Page 28 of Babydoll

His silence causes me to look up. His expression, so full of care and concern, almost pushes me over the edge. “Your lips are practically blue. You need a hot shower,” he says, his voice low. Heading for the little plastic shower three feet away, he turns on the spay. With his back to me, he asks, “Can you strip down to your bra and panties, or do you need me to help?”

Somewhere inside me, heat sparks to life.

“I’ll help you, we’ll get you in, and I’ll go find you some dry clothes while you sit on the floor in the warm spray.”

“I can do it.” I attempt to unbutton my flannel shirt, but no matter how hard I try I feel like I’m wearing a pair of thick ski gloves to do it. Moving from the little buttons, I try the larger button of my jeans instead, but even that doesn’t work.

“Lu?”

I stop when his hand finds mine, stilling my shuddering attempts.

“I’ll be professional.”

I nod and he reaches for the top button. I release a breath as his fingers skim the skin of my upper chest and he pauses. The steam from the shower is starting to fill the room.

“Here, I won’t see a thing.” He undoes all the buttons but doesn’t let the sides of the shirt fall open. “Lie back now.”

I do, and reach for jeans, first the button and then the zipper. I shiver for a different reason when his knuckles skim the skin of my belly.

Jesus.

“Lift your hips.”

I obey and he slides the jeans down my legs. They’re red and blotchy from the cold, but he’s staring like they belong to a Vegas showgirl, at least until he notices me noticing him. He averts his eyes quickly, but it’s too late the heat inside me builds and swirls.I might not even need this shower if he looks at me like that again.

Taking my hand, he pulls me up to sit. “You okay?” he asks as I jump down from the bed. I nod, and pull back my hand, letting my shirt fall open and off my arms.

“I’m good.” The shirt falls from my body and I’m suddenly standing in front of him in nothing but my cheap cotton bra and panties, which thankfully are still in decent shape.

“Uh, Let’s get you in.” He lowers his gaze but it’s too late, I see his eyes linger a few milliseconds longer in all the right places.

He guides me into the shower and helps me sit on the floor. I close my eyes and tip my face to the warm spray. It’s amazing but anywhere the spray doesn’t touch feels ten times colder.

He’s gone when I open my eyes. What’s left behind is my flipping gut, a dull throbbing somewhere deep in my center and the fantasy of him showering me.

Good god, talk about a Daddy fantasy. I shake my head and peel off my undergarments. Grabbing the little wrapped bar soap from the shelf, I soap myself up, enjoying the hot water and the way my imagination makes me see his hands soaping me instead of my own.

He’s not back by the time I’m done and warm, so I wrap myself in towels and climb back under the blankets on the bed. Tucking my hands between my thighs for warmth, I lie down. My eyelids droop almost instantly and when I’m finally buzzing with complete warmth, they close completely.

Swollen and numb when I wake a few hours later, I see Jeff’s sitting uncomfortably in a plastic chair across the small room.

“What time is it?” I ask, sounding groggy.

His head pops up from his phone screen, worry etched around his soft brown eyes. I shoot up, almost tripping on the blankets.

“Who’s watching the outside?”

He covers his eyes and points to the end of the bed. “All good, sweetheart. There’s some clothes on the bed.” He gives me a gentle smile. “Bale’s on perimeter watch.” He peeks through his fingers and glances at his phone. “And it’s five in the morning.”

“Bale.” I nod, reaching for the clothes. “Okay.”

“You feeling better? Warm again?”

“Yeah. Thanks…” I chew my lip a second before adding, “for everything.”

“You’re welcome. And no one came around last night. No more damage to your car,” he says, and my eyes dart up as I pull on the sweatshirt and jogging pants he provided.

“Not what I was worried about, but thanks for the info,” I mumble.

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