Page 66 of Justice for Radar

“Hey,” I said softly, and he kneeled down by the tub and then finally took a seat on the floor.

“How you doing?” he asked.

I nodded and said, “Better, I think. Feeling a little stronger.”

He eyed me and nodded slowly.

“I have to go out in several hours and handle some business,” he said to me. “You going to be alright with La Croix and Collier staying with you until I can get back?”

I nodded and said, “For as scary as he looks, La Croix is a nice guy.”

Radar smiled at me like he thought I was adorable.

“Yeah, he’s pretty okay,” he agreed.

He traced a tendril of loose hair behind my ear and his eyes wandered over me with a certain amount of reverence and I closed my eyes. That look frightened me to a degree. Partially because thingswerestill so new, and partially because if anything happened… I didn’t know if I could live without seeing it again.

“With La Croix and Collier in the house, space is kind of limited,” he said. “You mind if Atlas crashes with us? Like before?”

I swallowed hard and rubbed my lips together. “Can I tell you something without you taking it the wrong way or getting mad?” I asked quietly.

“You can tell me anything,” he said and I nodded.

“I wouldn’t mind,” I said. “It was actually kind of nice.”

He smiled big and laughed a little, “Liked that did you?” he asked, and I nodded without looking at him.

He hooked a hand behind my neck and kneeled half brought me to him half came to me over the lip of the tub to kiss my temple.

“Glad you liked it,” he murmured. “You want to explore that more, you just let me know. No judgment here.”

I looked up at him as he got up and I knew my eyes were wide.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked and he looked down at me like I shouldn’t play stupid. I felt color creep into my face and cleared my throat which was suddenly tight with embarrassment.

“I’ll go tell him it’s all good then be right back to get you out of that bath. Don’t move.”

I nodded mutely, a shiver going down my spine that had nothing to do with any cold or chill – quite the opposite in fact.

When Radar returned, it was without his vest – er, cut and he’d ditched his tee shirt, boots, and presumably socks. I blinked in silent wonder at him traversing the bathroom in just those old jeans and worn leather belt slung low on his hips. Any thought or care I’d had the moment before I saw him flying from my head as though a bird through a cage door left open. He gave me this dark little half smile and of course it was written all over my face. I must have turned as red as a tomato. He kneeled back down and whispered, “Let me get your back, then get you out of there and wrapped up.”

I nodded, and turned my head to watch him, laying it atop my knees. He took the damp washcloth from the edge of the tub from when I’d washed my face and dipped it in the water before my feet, giving it a swirl and raising it out. He didn’t bother to wring it, just rinsed my back with warm water before reaching for my body wash.

It felt nice to be cared for, and yet I still felt sort of frozen inside, surprised and sort of sitting in surreal disbelief that it was even happening… I mean things like this didn’t happen to someone like me.

He washed my back gently and slowly, all the while murmuring about how beautiful I was and how I had such beautiful skin and it was sweet and so… soothing. I closed my eyes and jumped slightly when he touched my jaw lightly with his thumb.

“Sorry,” he whispered low and intense and he brought his lips to mine, kneeling above me like that and kissing my so thoroughly I almost forgot to breathe.

“That’s my good girl,” he whispered against my mouth and I don’t know why or what it was about it but those words in that voice… it was soothing to the soul.

He cuddled me to him as much as the side of the tub between us would allow and kissed me so sweetly, kneeling up, head bowed over mine and it felt like… it felt like a powerful exchange. Like he took some of my fears and handed me some of his strength and I know that sounds so silly but it was true.

He finished, almost letting me cool down from the fire of his kiss by massaging the back of my head, hand buried in my hair as he gazed deeply into my eyes from mere inches away.

I think when he saw I was somehow calmer, that’s when he decided I was good to get out.

“Good girl,” he murmured one more time, and then he let me go and said, “Wait right here.” He pulled the plug on the tub and grabbed one of the bath sheets out of the free-standing cupboards I had in here. Reclaimed pieces of furniture from yard sales and garage sales… this one happened to be an old China hutch, the doors removed, the chips and scratches and the holes left behind from the hinges filled; the surface sanded and repainted in off-white farmhouse chic.

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