Page 76 of Hero Unbound

“It’s definitely much better now that I’m with you.” That at least was the truth. “Can I hold you for a second?”

Finally—finally—her fingers loosened their grip on the table, and she spun slowly around. “Okay.”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. When she relaxed, her arms winding around his waist, he let out a silent sigh of relief. He felt like he’d just gone to war and defeatedan adversary.

One that couldn’t be seen and constantly changed form. An enemy inside her mind.

He kissed the top of her head as he held her. When he finally stepped back, at least her green eyes weren’t blank anymore. Confused, embarrassed, sad. But not blank.

“I’msorry,” she whispered.

“No apology needed. Take a shower with me?” He didn’t want her to think he was rejecting her in any way.

“Do you really want me to?”

He cupped her face. “I do. I want to be close to you. Then I’m happy to bring this back out to the table after if you want. Or any other place you’ll let me inside that beautiful body of yours.”

Some of her embarrassment fell away. Good. That was the lastthinghe wanted. “Okay.”

He led her slowly through her bedroom to the bathroom, peeling off clothes as he went. By the time he had the shower started, he was as naked as she was.

Still, she stopped. “Theo…”

He could tell she was about to apologize again, so he put a finger over her lips. “I know something happened and that was affecting what youwanted us to do out in the dining room.I don’t know if it has to do with you falling and hurting yourself or if it’s something else, but if you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s okay.”

He opened the shower door and urged her inside. “I just want to be with you, Evie.”

She nodded. Then something occurred to him. “But there is one thing I do need to know. Did someone hurt you? Is that what happened with your arm?”

She shook her head. “I fell.”

He tipped a finger under her chin so that she had to look him in the eye. “Don’t tell me you’re clumsy again. You’re not clumsy.”

“I fell,” she said. “I promise. I tripped over a curb.”

There was more. He could tell, once again, there was more she wasn’t telling him.

Damn it. He didn’t know whether to push or not. He never knew if that was the right thing with her. He wanted her to tell him her secrets of her own accord, not because he was forcing her into it.

When her small hands slid up his chest, he decided to leave it alone. They had time. And right now, it felt like she needed him close to her more than she needed to talk. He pulled her under the spray and let the hot water flow over them, wrapping his arms around her.

They didn’t talk as he washed his own body, then hers, forcing his hands to stay neutral and not spend any more time on certain body parts than he did on the rest. His erection hung heavy between them, but he ignored it. His needs would have to wait. They weren’t what was important.

Eva was.

Once their bodies were washed, he took time to move shampoo and conditioner tenderly through her long hair. She was back to being gentle, pliable. The Evie he’d had in his arms for the past week. But most importantly, the eyes looking back at him weren’t blank. She was totally here with him.

He cupped her cheeks. “I’d like to make love to you slow and gentle or even hard and fast if you want. I just want you to be here with me when we do it.”

She nodded, not pretending to not understand what he was saying. “I’m here. I want you.”

He turned off the water, and they got out. He found he couldn’t stop kissing her as he toweled her off, especially since she had her arms locked around his neck and wouldn’t let him go.

He wrapped his arms around her hips and lifted her small body straight up, carrying her toward the bed with her feet dangling.

“Theo,” she whispered, kissing across his collarbone as he moved them to the bed. “I’d like to do something. Something wehaven’tdone.”

“Anything.” The word came out in a rush. If she wanted it hard and fast now, he’d be more than happy to give her that, just as long as she was here with him.

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