Page 66 of Bourbon & Blood

“You need to do something with that,” he said, reading my mind. “But first thing’s first. What was that big sigh about?”

“Mm, I was just thinking how every time I come home, it’s a mix of relief finding everything the way I left it followed by the biggest feeling of soul-crushingdisappointment,that she’s not here.”

La Croix nodded his head and fixed me with those wall-to-wall dark eyes of his.

“I’d ask what you do when you get home but I already know the answer,” he said, stepping up to me.

“Mm?” I looked up at him and he raised a hand to my jaw, cradling it gently, bringing his lips carefully to mine.

He kissed me sweetly, which was so out of step with his fearsome appearance that it mollified me, sending my thoughts and feelings tumbling end over end, like Alice did into Wonderland.

I didn’t understand, and so when he finished, I said as much.

“You are so confusing,” I breathed.

His lips twitched, something like a smile trying to break through before he suppressed it.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “Your appearance, and how you are with anyone else screams you don’t like people and you don’t want anything to do with them… and yet…”

“And yet?” he prompted when I fell silent.

“You’re so nice to me,” I said, looking away and shrugging.

Something darker than even the ink surrounding his irises slid behind his eyes as he said, “And God help anyone thatisn’tnice to you, cher.”

I swallowed hard, robbed of speech, and simply nodded.

“Go take your shower,” he ordered gently, and I smiled.

Hedidknow what my after-work ritual was. I turned in the direction of the bathroom and halfway there, I stopped. I turned and asked, “Join me?”

His smile broke free and got away from him that time, and he nodded.

I started the water before meeting him in my bedroom where he was undressing. Before I could much get past taking off my shoes, he was there, his hands so careful and so sweet as he finished undressing me, his lips twitching once again when I giggled through a few slightly awkward parts.

In the shower, his demeanor didn’t change. I sort of figured it would, you know? I mean, I thought for sure he was here for sex. That was the deal, right? But no, once in the shower, he backed me under the spray and threading his big hands through my hair, tilted my head all the way back to soak it.

He was so gentle, and it felt like… it felt like it brought himjoyto care for me like this. Some measure of peace.

I mean, was he hard? Yes. But he didn’t seem at all interested in doing anything with his erection. No, he was wholly focused on me and what I needed. It was like he knew what I needed even before I did myself.

He washed my hair, and me, and wouldn’t even hear of me doing the same for him; instead, wrapping me in his arms and simply standing in the steam and the spray, holding me while I soaked in his strength while my own reserves were just so depleted.

“Thank you,” I whimpered, and he kissed the top of my head.

“I told you, I take care of what’s mine.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t help but still tense, to bristle at the notion inwardly. I know I agreed, and I know how I felt, but the wording still gave me that knee-jerk reaction ofugh.

He held me just a little bit tighter, and I felt a wave of regret for said reaction.

“Come on,” he murmured, and he had me shut off the water. He got out and dried off first and then held out his hand to me to step out. I did, and he took up a fresh towel and dried me, wrapping me from armpit to past my knees with the big, big bath sheet.

“Sit,” he urged and pulled out the bench from beneath the makeup table Maya and I had in here.

I sat, and he took up my brush. Holding my tail of hair in a tight fist, he began working out the tangles at the end.

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