Page 16 of Daddy's Little Patient

“Yes.”

He finally opened the door when it looked like she wasn’t going to do it herself, and helped her out. Her hair was hidden under the towel, but what he could see of the rest of her made his body harden even worse than it had when he’d seen her naked in front of him.

“How about I help you dry your hair? I can see you’re getting tired again,” he said.

“Okay.”

He lifted her onto the counter and pulled a blow-dryer from the cabinet. He tugged the towel off and then used it to squeeze more water out.

“I don’t have all the right products. Mara is bringing some things for you, but I have a lot of patience and a comb, so I think we’ll be all right.”

She smiled.

Alex started at the bottom of her hair and worked up. The dryer it got, the lighter and longer it looked. When she came to him, her hair had been very dirty and messy, so he couldn’t tell what it really looked like.

Her hair and body were both light and pale, and the colors, or lack of them, should have made her look drab, but everything about her was perfect, and he wouldn’t have changed a thing.

He could see her eyelids flicker as she tried to keep them open.

“We need to get you back in bed. First, I want you to brush your teeth.”

She nodded. “Yes. My mouth feels yucky.”

“I can imagine.”

He lifted her to her feet and turned her to face the mirror before handing her the toothbrush and paste he pulled out of a drawer while she showered.

Alex stood behind her with his hands on her waist to hold her steady. When she finished, he lifted her in his arms and took her back to the bedroom she’d been in.

“Can’t I be in your room?”

Hell. He wanted to say absolutely, but his pledge when he became a doctor made him hesitate.

“Alex, it’s okay if you don’t want me in here.”

He held her in his arms and studied her. “The only thing holding me back is that I’m a doctor and don’t want to cross any lines.”

“It’s okay. We’re bound together, remember? I just like being close to you. You make me feel safe.”

He could see the hurt she was trying to hide. He made a decision and walked around the bed to the other side. He pulled back the covers and laid her down on them.

“I’m still in my towel,” she said.

“I know. Let’s get that off.”

Her eyes widened. “I’m going to sleep naked?”

“Yes, until I get a shirt for you.”

“I’ve never slept naked before.”

“Get used to it. You won’t wear clothes when we’re in bed.”

“You make it sound like we’re going to do it a lot.”

He sat next to her hip, facing her. “We will be if that’s what you want.”

A smile crossed her face. “Yes!”

---