Approaching her, I ask, “Do you want me to choose something else?”
“No.” Her voice comes out throaty. “This is okay.”
Putting her clothes on the mattress, I shrug off my jacket and roll my sleeves. Her mesmerized eyes are locked on my forearms when I command, “Stand up for me, angel.”
“I can dress myself, Nathan,” she utters, yet rises anyway.
She can, but her body language screams she doesn’t want to. Not that I’d let her if it were the opposite. I also secretly want to erase the touch of the other man.
I step closer. “I am doing it.”
Then I remove her robe, letting it puddle on the floor.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Arya
I can’t believe he’s here, much less putting me back together after the horrible day I’ve had.
I’ve been thrust from a nightmare into a magical dream.
When his fingers graze my shoulders after lathering my favorite lotion into his palm, all I feel is the warmth of his touch and not the coldness of the cream. He gently massages it down my body, as if scared to hurt my skin more than it already does.
I was too harsh. Probably would’ve made myself bleed had he not shown up.
What made him come here? Could he tell I was lying? I thought I was convincing.
“You weren’t.”
I narrow my gaze at Nathan, accusing, “Are you a mind reader?”
“You whisper your thoughts out loud,” he teases, skimming his hands down my belly and moving to my back.
“It doesn’t happen with anyone else.”
“I must be psychic then.” A smirk curves his lips. “Only when it comes to you.”
I snicker before probing, “How did I give myself away on the call?”
“Bad acting.” A dark shadow darkens his features. “And I could tell you were upset the second I heard your voice. Since I knew you wouldn’t tell me the truth on the phone, I drove here.”
“You got here very quickly.” The restaurant is more than one hour away from my building.
“I might have broken a few traffic signals.”
My eyes widen, and my stomach dips with fear. “You shouldn’t have done that, Nathan. Do you know how many people get into road accidents daily due to reckless driving?”
His gray eyes turn smoldering and soft at my worry disguised as a reprimand. “Don’t lie to me again and I won’t drive over the speed limit.”
“Something tells me you would’ve still raced over here.”
“I’ll always make it to you in one piece.” Walking me backward, he quietly orders, “Sit.”
“First promise me you will never drive fast or break signals,” I demand. I can’t bear the thought of him getting injured.
Sensing my nerves, he sighs reverently. “I promise.”
Satisfied, I lower myself onto the bed. My pulse skyrockets when he kneels in front of me, grabs my right ankle and puts it on his thigh. Grabbing the moisturizer, he squeezes a small amount to rub along my calf.
