Page 52 of Shielded Heart

That knowledge made her sick to her stomach, but she’d done what was necessary. She’d persevered in the face of danger. She’d overcome her fear. And, when it mattered most, she’d defended someone she cared about.

I am strong.

She’d come to Arthos for a fresh start, for a new life, but what had she done to initiate that apart from changing her surroundings? When she’d stepped off that ship, she was still a scared young woman who was too afraid to speak up, who was frightened of everyone and everything around her. The same young woman who hid herself beneath baggy clothing. If she wanted a new life,sheneeded to make the effort.Sheneeded to change.

She…needed to let go of the past.

James was countless light years away; he couldn’t harm her anymore. Why was she still letting him suffocate her mentally? Why was she still letting him chip away at her soul?

Drawing in a shuddering breath, Samantha crossed to the toilet and relieved herself. It took a few moments to figure out the controls, but once she was clean, she tugged her pants up and walked to the sink. A stranger greeted her in the mirror.

Samantha rarely looked at her reflection; she’d always been afraid to stare into her own increasingly lifeless eyes, afraid to witness her sadness head-on, afraid to see the bruises and cuts James left on her body.

The woman staring at her now had the same large, dark eyes she’d known all her life, but there was something new within them, something in defiance of the sadness that still dominated her gaze—sparks of hope glimmered in the darkness.

And through those sparks of hope, she could see deeper—Samantha was still in there. She hadn’t been defeated yet.

She picked up the toothbrush and toothpaste, squeezing some of the latter onto the former, and activated the brush. Its gentle vibration tickled her gums; she found it oddly relaxing. As she was finishing, she noticed a button atop the counter, nearly nestled against the mirror. She pressed it.

A small section of the mirror slid up to reveal a square storage space. Smiling, she placed her toothbrush inside, standing it next to another toothbrush thathadto be Arcanthus’s.

After closing the panel, she turned toward the pool and approached it. Her apartment only had a stand-up shower. This was impossibly luxurious in comparison.

She stripped, wincing at the small puff of dust that rose from her clothes when she dropped them on the floor. Her hair couldn’t have been much better. She removed her socks last—Arcanthus had apparently taken off her shoes while she was unconscious—and was surprised to find the marble-like floor warm under the soles of her feet.

Moving to the edge of the pool, Samantha dipped her toes into the water. It was comfortably hot, with wisps of steam rising from its surface, and its scent suggested it was already filled with some sort of cleaning agent. She descended the steps. The waterline was at her belly button when her feet touched the bottom of the pool. Smiling, she skimmed her hands over the water’s surface before ducking down to submerge her shoulders.

She moved slowly toward the overhead panel, relishing the water’s warmth. There were buttons along the nearby edge of the pool; she pressed one. Soft blue lights came on overhead. A moment later, hot water rained from the panel. Sam stood up, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back, content to let the water wash over her.

After a few minutes, she returned to the controls, and a bit of fiddling revealed another secret compartment. Its contents—a small collection of soaps and shampoos—rose from the floor beside the pool. She opened one of the bottles, and a little thrill coursed through her; its contents smelled like Arcanthus. She returned to the shower and used the soaps to wash herself, paying particular attention to her hair. She loved that the scent on her skin would serve as a constant reminder of Arc.

She remained beneath the falling water well after she’d rinsed, enjoying the hot water cascading around her body. For the first time in a long while, she was relaxed, and it made her reluctant to leave. In the end, it was only the knowledge that Arcanthus was waiting for her that lured her out of the water.

When she stepped out of the pool, the ceiling and floor suddenlychanged; each lit up with gentle while light, and the air around Sam warmed. It only lasted for a few seconds, but she was surprised to discover that the moisture had evaporated from her skin and hair when it was done.

Samantha walked to the counter and picked up the clothing Arc had laid out for her. She swallowed thickly at the sight of it. For years, she’d dressed in baggy, shapeless clothes that hid her body. The dress in her hands wasnothinglike that. It was refined, form-fitting,revealing.

Her throat constricted as she glanced back at the pile of soiled clothes on the floor. She was tempted to put them back on, but they’d only get her dirty again.

I am strong.

She returned her attention to the dress, closed her eyes, and released a long, slow breath.

I can do this. It’s just a dress.

Before she had a chance to change her mind, Sam slipped on the dainty, matching panties that had been bundled with the dress and stepped into the long garment. She slid the dress up her body and slipped her arms into the sleeves. Once it was in place, she glanced at herself in the mirror.

Samantha froze.

The dress was a deep red, making her skin look porcelain in comparison. The fabric was at once sheer and silky, flaunting the body beneath while concealing the details. The neckline—or lack thereof—plunged to her midriff, displaying a strip of flesh from her neck to just above her belly button. The slit running up the side of the long, flowing skirt ran nearly to her hip, baring her right leg to her upper thigh.

It was beautiful.

Shefeltbeautiful.

But she also felt exposed.

She’d never worn anything like this—not even close—and she was scared as hell.

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