My. Girl.Someone wake me up from this dream.
All I can manage is a nod. He’s being so cautious, so careful, and while I usually hate it when I’m treated like I’m made of porcelain, I realize that Diego sees me as a force to be reckoned with, yet not an invincible one.
With one swift movement, he pulls off my oversized hoodie and top together, leaving my breasts to bounce free. He doesn’t linger his gaze the way he’d do if I weren’t sick, and pulls me down to my feet to tug my sweatpants off.
He’s still Diego, so he gently swats my ass when I step into the tub. The warm water lapping at my feet makes a soft moan rise in my throat, and when I sink into the bubbly bath, I close my eyes. This was exactly what I needed.
I sit with my back to him, hugging my knees to my chest and turn my neck just in time to see him kneel down on the rug. He kisses me behind the ear, the nape of my neck, the place where my neck and shoulder meet, before grabbing the shower head.
“So, something happened during the skiing lesson,” he says while wetting my hair.
I tense. “Was there an accident?”
“No, nothing like that. You know the ski instructor who replaced you?”
“I have no idea who the lodge called,” I confess, and watch him reach for the bottle of shampoo to our right.
“Her name was Mia. Or Mila? Mandy? Molly? Shit, I can’t remember.”
I huff out a laugh. “You’re such an ass. Can’t you remember another girl’s name?”
“Not if I’m not interested in her, no.”
His fingers sift delicately through my hair as he massages my scalp and spreads the shampoo around my roots. I try to hold in a sigh of contentment, marveling at the way it feels to be taken care of.
“What did she do?” I ask, dread clawing at my throat. I hope she was kind and good to my students, or else—
“She was hitting on me.”
I stare blankly at the tiles before me, watching a bead of water roll down and trying to ignore the tightness in my chest. I absolutely have no right to be feeling jealous, but in the back of my mind all I can think is: Diego ismine.
“I can’t blame her,” I say nonchalantly. I’m not sure what kind of answer he’s expecting.
“You calling me hard to resist?” The amusement and smugness in his deep voice make me roll my eyes.
As he starts rinsing the suds out of my hair, I fight the sudden urge to turn around and claim his lips. “More like hard to tolerate,” I snap back, which causes a rumble of laughter to vibrate in his throat.
I know I have to prepare myself for the worst – for the day he leaves, and that could be anytime now. He’s going to go back to Utah and to training, and certainly meet another woman who meets all his standards. A woman who’s not just a fling. The simple thought hurts me more than it should, but that’s the way it is. I’m trying to stay patient and gentle with him, hoping he sees what’s right in front of him – the town, his family and friends,me.
He’s now conditioning the length of my hair and focusing on the tips. “There’s only one woman that I allow to hit on me, and that’s you.”
Good thing he can’t see the way he effortlessly brings a smile to my face. “Careful, I might start flirting with you now.”
“That’s cool with me. I’ll flirt back.”
Everything is so easy with Diego. He’s the easiest person to talk to, and he’s the best person to listen to me.
I’m about to push his buttons again when my phone rings in the living room.
“I’ve got it.” Diego quickly rinses his hands and leaves me to finish as he jogs to retrieve my phone. “It’s Gaby,” he calls out.
“Just answer it,” I shout back, starting to wash my body.
Diego walks into the bathroom with my ringing phone in hand, his attention set on my hands drifting down my chest. “How about I don’t answer and do that for you instead?”
“Take the call.” I bite back a smile, grabbing the shower head to rinse off my hair and body.
He feigns disappointment, then focuses back on the cell. “Hey,” he says, hitting the speaker button.
