Page 125 of Now and Forever

Chapter 44

Cautiously, he put me down, making sure my good foot was properly planted on the carpet while I leaned against the nearest flat surface before he shut off the water. The tub was half-filled with water with one of my favorite scents permeating the air.

Watching him through my lashes, I saw him dip his hand to check on the temperature before angling his face toward me, donning a half-smile on his chiseled face.

“Ready?” he asked when our eyes clashed, evoking an inner turmoil within me.

No, I was in no shape or form ready, and I doubted I would ever be.

“Not quite, but I don’t think you’re going to let me undermine your plans, so either way, I’m screwed.”

Drew let out a sexy laugh before shaking his head as he strolled toward me, his eyes bluer and brighter than before. “I’m going to take care of you, Chlo…” He trailed off, cupping my cheek. “That’s all there is to it.”

What else could I say? Besides, I was sapped out of arguments, bone-weary, and inconveniently mesmerized by his handsomely chiseled face. Had his jaw always been that sharp? I wasn’t sure. And more to the point, I couldn’t resist a lovely bath. It was my answer to stress or physical pain, and I knew his suggestion would benefit me.

A little light-headed and unmistakably nervous, I painstakingly eyed him while my throat bobbed as my eyes flickered back and forth between his. I trusted him, and that was enough to understand that he wouldn’t intentionally hurt me. He cared, or he wouldn’t be wasting his time by going out of his way to make sure I was fed and looked after, and I couldn’t fault him for that.

“I don’t know how to do this. I know it’s absurd, but I might need you to turn around while I take my clothes off.” My cheeks reddened profusely. It was an irrelevant request since he would eventually see me naked. Nevertheless, I felt this urge, this need to do something on my own without those eyes filtering everything I did. The situation was already dire. I needed to sustain some sort of decorum, even if it was fleeting.

“Whatever makes it easier for you,” he responded before spinning on his heels, granting me that tiny piece of privacy.

I couldn’t decipher if he was mocking me or not, but since he was unbothered by the request, it made me feel less moronic.

Putting my entire weight on my good foot, I began to take my top off before quietly dropping it on the floor next to me. Next came my black leggings, pushing against the stretchy band as I slid them down my legs. Once they reached my ankles, I realized I hadn’t taken the boot off yet, and I would have to sit somewhere to fully accomplish the simple task.

I would have to move past Drew, which would defeat this entire “securing a little decorum” I’d had going minutes before. For a few seconds, I contemplated what to do. Would it be like this for the weeks coming? How the heck was I going to live if I needed rescuing at almost every damn turn? I was confident I could find some tricks that would make it less of a difficulty, functioning like a normal human being. However, I was too exhausted to attempt to figure it out at the moment.

Releasing a defeated sigh, I grumbled a bit before a small, cracked voice came out of me, “I have a problem.”

Without looking down, his eyes meshed with mine with a raised brow, beckoning, hypnotizing. “Hmm …? What might that be?” he whispered close to my face, and I could feel the heat of his breath.

My mouth watered while I tried to swallow the heavy lump in my throat. “I’m … uh …” For a moment, I was rendered speechless, briefly transported back to the adoring eighteen-year-old again, worshipping the man who had centered in my universe, my dream come to life and the hero I had thought he once was. I was stuck. Literally. Figuratively. Stuck. “I’m kind of stuck,” I lamely finished, hating myself that I couldn’t conjure up another word that resonated with myself before I sort of shifted on my foot, indicating my quandary.

His eyes dropped low without hesitation. The heat of his gaze felt as if he were steadfastly burning me with it as it made its way downward, taking in the delicate nakedness of my neck. My chest heaved as he perused the soft slopes of my breasts secured in a bra. I wanted to beg for him to get it over with, but another part of me loved that he was taking his torturous time. Amidst it all, I couldn’t bring myself to utter a single protest, which was why I always found myself in such peculiar settings with him.

A low growl came from him before he looked to the side, as if intentionally redirecting his gaze so he didn’t openly gawk at my simple black thong while he helped me removed the boot and slide the leggings away.

Biting my lip, I shut my eyes and swallowed whatever shame bubbled to the surface. “I’m going to need help with … uh-hmm … you know …” Spelling it out loud would make it seem too aggressive, and that was the last thing I wanted.

I let out a shaky breath, skittish from the moment I heard him take a sharp intake of air and felt the soft brush of the pads of his fingers on the edge of my underwear, somewhat caressing. It was unnerving to be undressed by a man who wasn’t my boyfriend or a love interest, yet here I was, quaking when he finally took the initiative to bite the bullet and free me from my clothing from the hip down.

Unwilling to analyze anything, I immediately sought the back latch of my bra and unhooked it as though the notion of stripping naked in front of a man was an everyday occurrence.

I was already in this sweet hell, so feigning confidence couldn’t hurt. My mother had taught me as much. She had drilled it into my head at an early age, saying any woman could get away with anything as long as she was confident. So here I was, trying my damnedest to apply some form of bravado. Said bravado was due to the fact that I had recently gotten a Brazilian and had no ingrown or bushwhack sort of situation going on south of the border.

“Lean on my shoulder so I can properly lift you.” Drew’s voice broke through my wayward, odd thoughts, bringing me back to the present.

I followed his directions then was swept in his arms, lifted by his steel-like arms before he carefully placed me down in the hot water while properly securing my injured foot somewhat hanging from the edge while the rest was submerged in the bath. The temperature was warmer than expected, so I made a hissing noise when my skin came in contact.

“Too hot?”

Sort of.

Pressing my lips together, I threw him a scant but reassuring look. “Give me a minute. My body needs to get used to it.” It was true; there was no need to make any extra fuss about it. It would eventually begin to cool down. For the time being, it wasn’t all that bad. The warmer the temperature, the better it would work for me.

“You sure? Let me know if you need me to add cold water, okay?” He frowned while on his knees, tending to me. With a soft stroke of his fingers, he tucked the left side of my hair behind my ear before he captured my attention once more. “Before the medical staff got to you, do you remember the particular spot where you were hurting?”

Recalling the events earlier this evening, I knew for a fact that I had been in a lot of pain. The throb in my foot had taken precedence because it had been so acute, but the more I pondered about it, I supposed my lower back and hips had taken quite a fall, and the pain would undoubtedly cripple once the meds wore off.

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