Page 141 of Time Stops With You

“You could have called.” This time, there’s no anger behind the words. It’s just a statement of fact.

“Reception was spotty.”

“In the mountains.” She arches an eyebrow, suspicious.

“Yes, in the mountains.”

“Where you were.”

I swallow hard. My eyes trace down to her wrist brace and the messy bandage beneath the splint. Seeing her injured arm helps as much as if I’d stepped under the cold shower.

Speaking of the shower…

I swing the dial so hot water comes pouring out instead of the cold. The tub fills up.

“Do you have soap you prefer?” I glance at the bottles set neatly on the edge of the tub.

Nardi stares at me, her dark eyes assessing.

“I’ll use this.” I pick a bath gel that looks the fruitiest.

Nardi stops me. “Use the natural soap instead. It’s organic and less irritating in case…”

“In case what?”

She doesn’t answer but she unwraps a package and sprinkles it in the water. It doesn’t get bubbly, but she seems satisfied. The tub is almost full now, and I turn off the faucet.

“Have you changed your bandage?”

She nods.

I approach her and gently lift her wrist brace, inspecting the worn, tattered threads of the bandage beneath the thick outer casing. “Did you rest it like the doctor told you?”

“Yes.”

“No housework? Or cooking?” I arch a brow at her.

“You sent Ashley here every other day. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”

“Good girl.”

She inhales shakily. “Cullen.”

I turn around. “Take off your robe and get in the tub, Nardi.”

“Say please.”

I twist my neck to look back at her.

She tilts her head up. “If you’re going to order me around, at least say ‘please’.”

For a second, the air swirls with tension. It wouldn’t be Nardi if she did what I asked the moment I asked it.

I enjoy our fights, almost as much as I enjoy the way she melts when I kiss her. But I don’t have it in me to argue today. It’s taking all my energy not to touch her the way I want to.

Facing the door again, I sigh. “Please.”

The soft sound of her robe spilling to the floor fills my mind with vivid images of her skin and body. I hear the splash of her getting into the tub and force myself to breathe evenly.

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