Page 23 of Erik's Salvation
He grabbed her arm, keeping her in place. Her mouth opened to fight him on it, but then snapped shut at his stony glare. “Stay here.”
The moment he disappeared into the hall, the shudders returned with a vengeance. Rocking her spine. Shaking every limb of her body. But there was also something else there…a yearning in her belly. To have Erik touch her again. His arms around her, shielding her from the storm that now only existed in her body.
When he returned, he had a pile of big, fluffy white towels in his arms, and the second he wrapped one around her shoulders and covered her lap with another, she sighed. Heaven. Complete and utter heaven.
He crouched in front of her and cupped her cheek, cursing for what had to be the fifth time in as many minutes. “You’re ice cold.”
But that hand on her cheek was warm. Without even thinking, she leaned into it.
“I’m sorry, but do you have food? Maybe juice or candy?” She knew she was low; how low exactly, she wasn’t sure. She had her kit in her bag but knew sugar was more important right now.
Concern flickered in his eyes before he got up and disappeared. The fire roared beside her, and she wanted to draw closer. Drop in front of it and let the flames heat her skin.
She didn’t, but only because she wasn’t sure her legs would carry her.
When Erik returned, he had his fist closed around something. He opened it to reveal M&M’s.
He passed her a handful of the candy, and she tipped the entire lot into her mouth at once.
One side of his mouth twitched, but she couldn’t even feel self-conscious. When she was low, there was urgency to get sugar into her blood.
He rose and moved to the kitchen again, this time returning with the entire bag of M&M’s. He pulled one out and touched it to her lips. She opened, and the candy hit her tongue. She barely had time to process what the feel of his fingers on her lips did to her before another was there.
The man fed her half a dozen before his hand once again went to her cheek. “We need to get you out of those wet clothes.”
She shuddered again.
His jaw clenched. “I’m going to carry you to the guest bathroom so you can have a warm shower. Do you think you’ll be okay in there by yourself?”
Before she could answer, or hell, even consider what would happen if she said no, he touched another M&M to her lips. She opened, again feeling the strangely intoxicating mix of sugar and calloused finger.
“Yes. I’ll be okay showering.” At least she wasn’t stuttering anymore.
“Good. When the storm dies down, I’ll go get your keys from the car.”
She nodded, not bothering to ask how he’d do that. If anyone could break into a car, this guy seemed a likely candidate.
For a moment, neither of them moved, and every second that passed had her more conscious of his closeness. Of the way his heat seeped into her without them even touching. She noticed the specks of honey in his eyes. The small, faded scar near his hairline. Even the tiny hole at his eyebrow from what she could only assume used to be an eyebrow ring.
She carved every little fact into her memory. The little parts of Erik she wouldn’t have seen if it wasn’t for this moment.
Then he moved, the eye contact broke, and her exhale was more of a shudder. Again, he swiftly scooped her up against his chest and began moving toward the stairs.
She gasped, grabbing onto his damp chest. Her mouth opened to tell him she could walk, but then she felt his heart racing beneath her palm and the words just…didn’t make it out. Maybe because that heartbeat felt like it was racing forher. Maybe it indicated a connection Erik refused to acknowledge.
He took the stairs quickly. She was still focusing on the thumping of his heart, the warmth of his chest, when he stepped into what could only be described as the most extravagant bathroom she’d ever seen.
Holy shit…the space was beautiful. So beautiful, she didn’t even complain when he set her on her feet.
“Erik, this bathroom is…”
“Over the top?”
“No. It’s gorgeous!” A beautiful mix of modern and Victorian. The vanity was a rich dark wood with a marble top and deep basin. The art deco wall paneling was stunning, and the arched ceilings made everything feel bigger and grander. Then there was the free-standing claw-foot tub with the open pipework… God, she’d die to have one of those in her house.
She stepped forward and ran a still-shaky finger over the porcelain. “I lived in a lot of old houses growing up, and quite a few had claw-foot tubs. But none like this.”
This was in pristine condition. And the details…
