“Then I’m going to help you shower. Let’s get you undressed.” He reached for her clothes, pulling them off carefully.
Angie should probably try to help, but she wasn’t herself. She felt weak and numb.
“Wh-what’s wrong with me?” she asked him.
“You’re in shock,” he replied matter-of-factly. “The best thing is a shower and to keep warm.”
Okay. That sounded good.
He reached over and turned on the shower, then finished undressing her until she stood there naked and trembling.
“Who w-would do that?” she asked. “I d-don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
“W-why not?” she asked.
“Because I’m going to take care of it. I will find who did this and I will kill them.”
The words shouldn’t have been soothing. She shouldn’t have let them calm her.
But she felt her panic starting to fade. Her shaking began to ease. And then he stripped off his clothes and a different feeling entirely filled her.
One that was warm and needy.
Was it wrong to feel like this when Rex was dead?
A whimper escaped her.
“Come on, Angel. Come with me.” He guided her into the shower.
“You didn’t n-need to come in w-with me,” she told him as she shook.
“Of course I did. You are close to collapsing. Jared would never forgive me if I let you fall over and you hurt yourself.”
“Is that the only reason you are d-doing this?” she asked as he grabbed some shower gel and started washing her gently.
“Because of Jared?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He stared right down at her. “No. That is not the only reason I’m in the shower with you.”
That was all he said.
But it was enough. Because he was also showing how much he cared as he washed her carefully. His touch lightly skimmed her skin as though he was afraid of breaking her.
“Shall I wash your hair?” he asked.
She shook her head even though she really wanted that. “It will take too long to dry.”
“I will dry it for you.”
“You will?”
“Of course. Turn around. I’m afraid it’s only Jared’s shampoo and conditioner, though.”
“That’s okay. There have been times in my life when I didn’t even have shampoo and conditioner. I’m happy with whatever.”
