Page 89 of Explorer's Revenge
“I want to.” He smiles sweetly then hurries away. When he returns, he holds another towel. Aiyaret notices my hand on my leg, and he disappears again before coming back with a chair. Placing it before the sink, he pats it. “Sit.”
Grinning, I sit down, and he drapes the towel around my neck, protecting my clothes. I relax back as he turns on the water and lays my dirty hair in the sink. After grabbing what he needs, he carefully wets it then lathers shampoo in his hands. I watch him as he does. He’s leaning into me and doesn’t seem to notice. He went from someone who recoiled at my touch to this man. It’s a complete one-eighty, and I’m so proud of him. Moreover, I like that he is comfortable with my touch.
One of his hands covers my eyebrows, protecting the rest of my face, while the other rinses the shampoo.
My eyes shut as he massages the conditioner in, working out the tangles. I should be embarrassed by the state of my hair, but he doesn’t seem to mind, so neither do I.
When he’s done, he wraps my hair in a towel and helps me sit up. “Thank you.” I smile tenderly.
“Not done yet.”
Turning the chair, he grabs the hair dryer and works on it with a brush, and when he’s done, he grabs a hair tie, braids it, and grins at me in the mirror. “Ta-da, how does that feel?”
“So much better!” I reply, smiling up at him. “How did you learn to do that?”
His face closes down for a moment. “My mom.” He busies himself by cleaning up as I watch him. I don’t press. If he doesn’t want to share, then he won’t, and I won’t pry. I’ve learned enough to hate the bitch, but he surprises me when he speaks again. “She used to get really drunk, and when she did, she couldn’t look after herself. I learned to do it because I would get hit. I used to hate touching her even like that, but with you, it was kind of relaxing. I like taking care of you.”
“I like you taking care of me,” I reply. “I never had a mom to do this for me, and my dad wasn’t really the type,” I explain with a smile. “Thank you, Aiy, for taking care of me and for trusting me enough to tell me.”
Stopping behind my chair, he looks down at me as I lean my head back and smile up at him, covering his hands with mine.
He stares at me for a moment, and I worry I said the wrong thing until he blurts, “Can I kiss you?”
“Yes,” I whisper, the response automatic. I slept with Wilder, but maybe I shouldn’t blur things, considering Aiy is dating Way. When he looks at me with so much hope, though, I realize I want him to kiss me.
Leaning down, he kisses me gently, almost hesitantly. I let him lead, remaining still. His lips move shyly against mine before he grips my chin, tilting my head and kissing me harder. This time, I kiss him back, and when he doesn’t pull away, I give as good as I get. Our tongues dance even in this awkward position until a noise has us breaking apart.
“Fuck, sorry!” Rick covers his face as we jump. Whirling, Rick tries to race from the bathroom, but he runs into the partiallyopen door and bounces off it, hitting the floor. He raises his arm, giving us a thumbs-up. “I’m okay. Ignore me. Please continue.”
“Why is it always me?” Rick grumbles, shooting Aiy and me a look. “I think we need a sock on the door policy.”
“Jealous?” Aiyaret asks, and we gawk at him, but he continues eating without a care, wearing a proud smile on his lips. Male satisfaction, I realize.
“Yes,” Logan says, and I spin to find him awake. He fell asleep as soon as he got back from his tests. Hurrying over, I sink into the chair at his bedside, which has quickly become mine. “Kiss me too, Carter.” He smiles loopily.
“I see the new pain meds are working,” I tease as I take his hand and kiss the back of it. “How are you feeling?”
I’ve asked a million times, but I’m worried. He hasn’t broken down since the other night. I know he’s trying to be strong for us, but I hope he’s not forcing himself to be okay.
“I’m fine,” he answers like always. “Stop worrying. Besides, I can get a kickass prosthetic. It’s just another adventure.” When I stare at him in disbelief, he sighs. “Yes, I was upset, Carter, and I think I’ll always wonder what could have been, but what’s the point in moping around? I’m still me. It won’t be easy, but I’m determined to live the best life I can, and that means not sitting around feeling sorry for myself, so if you guys could stop looking at me like you’re waiting for me to break down at any moment, then maybe I could stop acting like it.”
“You got it, brother,” Wilder murmurs.
“We were supposed to be worried?” Rick teases, but the tightness around his eyes gives him away. “I was just imagining all the robot jokes I could make.”
Way smacks him without even looking, making us chuckle as I lean into Logan’s bed. “Deal, but if you ever do feel like breaking down, we are right here.”
“Fine, I’m upset, show me your boobs.” His grin is sloppy again, and I can’t help but laugh.
“I want to be on whatever you’re on.” I wink.
“You do. It’s good. I feel floaty.” Logan sighs, snuggling deeper into the bed. “What games are we playing tonight? Strip poker? Strip Monopoly?”
“Why do they all involve stripping?” Wilder mutters. “You perv.”
“Hey, a crocodile ate my leg, so I deserve to see some skin, don’t I?”
“He isn’t wrong. Show the man some boobs!” Way comments as he shoves another piece of broccoli in his mouth.
