Page 46 of First Time

I raised a hand and ran my fingertips over my swollen cheekbone. “Is it b-bad?”

Lips pursed, he nodded and turned to the freezer. He grabbed a bag of peas and the dish towel hanging by the sink. “Come on.” He motioned with his head toward the living room. I made note of a formal dining room off to the right at the front of the house while following him across the sprawling openness of the first floor.

“Sit,” he said, his rumbling tone broking no argument but far from unkind.

I lowered myself, trying not to wince from the pain in my back, and he squatted beside my right leg. Eyes full of tenderness and compassion, he gently pressed the dish towel-wrapped peas against my cheek. “Tell me what happened.”

Everything that had gone down since that night at Chantelle’s poured from my lips. Every humiliating act was disclosed without embarrassment because of the empathy and gentleness Daniel displayed.

His thumb rubbed circles on my kneecap while the other held the ice to my face. A good amount of time passed, but still, I spewed the shit of my life the previous couple of weeks, entrusting him with my emotions.

I swallowed down the last of my ice water and set the empty glass on the coffee table long before I finished.

Daniel laid the peas beside my glass and sat beside me, pulling me against his side as my story wound down. Tears long dried and my voice raspy, I closed my eyes and breathed him in between sentences, loving how his peacefulness seeped into my cells. Unsure of where to put my hands, I rested them in my lap, fingers clasped to keep from grasping him and holding on tight.

“You’re staying here tonight,” Daniel said once my voice faded. “You can have my room, and I’ll sleep on the couch since I haven’t gotten around to getting a bed for the spare room yet.”

A yawn cracked my jaw as exhaustion settled over my body. “I’ll take the couch.”

“No, you won’t.” His firm tone matched the hardness of his chest against my face. He stood and helped me to my feet.

I grimaced while trying to straighten.

“Your back?”

I hummed an affirmative.

“I’ll draw a hot bath for you to soak in.”

“That actually sounds heavenly,” I said, smiling for the first time since I could remember.

A huge bed dominated the far wall of his bedroom, and a massive bathroom sprawled behind the door across from it. The tub was big enough for the both of us with jets, a pampering I’d never experienced before.

He showed me how to turn the jets on and off and retrieved a fluffy gray towel for me before turning to leave.

“Daniel?” I whispered as he reached the bathroom door.

Turning, he lifted his brow. A slew of emotions filled his eyes, ones I didn’t have the energy to figure out.

“Thank you.” My lips wobbled. “For everything.”

He nodded and left me alone, the door giving a soft click as it shut behind him.

I struggled to take off my work shirt and pants but didn’t have the guts to call him back in to help me undress. It took me a little while, but I finally managed to strip and slowly lowered my aching body into the tub.

“Mercy.” I groaned at the soothing heat of the water, submerging myself by lying back to rest my head.

He had turned the jets on low, and the gentle pummeling of water against my sore muscles was like the warmest sun on a spring morning. Like his soothing hands. His soft caresses.

Another shuddering sigh rippled through me.

“I’m never going back.” My declaration sounded loud in my ears even though I had barely whispered the words. “Never.”

Chapter 19

Daniel

I called Chantelle’s office and explained what had happened, barely managing to keep my rage contained. While I hadn’t seen beneath Becky’s clothing, the way she had moved and winced told me bruises littered more than just her cheekbone. “She’s staying here with me tonight.”

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