He gently tugged her hand away so he could talk. “I’m the one who should, and does, feel guilty. I was ready to let you go because I know just how much of an asshole I was to you.”
Wait, he should tell her thefulltruth.
“Actually, I wasn’t planning to let you go. After you said no to dinner, I was going to kidnap you, but my therapist told me to respect your ‘no’ and your boundaries.”
“You were going to kidnap me?” She smiled, and was she blushing again? This time, he was pretty sure it was a pleased blush, not embarrassment. Damn Elijah and his terrible, healthy advice.
“And then lock you in the dungeon at Triskelion. Actually lately that’s my go-to solution when it comes to worrying about you.”
“There’s a dungeon?”
“Yep.”
“I’d like to come back to that, but first…” Nikolett slumped again. “I think I need a minute to deal with my feelings. I know you said I shouldn’t feel ashamed or guilty, but I do, and until I deal with it?—”
“Untilwedeal with it. You’re not alone, Nikki. We’re in it together. Always.”
She looked surprised, but nodded slowly.
Eric had an idea, but he wasn’t sure if it was legitimately a good idea, or if his libido held too much sway in his thoughts.
“You want…absolution.”
Her nose wrinkled. “My religious trauma objects to the term but…I guess that yes, I do.”
“If you’ve done something bad, something wrong…” He ducked down, making sure he caught her gaze so he’d be able to see her reaction to his next words. “You need to be punished.”
Her lips parted on a surprised inhale.
“And once the punishment is done, all is forgiven—including forgiving yourself.”
She studied him, both wary and hopeful.
This whole time, he’d kept his hands on the counter, but now, he wrapped them around her wrists, slowly drawing her arms behind her back. Transferring both wrists to one hand, he cupped her throat, forcing her chin up. With each touch, she relaxed a little more, the tension seeping out of her.
“Nikolett, do you need to be punished?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Nikolett felt off-balance, and it had nothing to do with the cast, which she’d only put on because it felt a little like armor.
Eric left her sitting on the sink and he went to turn on the water.
Given he was wearing a towel, and his hair was damp, she assumed he’d showered earlier, but apparently they were going to have a shower.
Or maybe a cold shower was her punishment?
No, that couldn’t be, because he’d brought her in earlier, before punishment was mentioned.
It was probably pathetic and perverse how relieved she was at the idea of punishment offering absolution.
She’d lain in bed with Eric, at first dozing with her head on his chest, but as the bliss of finally,finallybeing with him faded, all the questions and problems reared their ugly heads. Some of them she had solutions for—solutions she’d started working on years ago. Some, like her kissing Gus, there were no solutions for, because she should have told him this morning.
As the hours passed while he slept, she’d wound herself tighter and tighter with worry and shame.
Now, he prowled back to her, the bathroom already starting to fill with steam.
Eric cocked his head to the side, studying her. “Why the cast?”
