Page 18 of Savage Ruin
“No, I need a few minutes by myself, and I’ll only go in up to my knees. Stay here with Grayson,” she replies. She tugs at the tank but seems unsure on whether she should take it off.
“Henley, nobody cares if you have bruises. Take your tank off. Enjoy the feel of the sun on your skin. Soak it in. Enjoy the day,” I encourage her.
She bites her lip for a second, then slips her arms through the holes. Mateo slips it off her head. Without turning around, she makes her way down to the water.
I whistle. The bruises are stunning. Every color of the rainbow graces her creamy skin, and in the bikini, every one of them is on display. No wonder she felt self-conscious about taking her cover up off.
Mateo groans. “Tell me about it. I’ve dressed and undressed her three times over the last couple of days and spent all day with her yesterday. I can’t even remember what it’s like not to be turned on.”
I tilt my head and give him a WTF stare. “I was actually surprised by the bruises, but now that you’ve brought the topic up… You were both sizzling earlier, but damn, Mateo. You know what that does to me.”
“Sorry, sorry,” he replies with a grimace. “Either you or Thiago need to help her tonight.” He darts his eyes to me, and when I nod in agreement, he turns back to watching her. “Thanks. I appreciate it. The body wash is getting to me.” He chuckles at my confused expression. “Never mind.”
We both lie there watching Henley splash around in the ocean. She’s only in the water up to her knees, but I can’t look away.
“Do you think I’m self-centered?”
I peer over at him, but he’s not looking my way. I guess it’s one of those talks. “No. Self-absorbed, maybe, but you’re not self-centered. Why? What brought this up?” Did Henley say that to him? I tilt my head and wait for his answer.
“I don’t think I ever realized how hard everyone around me had it,” he states, looking directly at me now. “I’m sorry. I should have tried harder to be more… present, I guess. To look up from a book or a computer once in a while. I honestly didn’t realize how easy my life has been until recently. Until her.” He smiles when he glances over at the woman by the water.
“You made my life better,” I insist. When he turns to me with a skeptical expression on his face, I give him a wry smile. “You’re the first person who ever needed me. That meant more to me than anything you could have said or done. Don’t worry about it.”
He lifts a shoulder in response. “You’re my brother. Of course, I need you. Thiago needs you, too, although he rarely shows it. But I think some change is in order.” He gets up and heads toward the water… and her.
With a roar, he runs into the ocean near Henley, deliberately splashing her. She squeals, and he laughs loudly before pulling her in front of him. He points out something in the water, and they both grin. He’s so carefree with her and present.
It suddenly hits me how much he likes Henley. In the past, his relationships were a bit one-sided. He lived his life, and they integrated into his schedule and plans. This is different. He wants to change for her. And I must admit, he would be good for her, too. Much better than me.
CHAPTER11
HENLEY
His lips grace my shoulder with a kiss before he dives into the next wave, leaving me on the shore. I stare longingly into the water, but I’ve got at least a week or two before doing something strenuous like swimming will even be possible.
Turning away from the sparkling blue ocean, I dig my feet in the sand and make my way back to the lounge chair calling my name. The pink tint on my arms catches my eye. Definitely time for some sunscreen.
Walking toward Grayson, I see him tense, but the mirrored sunglasses hide his thoughts from me. When I get closer, he stands and reaches for my shirt, but I hold up a hand to stop him.
“I’d like to lie in the sun for a while,” I explain. “Would you mind repositioning the umbrella?”
He leans up and releases the umbrella, so it collapses in on itself. “When you’re ready for some shade, it will be easier to just reopen it.” He motions to the chair. “Do you want to sit up or lie down?”
“Sit up but also relaxed back a little,” I reply.
When he gets the chair in position, I sit down with a heartfelt sigh. One of these days, I’m going to stop feeling so tired, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be today. The sunscreen lies at the foot of the lounger, but I can’t make myself get up to get it. In a minute, maybe.
A loud exhale sounds beside me, and I peer up, only to find Grayson scowling down at me.
He grabs the sunscreen and holds it out. “I’d be happy to apply this for you,” he informs me quietly. “It’s okay to ask for help, Henley. It doesn’t mean you’re weak.”
My eyes move from his face to the bottle, and I drop the hand reaching for it. He’s right. This is stupid. He put sunscreen on me yesterday and nothing happened, and I certainly didn’t feel indebted to him.
“Would you mind putting sunscreen on me again, Grayson?”
“It would be my pleasure, Henley,” he responds promptly. He sits beside me, then leans forward to start applying it to my arm.
The muscles in his abs bunch tightly together, and I bite my lip to hold in the groan threatening to escape. I’ve been aware of his nearly naked state all morning, but any time I’m tempted to look, I switched my focus to Mateo. With Mateo still swimming, there isn’t anything to distract me. Maybe if I keep my eyes fixed firmly on his abs, he’ll think I’ve zoned out.
