Page 78 of Degradation
I hold out my hand for it, but he ignores me, instead raising my good leg up and bending my knee, opening me to his gaze again. Feeling suddenly bashful, I try to wriggle out of his hold and cover myself.
He pins me with a stare. ‘No, gorgeous. Hold still for me. I know you don’t like it. I’m sorry. Let me fix it.’
He swipes the hot washcloth up my slit, making me shudder. He cleans me methodically and thoroughly and, when he’s finished, he puts the cloth in the laundry hamper in my closet.
He gets in the bed with me and turns to face me.
‘Sorry about that last part,’ he says slowly. ‘I’m not sure what I was thinking. I just wanted me on you. I won’t do it again.’
I tilt my head to the side. ‘You can do it again if you want to, just let me clean it off before it starts to get dry and cold, okay?’
‘Yeah.’ He looks relieved. ‘Was the rest of it all right? Did you like it?’
I nod a little cautiously. ‘What else do you want to do?’
‘Tonight?’ he raises a brow.
‘Well, you said there were lots of bad things you wanted to do,’ I reply, a little confused again.
‘Not all at once, Daisy,’ he chuckles. ‘I meant over time.’
‘Oh. Okay. How long?’
He lays his head down on the pillow, watching me. ‘I don’t know. Do you have a preference? A timeframe?’
I think about that for a minute. ‘No,’ I say, finally. ‘I don’t think so as long as thesebad thingsdon’t interfere with my schoolwork and the lab.’
He gasps so dramatically that I know he’s pretending outrage. ‘I’dneverinterfere with your schoolwork, or the lab, Daisy. God! I’m offended you’d think that of me.’
I can’t help my laugh. ‘I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean it.’
He settles back down, looking almost…carefree.
‘Do you want to go to sleep, now?’ he asks.
‘I am kind of tired,’ I say, yawning at the thought.
‘I’ll stay with you tonight. Does Mav usually cuddle you at night?’
‘Sometimes,’ I answer, ‘but he’s been sleeping outside the covers with his clothes on.’
‘He’s dressedandhe doesn’t even sleep in the bed with you?’ he scoffs loudly. ‘What a loser!’
‘He’s not a loser,’ I retort. ‘He’s just not an opportunistic blackmailer like you are.’
‘Even worse. He’s a morally uptight loser.’
‘I think the word is ‘gentleman’.’
‘Nope, the word is definitely ‘loser’.’
I roll my eyes and make sure my towel is straight on my pillow before I lay back down and close my eyes.
I hear him turn out the light and, a few minutes later, he shuffles closer to me, resting a hand on my middleunder the covers.
‘We’ll figure this out, I promise,’ he murmurs. ‘I’ll keep you safe, Daisy. I’m sorry about everything before.’
‘Thanks again for the coat,’ I whisper, and he edges a little closer.
