Page 13 of Finish Line
Her head slowly moves up and down as she cries. I walk us into the bathroom. Holding her in one arm is easy since she’s so damn tiny. I turn the water on, then lean against the sink to take her shoes off before slipping out of mine. I manage to slide our socks off too. Wet socks fucking suck.
I take a deep breath, bracing myself, and step into the shower, still holding Athena. Her sobbing has turned into a softer cry. I slowly sink to the shower floor, letting the water rain down on us.
“You’re safe now, Goddess,” I assure her. “I got you.”
When her crying stops and her breathing evens out, I tip her head up so I can see her face.
“Are you ready to get out?” I ask her.
“I don’t have any extra clothes,” she whimpers.
“Don’t worry about it. You can sleep in one of my shirts and boxers. I’ll put your clothes in the dryer,” I tell her.
She nods her head and gets to her feet, turning off the water. I stand, towering over her tiny frame. The top of her head barely comes to my pecs. I cup her face in my hand, caressing her cheek with my thumb.
“I meant it when I said you’re safe now, Athena. I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe from whatever brought you here tonight.”
Her eyes close as she takes a few deep breaths. I know I shouldn’t be makin’ promises without knowing what the fuck is goin’ on. All I know is, I can’t let her get away. I need to see where things could go with her and I’ll be damned if I let anything run her off.
She opens her eyes, looking right into mine. I let my eyes fall to her lips and imagine what they would feel like. The corner of her mouth tips into a tiny smile and I bring my gaze back up. Without taking my eyes off her, I reach out of the shower and grab the towel from the drying rack, handing it to her.
As she dries herself, I lift my shirt over my head and drop it on the shower floor. Her eyes widen as she takes in my chest. I give her a cocky grin. I may be nearing fifty, but I know I look damn good. I’ve done what I can to stay as fit as possible as I’ve gotten older. She shakes her head, breaking the stare she was holding, and I chuckle. I wring my shorts out as best I can before I step out of the shower to get some dry clothes for Athena.
In my closet, I flip through my shirts. I land on a grey one with our logo on it. I pull it off the hanger and move to my dresser to grab a pair of boxers. I hold them up and realize these are gonna be too damn big on her. I’d suggest she sleep naked, but she’s had a traumatic night. The last thing I need is for her to think I just wanna get in her pants. I would love to, but that’s not all I want from her.
I exchange my wet shorts for a pair of dry ones and walk back to the bathroom. When I walk in, Athena has the towel wrapped around herself and her clothes are in a pile on the floor.
“These will be a bit big on you, but they’ll get you through the night.” I hand her the dry clothes.
“Thank you.” She gives me a shy smile.
“Of course,” I reply. “Make yourself comfy in my bed. I’ll go toss your clothes in the dryer.”
“You’ll be back, though, right?” There’s a hint of fear in her voice.
“Yeah, I can sleep on the couch in my room while you sleep in the bed,” I explain.
She glances at her feet. “Can you . . . can you sleep with me?”
I slide a finger under her chin and gently lift it, so she’s looking at me. “Is that what you want?”
She nods her head against my finger.
“Then, yes, I will.” I place a light kiss on her forehead, grab her clothes and turn to leave. “I’ll be right back.”
I quickly make my way to our laundry room, toss her clothes in the dryer, and start it. Walking back to my room, I run into Ranger.
“The fuck you doin’ up so late?” I ask him.
He shrugs a shoulder. “Can’t sleep. You?”
I shake my head with a grin. “I’ll fill you in tomorrow. Night, brother.”
“Good night,” he laughs.
I walk back into my room and lock the door behind myself. I pause and take in the view before me. Athena is lying on the side of the bed I usually sleep on. Even in an oversized shirt and no make-up, she still looks like a fuckin’ goddess and takes my breath away. I move to the lamp and turn it off before walking to the other side of the bed and climb in. I lay on my back and even though I can’t see shit, I stare at the ceiling.
“Hey, um, Jase?” Athena whispers.
