“No,” he said quietly, wondering if it even mattered.
“But how am I supposed to help you into your bath if I can’t look at you?” Jack said in a teasing, mock-complaining tone.
Arden said, “You’re not. And you don’t have to help me. I am perfectly capable of—oh, fuck.”
Jack coughed out a laugh at Arden’s impassioned curse. He’d lifted a leg, intending to sling it over the side, and get into thebath that he was quite, quite desperate for at this point, but he couldn’t for the life of him get his muscles to oblige. He managed to wallop his ankle on the side of the tub, not even close to clearing the edge, and that was it.
He yelped when Jack hummed, scooped him up and off his feet, and deposited him in the tub.
All without looking at him.
He kept his eyes very firmly on the ceiling, which was why Arden almost got deposited on the other side of the tub rather than in it.
Arden’s yelp became a low, throbbing moan of relief as the warm water closed over his sore body.
“Arden, please,” Jack said, his voice rough. “Let me look at you.”
Arden scooted cautiously around, drew his knees up to his chest, and wrapped his arms around his shins to hide the pertinent bits. “Very well. If…if you must.”
“I must,” Jack said, dark eyes coming straight to Arden’s face and locking with his. He smiled. “There you are.” Jack’s big chest expanded in a sigh. “How are you feeling?” His gaze dropped from Arden’s to take a quick inventory of what he could see. Just as Marl had, except Arden didn’t have the robe to shield him.
Arden tightened his arms around his shins. “A little tired,” he said.
“Not too sore?”
Arden dropped his forehead to his knees, cheeks scorching with heat. “Jack,” he whined, and gasped when Jack’s big warm hand curled over his exposed nape and rested there.
“Arden,” Jack said in the exact same tone of voice, meant to tease.
Arden snorted, then sighed and turned to rest his cheek on his knees instead, peeking out at Jack through a curtain of hair that was frizzing in the steam.
Jack was already smiling, watching him.
They regarded each other in silence.
CHAPTER 10
JACK
Jack’s smile grew sharp edges. He couldn’t help it. He didn’t even try to stop it.
Arden was his. He wassafe.
Finally.
Jack made a soft sound and reached out to touch Arden’s lovely face. Arden stiffened. His cheek was hot, his watchful eyes bright. He was uncomfortable, but not unhappy.
“Are you afraid of me?” Jack said quietly.
“No,” he whispered. “Never of you, Jack.”
Jack’s heart ached at it.
“But I am afraid of…” he trailed off into silence.
Because Arden didn’t seem to mind being touched and, going on the way he subtly snuggled his face into Jack’s palm, he was enjoying it, Jack slipped his fingers beneath Arden’s chin and held him. “What, sweetheart?”
Arden dropped his gaze and tightened the arms he had wrapped around his legs, scooting his knees even closer to his body.
