Page 9 of Chomp's Challenge

Chapter

Four

ARIEL

Chomp lit candles for my bubble bath. Wow. Despite my caution where he’s concerned, he is showing me what it feels like to be treated with care and respect. Never in my life, even before Perry entered it, has any guy treated me this way. He’s like a unicorn or something. Shrugging, I slip off the robe and carefully enter the tub, biting back a moan as the warm water envelops my body.

Surprisingly, I’m nowhere near as sore as I expected I would be, especially since I’ve experienced beatings at Perry’s hand before. Still, my skin is a bit raw because I had to scrub the residue of Ricky from me while I was in the shower. Even now, I feel as though I should be gouging my skin off, but I won’t disrespect Chomp in that manner. He’s been so kind, kinder than anyone who’s been a part of my life since my mom died, anyhow.

Perry had no kindness in him whatsoever. I just wish I hadn’t been so damn blind that I didn’t see his true colors until it was too late. He said and did all the right things, of course, and then I was so blinded by my grief, I didn’t realize he had morphed into a monster practically in front of my eyes. By then, it was too late, and I could no longer get away since my money was held hostage by Perry.

“You’re clean now, and neither Perry nor Ricky can hurt you again. Chomp said so,” I murmur as I take hold of the sparkling water and sip at it. “He hasn’t misled you yet, Ari,” I continue as I notice that there are jets bubbling in the tub.

The steady hum of the jets is soothing, as are the lightly scented candles that he lit for me. While I’m still so tired I feel as though I could fall asleep in the tub, I appreciate the thought and care Chomp went to for me. Each time the memories of what happened attempt to encroach on my peace of mind, I push them back. Sometimes verbally, although I’m quiet about it because I suspect Chomp is nearby in case I need him. Sometimes in my head is where all the rebellious thoughts I can muster stay. It’s something I learned to do because speaking out against Perry was a surefire way to get hurt. So instead, I’d make lists in my head of everything he did that was hurtful to me, and I’d ‘talk back’ in those notes, then burn them before Perry got his hands on them.

I nearly squeal when I notice a fluffy loofah by some body wash. Picking it up, I smile because it’s such a feminine thing for Chomp to own, but maybe he likes exfoliating his skin from time to time. This one is brand new with the tiny price tag still attached, so I know he probably pulled it from his stash. The body wash is a clean, crisp scent, like one I used to use when my mom was still alive, and tears well in my eyes at the memory.

“God, Mom, I miss you so much,” I whisper as I dunk the loofah into the water until it’s wet, then I add some body wash and begin leisurely cleaning myself. When I spot a new disposable razor as well, I practically swoon. Perry wasn’t much on his own personal hygiene, so unless I was able to sneak off to the store, which was seldom, I rarely got to shave my legs or armpits. By the time I’m done, I feel like a brand-new woman.

Even the achy places hurt less than they did earlier. Smiling, I pull the plug to let the water out, then stand and reach for one of the fluffy towels that Chomp placed nearby. Wrapping my body up, I turn then rinse out the tub to get the rest of the bubbles out and down the drain. I’m so used to cleaning up and not leaving a mess that I don’t realize I’m chanting to myself until I hear a knock on the door.

“Ariel? Are you okay?” Chomp’s deep voice comes through the closed door, and I can hear the worry in his tone.

“Um, yeah, I was just cleaning the tub.”

“Leave it, babe. I’ll get it later.”

Mortification hits me at his words. There’s no way that I want him to see how long the hair on my legs or underarms was, for heaven’s sake! It completely escapes me that he tried to clean me up after bringing me back to his home, so he already knows. “That’s okay, I’m just about done,” I reply.

After I’m sure the tub is pristine once again, I blow out the candles, then quickly dry myself off before slipping into the comfortable clothes that Callie brought with her. Everything is soft, and as someone who has tactile issues from time to time, I appreciate her forethought. I take another look around the bathroom to make sure everything’s nice and clean, then open the door and come face-to-face with Chomp.

“Um, hey,” I say, looking up into his handsome face. “The bubble bath was just what I needed.”

He grins at me, and my insides melt, which I don’t understand at all because he’s a man, and I was hurt by one rather recently. Is there something wrong with me that I could be attracted to Chomp so soon? I don’t have anyone to ask, either so I shove that thought to the back of my mind.

“I’m glad, Ariel,” he says. “How about we eat?”

I start giggling. “Again?” I ask. “It seems like we just ate not that long ago.”

“There’s always room for more food,” he teases, patting his flat stomach before gently taking my hand in his.

I almost pull away from his touch, but I remind myself that he’s not a danger to me. He helped save my life. Exhaling a breath, I treat him to a smile and allow him to lead me from the room.

Chomp cooked for me again. In the time it took for me to take a bath, he cleaned the kitchen, put all the food away from earlier, and made another meal.

My eyes widen as I see loaded baked potatoes and a loaf of bread on the table, still steaming from the oven. On a large platter, he’s got enough steaks stacked to feed ten people, let alone just the two of us. Is he expecting company again?

Chomp pulls out my chair and I sit, caught off guard as he gently pushes me closer to the table. It’s a sweet gesture, amplified by his carefree grin. He lifts a bottle of sparkling water and ticks his chin toward my glass. I can see it’s been chilled in the fridge to ensure I’ll have a cold drink.

It’s almost too much.

“Uh, sure. Thanks,” I say, scanning the table. “You’re a meat and potatoes guy, huh?”

He shrugs, placing the bottle within reach as he takes his place across from me. “Sure. Why? Is it that obvious?”

“Well, there’s no veggies or salad,” I say with amusement.

He looks stricken for just a second. “Is that what you want? I’m happy to make it for you.”

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