When I return to the bathroom, Emma has her head tilted back, eyes closed, completely as peace.
I clear my throat. “Can I read to you?” Her eyes flutter open as I hold up the book. “Like you used to do for me at the bookstore.” I add.
Her lips curve into a small, knowing smile. She shifts, sinking deeper into the water. “Yes,” she whispers.
I sit down beside the tub, resting both elbows on my knees as I open the book.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
My voice is steady, filling the quiet space between us as I read through the first chapter. Every few lines, I glance up at her, just to watch her, to see the way the candlelight flickers across her damp skin and how the steam curls around her like a delicate veil.
She’s stunning.
Even with exhaustion pulling at her features, even with the weight of the past weeks still clinging to her, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
By the time I finish the first chapter, I close the book and let out a breath.
“Why did it take us so long to get here, Em?” I ask.
She stares at the little swirls of foam still floating on the surface of the water. Then, quietly, she says, “It was my fault, too.”
I frown. “No, I?—”
She shakes her head. “I was too heartbroken. After losing mom… after what you said to me the day of the fight.” Her voice catches slightly, and I hate myself all over again for the way I handled that day. “I never wanted to end things like that. I just—” She swallows. “I couldn’t stay. It hurt too much.”
I reach for her hand beneath the water, finding her fingers and lacing them with mine.
“I could have handled it differently, too,” I admit. “I could have tried to make you stay, instead of putting you down for leaving. But I was scared, Em. I was scared of losing you. And when I realized I already had, I didn’t know how to handle it.”
She looks up at me, her eyes soft, searching.
“Will you wash my hair?” she asks quietly.
I nod, setting the book aside.
Reaching for the shampoo, I pour some into my hands before gently running my fingers through her hair and massaging her scalp. She closes her eyes, tilting her head back slightly. I take my time, making sure every movement is slow and deliberate. When I rinse the shampoo out, I smooth my hands over her hair, watching as the studs disappear into the water, repeating the same process with the conditioner, as well.
When I finally help her out of the tub, I wrap her in a thick, soft towel, running my hands along her arms to keep her warm.
She leans into me for a second before taking my hand. “Come on.”
I follow her to her bedroom, opening her dresser to find something for her to wear. But before I can hand her anything, the towel drops. Emma stands there, bare, watching me with a teasing glint in her tired eyes.
“Do you want some dessert?” she murmurs.
26
EMMA
Alex’s eyes are locked onto mine, his chest rising and falling as he takes in the sight of me. His hesitation is clear. He seems to be at war with himself, torn between what he wants and what he thinks is right.
“Are you sure?” His voice is rough, strained. “You can just rest if you need to, Em. We don’t have to do anything tonight.”
I shake my head, stepping closer, pressing my bare body against him. “I don’t want to rest.”
My fingers trail up under his clothes, up his stomach, feeling the tension in his muscles, the restraint in his body. I lift his shirt over his head and throw it on the ground next to us.
“I want you, Alex.” I slide down his body and undo the belt at his waist with a slow and teasing pace. Lowering his jeans and briefs down, his cock springs free, hard and ready for me.
