Page 35 of Forging Chaos

That draws a laugh from her, and noticing that her shirt really is kind of gross from the spilled drinks, I hoist myself out of bed and hop over to my dresser. I pull out the smallest shirt I can find, make my way to the bathroom, and grab a wet washcloth.

When I get back next to her, she’s half asleep again, and I start to peel off the soaked shirt. “I’m not getting frisky, honest,” I whisper. She grunts. I get the shirt up and over her head and absolutely do not register that she, once again, is not wearing a bra…in public. I dab at her beautiful skin with the damp cloth, watching as goosebumps pebble her chest and arms. “Hold tight,” I tell her, sliding the shirt over her head. It goes to her knees, which is good because I peel her jeans off next and get her tucked under the covers.

I open my bedroom door and toss her clothes in the hall, then text our apartment group chat, asking someone to run them through the wash before morning.

I flick off the light and am about to make my way out of there to the couch when her arm shoots from the bed and grips my wrist. “Stay,” she says, a command and a plea all at once.

Even in the dark, I can see the need in her face, the hesitancy, and the fear about what it all means. She’s leaving; that won’t change anything, but we can be friends. I promised I’d take care of her broken body and all. I curl up against her in my bed, tuck her close against my side, and fall asleep with Thora Janssen in my arms.

CHAPTER 27

THORA

I wake up in a panic,not sure where I am. And then I realize the hot coils wrapped around me are Odin’s massive arms, and … I still sort of panic. But it feels different. I’m curled on my side, facing him, and I can make out the smooth features of his face in the dim morning light that sneaks around his curtains.

He’s here because I asked him to stay last night. I remember tripping at the bar, him freaking out, and then I just succumbed to exhaustion once I realized Odin Stag wasn’t taking no for an answer. Nobody has ever growled like that in defense of my health. God, his brother even took over my bartending shift. That could have gone really great or incredibly awful. I wonder if I’m fired.

Just as the financial panic about that sets in, Odin stirs, sees where he is, and pulls me even closer to him. “You’re not sneaking away this time.” His low voice vibrates through his chest. I love the rumble of it. His body is just so safe and strong and available to me right now. It’s all very confusing and not something I’d like to allow myself to crave since it’s all very temporary.

But maybe it’s okay if I indulge for the day. Perhaps it’s okay to let him hold me while I drift back to sleep, just for a minute.

I wake up again to a gentle shake and open my eyes to see Odin’s blue ones in the bright light of full morning. At least I hope it’s not later than morning. I sit up. “What time is it?”

He grins. “Not even eight yet. But I, uh, need your help with something.”

I smooth my hair with my fingers, realizing I’m wearing a huge shirt Odin must have put on me last night. The cotton is soft and worn and smells like his detergent. I’d steal it if my parents’ house didn’t reek of smoke. “What do you need? I definitely owe you.”

He shakes his head. “You don’t owe me anything. But I’d love it if you could help me with this.” He gestures at his cast. “I need to work on showering, and doing it at home is a benchmark for me.” He drifts off, staring at the bathroom.

I watch his throat work as he swallows and then turns back toward me, brows lifted in a hopeful expression. I’m touched that he’s making himself vulnerable for me after I was sort of forced to be vulnerable last night. Maybe we’re a better match than I initially assumed. Okay, we definitely are. I rest a palm on his considerable thigh. “What can I do?”

He grins. “Mostly make sure I don’t fall on my ass. I have a chair I’m supposed to use. I can take the cast off in the bathroom, but I still can’t put any weight on my foot at all.”

I nod and stand, facing the small bathroom. “It’s going to be crowded in there.”

“Think you can handle the press, Thora? I can get Gunny to help if you’re overwhelmed.”

I laugh. “I can handle a tight fit.”

I expect him to make a joke about that, but he wheels his scooter into the bathroom and turns on the shower, setting out his towel on the counter. He starts to strip before I prepare myself, and there, in the bright overhead light, is the firm ass of Odin Stag. I can’t help myself. I am powerless to resist laying a hand on it. It’s right there in front of me.

“Don’t push me,” he says, then bends to remove the cast. I swallow, reminding myself that we are being vulnerable together. He didn’t invite me in there to fuck in the steam. I’m not supposed to think about his skin all warm and soft from the hot water. He groans in pain, and my thoughts sharpen immediately.

I step closer as he places his palm on the tile wall, peeling off the boot cast with a creak of plastic hinges. I try not to look down at his heel, where I know his incision must still be pretty gross. He breathes out heavily through his nose, meeting my eyes as he pivots into the shower and sinks onto the chair.

Odin rests his head on the wall of the shower, letting the water fall over him. I can tell he’s hurting but doesn’t want to say anything about it. I strip off his shirt and step into the shower, putting shampoo in my palms and walking toward him.

His eyes fly open when my fingers dig into his hair, but then they drift closed again as his face eases. “That feels so good,” he moans.

“Shh,” I soothe, finishing his hair and reaching for his washcloth and the bar of soap. “Does it count against your therapy goals if someone else washes you off?”

He shakes his head. “My instructions were to safely enter and exit the shower independently.”

“You did great. Where do I sign?” I urge him to lean forward, and he rests his cheek against my stomach as I scrub his back. His hands are still white knuckling the arms of theshower chair, and I’m not sure what hurts him specifically, but he seems to enjoy what I’m doing, so I continue.

“When do you have to be somewhere today? I can have my brother drop you off…” He sucks in a breath and twitches when I scrub his armpit.

“Ah, ticklish. Noted.” I move the washcloth around to his chest. He leans back again, and his eyes are half closed, not staring at my tits, though one of his hands does find my butt cheek and gives it a squeeze. Tit for tat, I suppose. “I have one exam, and then I have my final meeting with my advisor to make sure everything is all set for graduation.”

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