Page 29 of Single Mom's Secret Diary
Avery moans in relief when she steps under the spray. She tips her head in, and I’ve still got her by the waist.
“Wash your body first. I can help with your hair when you inevitably tire yourself out.”
“Washcloth. Body scrub in the corner. Purple bottle.” Bracing herself against the tiles, she nods. “I’ve got myself.”
I rush to get her the cloth and soap it up. Avery keeps one hand on the shower wall as she rubs herself clean, and she lets me wash her back. But as I predicted, she’s running out of steam, so I help her down to the tub floor.
Taking down the showerhead and kneeling beside the tub, I make sure Avery’s hair is wet before I dollop shampoo in her hair and massage it across her scalp. She leans against her knees, closes her eyes, and hums under the pattering of water falling.
Her hair is soft, long, luxurious. It darkens in the water, and I take too much enjoyment in simply running it through my hands to clear the suds.
“You want conditioner, too?”
Avery makes a thoughtful noise. “Do you know how to comb out snarls?”
I mock gasp at her. “Of course, I do. I have a younger sister. About seven years younger. I was the only one who could get her to sit still.”
The corner of her smile peeks out at me, even half hidden between her knees. A nostalgic feeling overtakes me, but I like brushing Avery’s so much more.
“I think I’m ready for a nap already.”
Rinsing her hair and her back off, I can see the way she’s swaying, even while sitting. “I bet. Let’s get you dry and into some new clothes.”
I uncurl Avery and help her out of the tub. Drying her off, I cringe at how her wet bra and undies cling to her and make her shiver.
“Trust me to grab you new undergarments?”
Her peal of laughter lightens my heart. “My undergarments? Sure, just don’t mess everything up in there. And no thongs.”
I can’t fight my grin as I prop her on the toilet. “Don’t move.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
I grab her clothes, laughing at how neat her drawers are. To redress her, I wrap her in a towel and help her out of her undies before helping her into her new ones. It takes imagining she’s my Mimi to keep my blood from pumping too hard.
The slide of her skin is soft and warm, and I close my eyes when I snap the elastic around her waist. Her bra is a bit harder to strip off without brushing the sides of her breasts. We both suck in a soft breath, and I force myself not to react otherwise.
But once she’s covered again, it’s easy to slip her into an oversized T-shirt and tuck her back into bed. Avery’s eyes are closed before her head hits the pillow, but the moment I step away, her hand is around my wrist.
“Don’t leave.” Her voice is half garbled.
Fuck, my heart twists with so much longing that I’m frozen for a second. Then, I crawl in behind her, over the covers, and roll her into my side.
A quiet moan escapes her before she’s weighed down by sleep.
I haven't even kissed her yet, and I’m falling for her.
15
Avery
My reflection isn’t winning me any beauty contests, but I’m not as washed out as I was this last week. After beingpoisonedby someone they still haven’t found.
They won’t tell me what the poison was. Or how it got into the chocolates Wyatt made for me.
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a contamination. The company didn’t close manufacturing down, so it must have been isolated.
So, was it a mistake? Or does someone have it out for me?
