Page 16 of Gentle Fox

"If I try to help you, am I in further danger of being assaulted?" The question was laced with amusement and I wasn't sure if it made me feel better that Owen could find the humor in our current situation, or if I wanted to strangle him for making fun of me.

"Please get me out of here so I can die of mortification somewhere else."

The second I was free, I darted straight for the bathroom. I didn't bother to look at Owen or let him say another word. I needed a few minutes to myself. Maybe to climb out the window and hitchhike my way back to Baton Rouge or to shower and devise a plan to find somewhere else to sleep tonight.

The first option was out of the question. Even if I didn't want to return to Baton Rouge, I had seen way too many crime documentaries to ever get in the car with a stranger. An Uberdidn't count since those people were vetted. At least I hoped so. Now that I thought about it, maybe they weren't and this entire time I had been risking my life.

Now is not the time to be thinking about this.

I turned the shower on as hot as it would go and then stripped out of my clothes. Somehow just the thought of being hidden behind the shower curtain made me feel a smidge better.

It wasn't because my stupid ass forgot to lock the bathroom door. Of course I did because that was just how my morning was going. And there was no way I would be able to enjoy the shower I so desperately needed if I didn't hop out and lock it.

So that’s what I did.

And guess what I got in return for my efforts?

I slipped on the tile floor because why would a man have a rug in front of his shower? I went down hard enough that I knew Owen heard me. I didn't need to hear him calling my name to be sure.

When he barged through the door a second later, I was still on the floor. Completely exposed. Just airing my tits and cooch for the whole world to see.

Not really. Only for Owen's eyes but it felt like the whole world given how mortified I was.

"Are you okay?"

I had to give him credit. He was trying not to look. He was doing a shitty job of it but I could see his eyes darting away before coming back to me.

"Who the hell doesn't have a rug outside their shower?"

Yup, that’s what I was going with.

"I always dry off in the shower."

Well, wasn't that hunky dory for him. It didn't help me though.

"What were you trying to do?"

I dropped my head down onto the ground only to remember when it hit tile that there was nothing below me to cushion it. Now my head hurt all over again.

"I forgot to lock the bathroom door. I didn't want you accidentally barging in and seeing me naked."

"A little late for that."

If I could have mustered the energy, I would have picked my head back up and glared at his obvious statement but I didn't have it in me. I just wanted to be left alone.

"Do you think you can lock the door on your way out?"

"Would you like help up first?"

Ha! I didn't need to be a fortune teller to know that wouldn't be a good idea. I knew exactly how his body felt and if he touched me right now, I would be tempted to explore. That was a horrible plan for a whole bunch of reasons.

"Nope, I'm good. Just lock the door and I'll be fine."

I didn't watch Owen leave. I did however look to make sure the door was locked after I heard it click shut.

It was, thank goodness. Now if only I could get off my ass and get back into the hot water that I was enjoying before my brain decided a locked door was best.

Note to future self: lock doors before doing anything else.

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