Cali:Does she like piranhas?
Shaking my head, I silence my phone and slide it back into my pocket. Those brats can wait until tomorrow to pry information from me. They like to torture me so much; now it’s my turn.
When I raise my head, Ana’s gaze is on me, but as soon as she notices me glancing at her, she looks in the other direction.
I take a couple of bottles of water to the table and then grab my food before I go to sit next to her. She watches my every movement like a hawk until I’m seated and eating. After what feels like several minutes, she finally picks up her fork again and takes a bite. As she chews, she closes her eyes and drops her shoulders, a tiny smile playing at her lips.
“It’s good, huh? Helen makes the best food. Try a bite of this steak. It’s my favorite.” I slide the plate over to her and leave it as I eat the meatloaf.
She stares at me for a second like she’s unsure what to do. Finally, her hunger seems to get the best of her, and she stabs a piece of the meat. When she puts it in her mouth, she hums, and I’m suddenly hot all over.
Jesus Christ. That’s a beautiful fucking sound.
Her gaze flies up to mine, and she blushes, and I’m hard as a fucking rock over her. Shit. This is bad. So bad. The last thing this woman needs is me getting turned on by the noises she makes.
For the rest of the meal, I avoid eye contact, even when I offer her some meatloaf. I’m pleased as hell when she accepts it, and by the time we’re done, the plates are wiped clean, and she’s holding her tummy.
“Feel better?” I pick up the plates, including hers, and take them to the sink.
I’m caught completely off guard when she rushes to my side and tries to take over.
“I’ve got it, Anastasia,” I say as gently as I can. “Why don’t you watch TV or soak in the tub? There’s all kinds of bath bombs and stuff in there.”
She furrows her eyebrows, her nose scrunched in confusion.
“Do you know what bath bombs are, Anastasia?”
When she shakes her head, I mentally add another strike next to her father’s name. He’s a dead man. That’s all there is to it.
“Come. I’ll show you. Do you like baths?”
Her eyes sparkle as she bobs her head enthusiastically. I don’t miss the way she bounces on the balls of her feet, but I don’t say anything to bring attention to it.
I love how she follows me so closely as I lead her through her room into the bathroom. She’s not saying any words, but I feel her excitement about having a bath. Looks like I’ll be buying every bath bomb, bath foam, salt soak, and every other bath accessory I can find in the city of Seattle. Maybe even the world.
Thankfully, it’s spacious in here with a full shower, double vanity, soaking tub, and a separate room with a toilet. The last thing I want to do is crowd her. This might be a small step forward in getting her to trust me.
After I plug the bathtub, I turn on the taps to get the water going. Once it’s to a good temperature, I straighten and go to the switches on the wall.
“There’s a dimmer here if you want it somewhat dark while you bathe. This turns on the heated floor.” I press the button so the tile will be nice and warm when she gets out. “Now, for the bath bombs.”
She watches me closely, a mix of anticipation and nerves laced on her face. I wish I knew what I could do to get her to trust me, but I have a feeling it needs to happen naturally.
I reach into the cupboard under the sink and pull out a large wicker basket filled with all kinds of supplies. Picking up one of the powdery balls, I show it to her.
“Smell this one.”
When she doesn’t immediately do it, I reach out. “Here. You can hold it. If you don’t like that scent, there are others.”
Slowly, she takes it from me and brings it to her nose. As she takes a deep whiff, she closes her eyes, her shoulders lift, and then the corners of her mouth tip up into a smile. When she looks up at me, she nods.
I offer her another one to sniff, but as soon as she does, she wrinkles her cute little button nose and shakes her head.
No eucalyptus. Noted.
“Let’s go with the purple one, then. It’s lavender. All you have to do is drop it into the water and watch it do its thing.” I motion toward the tub.
She hesitates for a second, looking from me to the bomb like she’s worried it’s a trick. Then she goes over to the tub and drops it in, gasping when it starts to fizz.
