tingled every time I watched the water glide over her glistening skin. I wanted to reach out and touch her.

“Well, you can trust me,” I said. “I’m not a cheater, and I’m not a liar.”

“I know,” she said. “I mean, I think I know. You’ve been nice to me, all things considered.”

“The snow wasn’t your fault,” I said. “I should have seen the danger. That’s on me.”

“You can’t predict everything. It’s not your fault.”

I shook my head. “No, I should have accessed that the margin for error out there was quite high.”

She laughed. “Still, the margin would have gone downifI’d kept my mouth shut and stayed inside with Cam.”

“Yeah, but it would have been hard for me to grab both the lanterns and the flashlights on my own.”

“Bullshit.” She laughed. “You are saying that just to make me feel better.”

---