Page 69 of The Pakhan's Forced Bride
And despite it being past two in the morning, Belle comes rushing towards me, ignoring my stained clothes as she wraps her arms around me and hugs me close.
“I’m so glad you’re home,” she whispers.
My heart melts as my body molds against hers.
“You smell bad,” she giggles, her cheek against my chest.
“Sorry,” I chuckle, pulling her away. “And I’m getting it all over you.”
“I don’t care,” she whispers, looking at me. She reaches her hand out to trace my jaw. “You’re exhausted.”
“At least I’m alive, in one piece. It’s more than I can say for the lives of nine men we lost today. And the countless men lying in hospital right now.”
Belle bites her lip as her eyes glitter with compassion. “Come, I’ll run you a hot bath.”
“I think I should climb into the shower instead. There’s too much dirt, and I don’t want to fall asleep in a bath now.”
“Alright, then, I’ll get the shower ready. When you’re out, I’ll bring you some food.”
Her eagerness to take my burdens and make them less makes my heart swell. I don’t deserve her, yet here she is, right at my side.
In the shower, I scrub until the water runs clean, and the heat leaves my skin red and smooth. I wash my hair severaltimes, making sure the stench of smoke is gone. When I climb out, I dry off and step straight into the gray sweatpants Belle has left on the counter for me. I feel a hundred times better, and I can smell the rich scent of a homemade pepper steak pie.
I leave the bathroom, and Belle is sitting on my bed, a tray of food waiting for me, along with a mug of coffee. She smiles and tilts her head towards it. “I topped your coffee up with a dash of whisky,” she grins. “It should help you relax a little.”
“You’re helping me relax, little bunny. Thank you for all of this.”
She pulls the blankets aside, and I climb beneath them. Belle sets the tray over my legs and snuggles close to my side while I eat.
“Oh, wow. Rio’s never made this before,” I say, chewing the hearty, wholesome pie, closing my eyes to savor the flavor.
“He didn’t make it. I did.” She smiles. “I had to do something to keep my mind from wandering off the deep end.”
“Jeez, Belle, this is incredible. We need to have this once a week at least,” I chuckle, wrapping one arm around her and kissing the top of her head. She smiles, and her face glows with pride.
I eat slowly, trying to encourage my body to simmer down and let go of the tension.
Belle chats and keeps my mind busy with more pleasant things, but when dinner is over and she lifts the tray away to set it aside, my heart feels heavy with the losses.
Belle can sense the shift in me.
“Lie down, let me rub your shoulders,” she says, tapping the bed.
I do as she asks, and she sits straddled over my back, her ass in the curve of my back, and her hands massage in slow motion over my shoulders and neck. My body heats beneath her touch, a low hum of electricity moving through me as she uses her weight to apply pressure where I need it most.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that, Ard,” she says quietly. Her closeness is a comfort she doesn’t understand. A comfort I desperately need. Her voice is like a warm light, pulling me from the darkness, opening my heart to let go of my stress.
“I’m sorry for the families—you know. Those men were all good men.” I sigh. “They didn’t deserve this. They had children, wives…" My voice tails off, tightening around my words.
“How did the attackers get past your defenses?” she asks, her fingers working into my muscles.
“I can’t figure it out. We planned so meticulously, it worries me. Emmanuil is heading home tomorrow to rethink his defenses, as he used the same strategy as mine.”
Usually, in my line of work, I come home after difficult times and I lie in bed alone, staring at the ceiling, lost in my head.
This is so different. This is sharing my burden, releasing it, easing it away.
Belle listens as I talk about the things on my mind. She lets me speak, lets me get the looping thoughts out of my head. Talking out loud is a valuable way to clear thoughts and sort through what is important and what needs to be let go.
