Chapter Forty-One
D aniel walked into the bathroom to see Keira, shoulder-deep in a bubble bath, her head resting back on a towel, and her eyes closed. “Keira, I hope you’re not falling asleep in the tub?”
Keira gasped, and her eyes popped open. A sliver of fear ran across her eyes before shock, then recognition.
“I’m sorry, Baby. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Keira sat up, making sure the bubbles hid her, and reached for the towel Daniel handed her. “It’s fine, I probably could have fallen asleep very easily.”
He helped her stand and waited until she had the towel wrapped snuggly around her, and lifted her out of the tub.
“I put my outfit I’m sleeping in on the counter.”
“Do you need help getting dressed?”
Keira shook her head and tightened her hands on top of the towel around her.
Daniel looked at her, then turned. “Okay, I’ll be right out here if you need me.”
“Thank you.” She watched the door close and hurriedly wiped the bubbles from her body, then applied lotion before pulling on her panties, sleep pants, and shirt. She took down her hair and brushed through it quickly, then brushed her teeth. She opened the door to find Daniel standing against the wall next to the door with his arms crossed. Keira took a few steps toward the bed. “It’s all yours.”
Daniel stood to his full height as she passed, reminding her how very small she was compared to him. The funny thing was, it never scared her. She knew in her soul he would never physically hurt her.
Keira crawled into bed, sighing when her head hit the pillow. Her headache had gotten worse when she was in the tub. Instead of just relaxing, her mind kept going over the things she remembered that might be able to help find him, but there were still some holes in the time she had to wait for.
“What are you thinking?’
Keira turned her head. Her eyes ran over his body. He was wearing just boxers tonight, and it showed off every muscle definition he had.
“Keira?”
The bed dipped when he crawled under the covers. He turned to face her, bent his arm to lay his head on the palm of his hand, and his other rested on her stomach.
Keira sucked in a startled breath. The heat from his hand went straight to her core. She closed her eyes at the rush of desire that swept through her.
Daniel spread his fingers on her stomach, fascinated at how large it looked on her body.
“Keira? Answer me.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Keira asked as her eyes widened in confusion. “Um, I’m not sure what you asked.”
Daniel’s smile widened. “You’re good for my ego, Baby.” He laughed when her bottom lip poked out, and her eyes narrowed. “Have you remembered anything else?”
“No. I remember everything up to the attack, but my memories are spotty during and after. My nightmares have put thoughts and pictures in my head, but I don’t know if they’re real or not.”
“Vicki told us that Scott Ridley was bothering you?”
A sense of confusion hit her for a brief moment. Scott, the weird guy. “Yes, he came into the store a few times and waited for me out back.”
Daniel stiffened. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
She twisted the blanket around her fingers. “I didn’t think about it. I always thought he was harmless, even if he scared me a few times. I could tell he was mentally challenged, so I didn’t consider him a suspect, although I thought about it a few times.” Keira rolled to her side, facing Daniel. “It’s driving me crazy not remembering everything.”
Daniel noticed how stiff and pale she became when she talked about it, and it hurt him to see her struggle. “It will come in time.”
Her eyes strayed to the ceiling. “I think that’s what I’m afraid of sometimes.”
“I don’t blame you. Just remember, I’ll be here.”
Keira turned her head back. “How long can that last, Daniel? You have a life, and I have a life. I want to go back to work, and I have to find a new place to live. I want to get back to normal, but is that even possible?”
“I think it’s going to be a different normal, but one that can still make you happy. After a trauma like you went through, I think it changes something fundamental inside a person, makes them weary but also stronger for surviving.”
Keira stayed silent for a moment. “I like the way you said that. I can live with that.”
“As far as the house goes, I know you won’t be able to live there again. Would you consider us finding a house together closer to work? I don’t think you want to drive forty-five minutes one way every day.”
“ If we choose to live together, I’d want to live here. It’s a beautiful house. Besides, did you forget where I came from? I had to ride the subway for over an hour and then walk seven blocks to and from work. A forty-five-minute drive is nothing.”
“That’s fine by me. I don’t care where we live as long as it’s together.”
Keira paused for a silent second. Her first inclination was to say no, but then she thought twice about it. “I’m not sure. I know you think we’re still together, but I still have doubts about why you really want me. Is it love, or is it guilt? And until I know for sure, I don’t think I should li...”
Daniel pressed his hand tighter against her stomach before slowly moving it around in a slow circle, being careful of her injuries. “I need you to believe I want you because I love you. I never stopped. Not for one second. Did you?” he whispered.
Her eyes swept intently over his face. “No,” she said quietly and with honesty.
“Then I don’t want to hear any more about it being guilt.”
Keira watched his expression carefully. “Why did you never invite me here? I’m just curious.”
Daniel was quiet for a moment. “Part of it was the drive. Your place was closer. But mainly, I had one rule I made myself abide by, I would only bring home the woman I saw myself with for the rest of my life. I didn’t want to remember a parade of women in my kitchen or bed, just my future wife. I know there are a lot of things undecided, but I want you with me, and soon, I hope you’ll agree to marry me.”
Keira was shocked. “Marry you? Daniel, isn’t that going a little fast?”
“I’m not saying right now. We can be engaged for a year if you'd like, but I'd prefer you to be here in the meantime. I don’t want us to spend another night apart.”
“I don’t know, Daniel. Can I decide after everything is ... normal?”
Daniel brushed the hair away from her cheek. “Yes, of course. But in the meantime, you’ll be here with me.” One of his hands slid up her back and curled around her neck. “How do your cuts look? I haven’t seen them since yesterday.”
“They look really good. A few are still a little pink. Most of the bruises have faded.”
Daniel lay his head down beside hers on the pillow. “Can I ask you something?”
Keira turned to look at him and realized they were only inches apart, and she could feel his body heat causing a shudder to slide down her back. “Yes.”
“Are you angry at Conner for something?”
Her brows snapped together. “No, why would you say that?”
“We’ve both noticed how you avoid eye contact with him or only answer his direct questions.”
Keira shook her head before turning her gaze to the ceiling again. “No, I’m not angry at all, I’m ... embarrassed?”
Daniel sat up a little, supporting himself on his elbow so he could see her face. “What? Why?”
“He is the only person in my life who has seen me at my very worst, and it makes me feel vulnerable around him.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He’s seen me run for my life, then he found me under the front steps of another house, and he carried me and sat with me in the ambulance. He watched them cut my clothes off and try to stabilize me because I’d lost so much blood. He didn’t leave my side until they kicked him out of the hospital cubicle.” Her last words were barely above a whisper.
“God, Honey. Embarrassment should be the last thing you feel. You fought off an attacker.”
“But I ran away and hid like a child.”
“You were terrified and hurting. It was human nature, and Conner has seen plenty of that.”
Keira stayed quiet for a moment. “He really thinks I’m mad at him?”
“Yeah. Amazingly, I think it hurts him to see you avoid him. He’s one of the toughest guys I know, but with you, he has a soft spot. Just like the doctor.”
“I would never want to hurt him. I feel bad. Is he still here? I want to talk to him.”
“Not tonight. He has to get up early. He’ll be back in the afternoon.”
“I’m not waiting until then.”
Daniel chuckled at the determined tilt of her chin. “That’s fine by me. If you feel up for a trip, maybe we can catch him at the station.”
“Good.”
“Keira, I’m going to kiss you good night.”
“Okay.”
A fireball instantly swept through them. Within seconds, she was clinging to him, and he was as deep as he could go with his tongue. Several minutes went by before Daniel tore his mouth away. “God, Baby. We have to stop.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re still hurting.”
“I already told you my cuts were just about healed.”
“I meant your head. You’ve had a headache all day. I’ve seen you taking aspirin every few hours, and when I caught you in the bathtub, it was bad again, wasn’t it?
Keira loosened her arms. “Yes.”
Daniel pressed a quick kiss to her mouth before rolling out of bed. “Did you take any Ibuprofen lately?”
“No.”
“Let’s get some into you and then we’ll cuddle before we go to sleep.”
Keira smiled. Cuddle? She’d never heard him say that. “That sounds nice.”
He smiled over his shoulder on the way to the bathroom. “All right then, we have a plan.”