I wavered. “Maybe . . .”
“C’mon, you have that brand-new tub. I bet you don’t take enough long soaks in it, do you? What better time than now?”
“I guess that doesn’t sound too bad,” I conceded. Using my hand on the table to push myself up, I got to my feet, swaying just a little.
“I’ll help you get upstairs, and then I’ll run the bath for you.” Noah slipped his arm around me, and I leaned against him with a sigh. He guided me up the steps, making sure I was steady. His fingers brushed the side of my breast, and I sucked in a quick breath.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I swear, I’m not trying to—”
“It’s okay.” I focused on the floor in front of me. “It’s just—I’m sensitive there now. More sensitive, I mean.” I wasn’t sure why I was babbling on about this. I decided to blame it on the flu.
Noah steered me into the bathroom. “Holy crap, Alison, this is beautiful. And you did it yourself?”
I sat down on the tufted bench. “Mostly. I had someone come in to set up the plumbing. I did all the cosmetic stuff, though.” I pointed at the bathtub. “And I did all the grouting, too.”
“Wow, baby, that’s some expert grouting.” He ran one finger along the seam and then reached for the taps, adjusting them until the temperature was right.
“Can you add bubbles? The bottle’s under the sink.”
Noah found them and added a generous amount. “All right. What about a towel?”
I pointed to the closet. “Top shelf.”
He grabbed a soft blue bath sheet and set it down on the bench next to me. “All right. Anything else you need?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
“Do you need me to help you undress?”
My eyes flew to his face. “What?”
There wasn’t a hint of teasing there. “You’re still unsteady on your feet. I don’t want you to fall or pass out again.”
“But—”
“Alison, it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before,” Noah reminded me. “That’s how we got here, remember?”
I nodded. “But then I didn’t look like I do now. Then I didn’t have—” I patted the gentle rounding of my stomach. “This. Or these.” I pointed to my breasts. “I mean, I had them, but they didn’t look like this.”
“Sweetheart.” Noah cupped my cheek. “I don’t think you’ve ever been sexier or more beautiful, and I’m not saying that to get you out of the clothes. I know we have to respect boundaries, and this is not me ignoring that. I’m just telling you that you have nothing to worry about when it comes to your body.”
My face burned. “Okay. Fine. Help me get undressed, but try not to look, all right? If you’re going to think about us together—I mean, should that memory cross your mind—I want it to be of me the way I looked the night of the wedding, not the way I look now.”
“I’ll do my best,” Noah replied dryly.
We didn’t speak as he helped me out of my oversized T-shirt and then peeled my size large leggings down my legs, taking my underwear with them.
“Do you need help with the bra?” Noah asked, his voice gruff and his eyes closed.
“No, thanks. I’ll leave it on until I get in the tub.” I clutched at his hand. “Just let me hold onto you for balance while I climb in. I’ll tell you when I’m in the water.”
“Okay.” His eyes blinked open, and I clapped my hand over them.
“No. Don’t look. I told you.”
His sigh sounded exasperated but resigned. “Right. Eyes closed. Go ahead.”
I used his arm to keep me from falling and lifted one leg and then the other into the tub. Once I was safely under the bubbles, I unhooked my bra and tossed it onto the pile of clothes before I slid down, resting my head on the padded edge.
