Page 64 of Pulse
I lie on my stomach with my cheek pressed against the mattress. I’m unsure if I could pick my head up if I wanted to.
He lies beside me and brushes my hair out of my face.
“You never stop amazing me,” he says, grinning. “I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“Do I look okay?” I ask, the words muffled by the bed.
He chuckles. “You look gorgeous, but that wasn’t the question.”
I suck up the spit in my mouth and lift my head. “Yes. I’m actually really fucking great right now, although it might take me a minute to find the use of my legs.”
“How about this. I’ll fill the tub with a bubble bath. When it’s ready, I’ll carry you to it.”
My heart swells.
This is the Troy I suspected was buried under those layers of grumpiness. He’s a sweet, kind man who isn’t quite as hard as he makes himself out to be. But that’s okay. I know he’s there. And as long as he feels safe enough with me to be this way, that’s all that matters.
“Only if you’ll get in with me,” I say, smiling at him.
His face lights up. “Deal.”
Who said you can’t have dessert at the beginning of the day? If I’m lucky, I might get an afternoon snack, too.
Chapter Fifteen
Dahlia
“Is this everything you thought it would be?” Troy asks, splashing warm water gently onto my chest.
He sits behind me in the tub, his front to my back, and holds me like we’ve done this a hundred times.
I lean my head on his chest and poke my toes out of the bubbles, thinking about my mom’s thoughts on baths being the epitome of sophistication. This is decadent, but more because of the man holding me and less about the bathtub.
“No,” I say.
“No?”
“No. It’s not everything I thought it would be.”
“Why? I want this to meet your expectations. I can’t fail you now.”
I laugh. “When I dreamed of this bathtub experience, it didn’t have a gorgeous man who has a bit of an attitude problem from time to time but can also be pretty damn sweet when he wants to be, sitting with his arms around me.” I tilt my head back so I can see his face. “This is so much better than I thought it would be.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead, and I all but swoon.
We’ve sat here for a long time—long enough for the hot water to cool twice. Troy ran downstairs during the second refill and got us water and a bag of Doritos that he found in the pantry.
The bathroom is humid. Steam fogs the vanity mirrors. It’s cozy and warm … and wonderful.
“This is a new experience for me, you know,” I say, drawing circles onto Troy’s muscled forearms.
“What? Taking a bath with someone?”
“Um, no. I’ve done that.”
He bristles. “Let’s move this conversation along.”
I laugh again, my damp hair sticking to his chest. “I don’t normally feel this relaxed around someone. I usually make them work for it.”
