Tears prick my eyes. “I haven’t had one of those in a really long time.”
His hand reaches for mine, giving it a gentle squeeze, but he doesn’t say anything else as he leads me upstairs. “Here’s the bathroom.” He flicks on the light and opens the door farther. “Towels are in the closet there and we can go to the store tomorrow to get anything else you might need.”
The corners of my mouth inch upward, completely enamored with his thoughtfulness and generosity.
Then he leads me to the last door on the right at the end of the hall. Justin releases my hand and opens the door. This room, unlike the rest of the house, is very feminine. Lace drapes, floral bedding, and doilies covering the tops of the antique furniture, the spacious room is more than I could ever hope for.
Justin moves to open a set of French doors that lead out to a large deck overlooking the sprawling ranch. The sun sits low in the sky, casting brilliant rays of orange, gold, and pink. I stand at the threshold, taking in the remarkable beauty, Rosco perched at my feet.
“My room is next door so if you need anything, just holler,” Justin says, turning to face me.
I nod, heat creeping up my cheeks. “Thank you again for everything.” Wrapping my arms around his waist, hugging him tight, I do my best to convey my gratitude, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay him for all he’s done for me.
His strong, warm arms hold me close, offering the safety and protection of his embrace, but I feel it so much deeper. I feel it all the way down to my bones.
“Get some rest,” he says, releasing me. Rosco follows behind him, leaving me alone in my new room.
My new home.
My new life.
The following morning, I wake up to the smell of bacon. Sitting up in bed, I drag a hand down my scruffy face and scratch my bare chest. I didn’t get much sleep last night. I had to stop myself from knocking on her door when I heard her soft cries coming through the wall. I knew if I did, I would end up doing far more than just kissing away her tears. And as bad as I wanted to hold and comfort her, I wasn’t about to cross that line. Not yet anyway. I’ve been thinking a lot about what Reid said but I’m not sure if I can resist what I feel for her.
After taking a leak and brushing my teeth, I get dressed and walk downstairs, wandering into the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” she says, standing in front of the stove, her brown eyes beaming at me. Rosco sits diligently next to her legs, wagging his tail.
“Morning,” I greet her first then give Rosco a good pat on the head and scratch behind his ears.
Jesus, she’s even more beautiful in the morning.
She’s wearing my grandmother’s floral apron and it does some funny shit to my heart that she feels so comfortable in this space. Her eyes roam my body. I like the way she looks at me, a shy smile tugging her lips. Clearing my throat, I walk over to the cabinet and take out a mug to pour myself a cup of coffee.
“How long have you been up?”
“A while,” she says with a shrug. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Abandoning my cup, I step forward, reaching up to touch the dark circles beneath her pretty eyes. “You okay?”
There’s a storm in her eyes, a hurricane of emotions, but she remains as stoic as ever. A force to be reckoned with. For someone who has seen what she has, she’s stronger than anyone I know. Most would not have survived but she did.
“I will be. This is just all new to me and it’ll take some getting used to.”
“It will. But I’ll help you.”
“Thank you,” she whispers quietly, then shifts her eyes to my shoulder. “Did you change your dressing like the nurse instructed?”
“Not yet.”
The way her lips press into a hard line makes me ache to kiss them. “You must change the dressing often to avoid infection,” she scolds.
The worry in her voice strikes me deep and in a way I’ve never felt before. I like that she wants to take care of me. That she’s concerned about me.
“Where is the bag the nurse sent home?” she asks.
“Inside of my duffle in the truck. I’ll go grab it.”
“No, you sit. I’ll go get it.” Her stern voice tugs at my cock. If she wasn’t so cute trying to boss me around, I’d argue with her. Instead, I take a seat at the table and remove my arm from the sling.
