“He will be,” Jack promised as he drew her into his arms. “Kids are resilient.”
Charlie relaxed into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder as he swayed back and forth with her. She didn’t know how much time passed before a knock on the door pulled them apart, and Jack opened it to discover Julian there with a couple of bags of clothes.
“Thanks,” Jack said as he took the bags from him.
Charlie took the bag with Dylan’s clothes to the bathroom and opened the door to set them on the counter. “Clothes are here!” she called.
“Thanks, Mom,” he yelled back.
Charlie shut the door and walked over to sink onto one of the beds. Jack sat beside her and drew her close as the water shut off. Dylan emerged a few minutes later, freshly scrubbed and bouncing on his toes.
“Can I go see Julian now?” he asked.
Charlie would have preferred him to stay close, but she couldn’t erase that beautiful smile from his face. “Yes. I’ll walk you down there.”
“I’ll take him,” Jack offered. “Why don’t you take a shower?”
Charlie almost protested, but the siren’s call of hot water and clean clothes lured her. “Okay.” She kissed him on the cheek before rising to kiss Dylan’s wet head. “Listen to Julian and behave while you’re there.”
“I will,” he promised and hugged her before rushing over to the door.
Jack smiled at her before walking over to open the door. Charlie watched them go before skipping into the bathroom and tossing her ruined clothes on top of the pile Dylan left behind. She turned the shower on as hot as she could stand it and stepped beneath the spray.
She released a blissful sigh as the water beat against her knotted muscles. Ashower. A beautiful, wonderful shower. It was the greatest invention ever, and Charlie never wanted to leave it.
A stream of soot and dirt pooled around her feet, and she had to wash three times before the water ran clear. Resting her forehead against the wall, she closed her eyes and let the shower run over her back.
The shower curtain pulled back, but she didn’t open her eyes when Jack stepped in behind her. She listened as he moved around, washing himself off before his hands rested on her shoulders and he turned her to face him.
Jack hated the exhaustion on her face as he ran his fingers over her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered open, and a small smile curved her mouth as he squeezed some shampoo onto his hand and worked it into her hair.
“What are you doing?” she murmured.
“Taking care of my mate,” he replied.
Some of the burnt ends of her hair broke off and fell away as he massaged her scalp. He carefully washed the shampoo from her hair. Turning her again, he rubbed the knotted muscles of her shoulders and back before working his way steadily lower. He hadn’t started this with the intention of anything sexual, but he scented her rising desire on the air.
“Dylan could come back soon,” she murmured.
“He’ll be with Julian for a couple of hours,” Jack assured her as he leaned forward to kiss her shoulder.
All visions of crawling into bed and passing out vanished from Charlie’s mind when Jack’s knuckles skimmed the underside of her breasts. Gripping his hand, she slid it down her belly before slipping it between her legs. His finger entered her as he kissed her neck.
Leaning her hips back, she felt the enticing evidence of his arousal against her lower back while she rode his hand. She was on the verge of coming when he removed his hand and guided his cock into her. Charlie rested her palms flat against the shower wall and met his rhythm as the water sluiced over her.
She came apart with a cry that grew louder when he sank his fangs into her shoulder. Jack thrust once more before pulling free of her and finding his release. Gathering Charlie against him, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel from the rack outside the shower. She was limp in his arms when he lifted her and carried her out of the shower.
He tenderly dried her before helping her into the blue shirt and jeans Julian bought for her. The clothes were a little baggy on her, but they were clean and dry.
Charlie’s heart swelled with love as she watched him taking care of her. Cupping his cheek, she lifted his face when he knelt before her to roll up the bottom of her jeans. “I love you with all my heart.”
Jack smiled as he rose and pulled her closer. “You are my heart, Charlie. Before you, my heart still beat, but it was dead. Now, it’s alive again.”
Charlie smiled as she rested her head against his chest. She’d never dreamed of finding someone like Jack; now she couldn’t imagine life without him.
Lifting her, Jack carried her out of the room and pulled back the blankets on the bed to lay her down. “A mattress,” she sighed. “A pillow,” she breathed and fell asleep.
Stepping back, Jack returned to the bathroom to dress before settling onto the mattress beside her to watch her sleep. Exhaustion weighed on him, but he couldn’t stop staring at her. When a knock sounded on the door, Jack hurried to open it before it woke her. Mike, Liam, and David stood there, freshly showered and looking as weary as he felt.
