She yanks harder, catching me off balance. I topple forward, half my body splashing into the tub while my legs remain awkwardly sprawled on the bathroom floor. Water sloshes over the sides, soaking my jeans and the floor.
"Fuck!" I sputter, face dripping as I push wet hair out of my eyes.
She's laughing her ass off, the sound echoing off the bathroom tiles. Her entire body shakes with it, sending more water over the edge of the tub and onto the floor.
"Did we really need to fucking do that?" I growl, now fully drenched. "You could have just asked me to get in."
Her laughter dies down to giggles as she wipes tears from her eyes. "Yeah, but that's not as fun."
I shake my head, water droplets flying. "You're a menace, you know that?"
"Your menace," she corrects, reaching up to brush wet strands of hair from my forehead. The simple gesture, so tender after the violence of our earlier, makes my chest clench painfully.
"Mine," I agree, the word coming out rougher than I intended.
I struggle to get my water-logged jeans off, cursing as the denim sticks to my skin. Reese watches with undisguised amusement as I contort myself to strip them off without fully leaving the tub.
"Need help?" she offers sweetly.
"You've helped enough," I mutter, finally kicking the jeans off.
Settling into the tub, I pull her back against my chest, her wet skin sliding so perfectly against mine. She sighs and melts into me, her head resting on me.
"Come here," I murmur, wrapping my arms around her waist. The water sloshes around us as I adjust our position, my legs on either side of her, cradling her between them.
I reach for her fancy soap. Some shit that costs more than it should, but I gladly pay every penny for it. She can have whatever the fuck she wants. Starting at her shoulders, I slide my hands over her skin, washing away the dirt and sweat.
My hands trace down her arms, fingers interlacing with hers briefly before moving to her chest.
"That feels amazing," she whispers as I caress her.
I continue washing her, my soapy hands sliding down her stomach, dipping between her thighs. She hisses when I touch her there, still sensitive from earlier.
"Sorry," I mutter, gentling my touch.
"Don't be," she says, reaching back to cup my face. "I like being reminded of what you did to me out there."
Washing the rest of her leaves the water darker now. I drain it and then refill with more hot, clean water.
Then I reach for the shampoo, working it into her dark tresses. She moans as my fingertips massage her scalp, her body going completely limp against mine.
"Tilt your head back," I instruct, using a cup to rinse the suds from her hair. Water cascades down her face, her eyesclosed, lips parted. She looks so fucking beautiful like this. Completely vulnerable, completely trusting.
Always so fucking trusting of me. If I wanted to, I could wrap my hands around her neck and push her underwater as I fucked her, and she’d allow it. Too fucking trusting of me.
"I've never had anyone take care of me like this," she says softly, her eyes still closed.
"You should get used to it. I plan on taking care of you for the rest of your fucking life."
Her eyes open at that, turning her head to look at me. "You mean that?"
I meet her gaze, not hiding a goddamn thing. "Every word."
I finish rinsing her hair, then just hold her, both of us silent as the water gradually cools around us. Her fingers trace patterns on my forearms, following the veins there.
"C’mon, baby girl. Let’s go to bed."
Chapter 35
