"Cecily was thirsty," I explain, trying not to meet Glenn's shrewd gaze.
"For six gallons of whole milk?" Kerrigan joins in, picking up on the type of milk.
"I prefer whole," I lie.
"The rooms don't have big enough refrigerators," Kerrigan presses.
"Why is the elevator taking so long?" I ask, trying to keep frustration from my voice.
"There's only one elevator working right now," an employee says, coming up from behind us. "I had to call maintenance for the other one. We're not sure what happened."
I know exactly what happened. That elevator didn't stand a chance against a sex-starved married couple trying valiantly not to consummate their marriage.
Without a word, I stride toward the door labeledStairwell.
All six gallons of milk are in the bathtub. Cecily scrambles in, wearing only a soft-looking bra that more closely resembles a sports bra. Her eagerness makes me feel worse about the situation. If Cecily isn't arguing about something as absurd as sitting in milk, it means she's truly in pain. And it's my fault.
"Make room for me," I tell her, pulling off my shirt.
She finishes tying her hair into a knot on top of her head. "You want to sit in milk?"
"Not particularly." I drop my shorts. "I'd rather go through something unpleasant with you than watch you go through it by yourself."
Cecily leans forward, giving me space to slide in behind her. When I'm situated, she leans back, her legs long and running parallel with mine.
"I'm sorry," I whisper in her ear.
"Ten out of ten I do not recommend cunnilingus following hot pepper ingestion." She cranes her neck to look up at me. "But the milk bath is nice."
I trace the curve of her jaw with my knuckles. "Are you getting some relief?"
She nods.
"You wouldn't believe how bad I feel."
Her eyebrows lift. "Have you ever seen the movie Inside Out?"
"Yes."
"Do you remember Anger?"
When I nod, she says, "He gets angry, and fire shoots out of his head? That was my vagina."
I chuckle at the image. "She was angry and on fire? Deadly combination."
"Just on fire. Not angry. Before the burning, she was quite happy."
I feel myself stir. I can't help it.
Cecily notices. "You are very responsive to me."
My fingertip dips into the milk, and I drag it over her stomach, watching a drop slide down to the 'v' between her legs. "I've never been this attracted to anybody. There's something about you, Cecily."
"People don't say things like that to me, Dom."
A swell rises within me. I want to travel back in time and punch the face of every man who didn't recognize Cecily for what she is. I press a kiss to her shoulder. Maybe I won't be punching anybody. Maybe I'll sit here and be silently grateful for their mistake. "Every person you come across all day long should be telling you how great you are."
Cecily's body moves with a soft laugh. She's quiet for a moment, and then she breaks my heart by saying, "When I wasa teenager, my dad told me it's not easy to love me. His exact words wereYou make it difficult to love you."
