Page 57 of Harbor (The Wanderers 3)

Chapter 24

It was quiet. The only noise Maya heard was coming from the exam room Ana had been in earlier.

Maya took a few steps to get to the doorway and found Dario inside wiping down the table. “Hey.”

He turned around and smiled. “How was your bath?”

“Good.” She leaned against the doorframe, gripping her towel between her breasts, feeling decidedly awkward, which was not something she was used to.

Dario set his cloth down and came to her, tipping her chin back when he reached her. “You’re flushed. Was the water hot?”

At that, she felt her cheeks heat further. She stared at him, blinking several times, wondering how to answer him. “No.”

His hand slid to her face. “Then I guess the bath was worthwhile,” he murmured.

She figured he had the wrong idea, but she couldn’t even begin to argue. She was too embarrassed.

“Come.” He took her hand and led her from the room and into the living room. Neither Advic nor Keanu was around. Their doors were open, but they must have been inside their rooms.

Dario didn’t hesitate. He led her to his room. As soon as they entered, he turned to her. “Door open or closed?”

She bit her lower lip. “Closed?” She wasn’t sure. This entire thing was surreal. Part of her had suspected Dario might be the first to claim her, but it was still weird, and she was nervous.

He eased it shut with a soft snick. “If you change your mind, I’ll open it. If you change your mind about anything, we stop. Understood?”

She nodded. Why hadn’t she put clothes on? Standing in his room in only a towel was making her feel decidedly more out-of-body. “Maybe I should get dressed?”

He set a palm on the small of her back and angled them toward his bed. He was the one to sit though, and then his hands came to her hips. “Do you want to get dressed?”

She gripped the top edge of the towel tighter. “I don’t know.”

“How about you don’t unless you start to feel uncomfortable.”

“I already feel uncomfortable,” she pointed out. Her heart was racing. Sweat broke out on her forehead. Why on earth had she thought she could go through with this?

Dario licked his lips. “The last thing I want is for you to be stressed, but I also get that you would be no matter what. You’re nervous. It’s understandable. Again, let me stress that nothing happens between us that you don’t want. Not with any of us. Never.”

“Okay.”

He tapped her lips. “You enjoyed kissing me,” he pointed out. “How about if we do that again?”

She nodded slowly. “This is not me. I’m not this weak, indecisive, nervous woman. I’m strong and sure and badass. I don’t know myself.”

He smiled and pulled her closer, between his legs. “You’re still strong and sure and badass. I promise. And you’re not weak. You’re just not used to letting people get close to you. It makes you feel vulnerable.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“Vulnerability isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just scary to give someone else the power to hurt you. When you let people get close, you run the risk of them not returning the feelings or changing their minds.”

She swallowed. “You should have been a psychologist instead,” she teased.

“I minored in psychology.”

“Of course, you did. Overachiever.”

“Who’s the overachiever? How many women have you rescued from the streets and brought to safety?”

She shrugged, her cheeks heating again. She didn’t like people to talk about her like she was some kind of hero. “It’s just what I do.”

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