Chapter 15
Daisy
My eyes would’ve fluttered open, but they felt glued together. Wiping them with my hands, I moaned as I tried to stretch. My whole body hurt. And my ankle was throbbing. After I wiped my eyes hard enough, I opened them, and it took a minute to adjust.
It was dark and quiet, minus a low lull of rock music. Once I could focus, I pushed up on my forearms. The blanket slipped down, and I looked and realized it had been thrown over me and I was laying on the other half. Glancing around, I wondered where I was until I saw him.
Laying on a couch against the wall was a huge body. It was him. I wasn’t sure I should call him my biker anymore. Or if I wanted to. Lies . I absolutely wanted to. But that was what got me into this mess to begin with…falling for every hot man who smiled at me.
Not this time. I still didn’t know if it was really safe here. But if he was planning to hurt me, would he have slept on the couch?
My mouth was dry as a bone and I brushed my fingers through my hair and tried to work the knots out. He was sleeping and I didn’t want to wake him, plus my ankle hurt like hell, so I quietly lay back down.
Apparently, I wasn’t quiet enough because some rustling came from the couch. I didn’t move a muscle. An old habit from childhood, it usually worked in my favor to pretend to be asleep.
A moan was followed by louder rustling, but I kept my eyes shut. Boots hit the floor and soft steps came toward me. I swallowed hard as I felt him over me, but then the blanket dropped back on me.
My eyes shot open, and he thinned his lips. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you. Thought you may be cold.”
I cleared my throat. “Thanks.” I hissed as I tried to scoot my body as I sat up and he turned the lamp on. The movement sent a sharp pain to my ankle.
“What’s wrong?”
“My ankle. Didn’t mean to push on it. You don’t really think of the muscles you use until they’re messed up.”
He grabbed the edge of the blanket he had just draped over me and asked, “May I? ”
I nodded and he pulled it back, exposing my feet. I winced as he pressed light touches to it. “I got an ace bandage for you, and we can get you some ice. But do you want to clean up before I wrap it?”
Smacking my lips together, I shrugged. “I don’t have any other clothes. Can I maybe borrow a shirt or something until I can get this cleaned?” My clothes were filthy, and I wasn’t sure where my other shoe was. I knew I lost one in the woods.My mouth was like cotton, and I was so thirsty. “And can I get some water or something to drink?”
He pushed a bag on the nightstand closer to me. “Not sure how these will fit, but they’re clean and there’s some other girly shit in there.”
I reached over and grabbed the bag, putting it down next to me on the bed. There were clothes and some toiletries. Girly shit. And flip flops. Probably all I could manage with my ankle anyway. “Thanks for this. A hot shower probably wouldn’t hurt.”
“I can help you in.”
“I bet you can,” I scoffed.
“Daisy, I’ve seen your goods. If I was gonna be an asshole I would’ve done it already. I’m just saying I can get you to the shower.”
He was right. He had seen it all. I may have had a thong on during our dance, but I put my pussy right in his face, so he got a good look. “I guess there’s no reason to be bashful when you’re a dancer.”
I tried to swing my legs over the bed, but Falcon reached out and helped me. He held his hand out, so I used it as leverage to pull myself up. He steadied me, then tucked my arm across his back and held my other hand to keep me balanced.
He didn’t rush me and he didn’t get handsy. It was nice being tucked against his big body. Stop, Daisy . When we made it to the door inside the room, we both wouldn’t fit so he turned us sideways. I slid in first as he flicked the light on.
Seeing myself in the mirror was jarring. There were still small leaves in my hair and all my dance makeup was smeared around my eyes. “I look like a racoon.”
He chuckled and I raised a brow. “Sorry. Here, I’m gonna sit you down.” He smacked the lid to the toilet seat down then gingerly helped me sit. He reached into the shower and turned the water on, steam filling the small bathroom quickly. He left but was back soon with the large brown paper sack.
He pulled a bunch of the items out and put them in the bath. “Alright, ready to get in?”
I nodded and he pulled me to my feet. Glancing up, I locked gazes with his hazel eyes. Everything about this man screamed red flag, so why did he make me feel so safe? His touch was so careful as he helped me get my pants off. He stood with his hands out, ready to catch me as I finished undressing but didn’t touch me again until I reached my hand out for support. He helped me climb over the side of the small tub and into the stream of water from the shower head.
I pulled the liner and he said, “I’ll leave this door open and be back once you’re done. There’s a towel on the back of the toilet for you to wrap up in. But if you need help before that, just holler.”
“Thanks,” I practically whispered. Before I could begin the debate with myself about whether he was good or bad, I let the hot water beat down onto my head and down my back. The hard spray helped relax my aching muscles some, then I washed myself. All the little cuts stung as the suds rolled into them, but I needed to clean them up so I didn’t get any infections. After I finished, not very gracefully since I was keeping all my weight on one foot, I stood back under the hot water for a few minutes, trying to cleanse the rest of the last couple of days away.
My back was sore from the long ride and probably the tumble we took in the woods. The hot water wasn’t doing shit for my ankle, but it felt good everywhere else.
I must have lost track of time, because Falcon stepped back into the bathroom.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, sorry.” I turned the water off and reached for the towel. His eyes locked on mine again, and I was impressed they stayed up high and didn’t wander down to my naked breasts when I leaned out for the towel.
His gaze was hotter than the shower water that left my skin beet red. I clenched my jaw and tried to remind myself I could be appreciative of help without falling into bed, or more, with this guy. But fuck, did he have to give the smolder?
I winced and groaned when I straightened up again, putting my weight down on my bad ankle. The shower curtain flew back, and Falcon reached in, strategically tucking the towel around me then he grabbed me, lifting me from the tub. A tiny yelp escaped me, and I tensed as he carried me to the bed.
After he set me down, he went back and grabbed the bag. He pulled clothes out and dropped them next to me, but he held up a sports bra. “Not sure how to work this, but I can work a normal one.”
I reached for it and snatched it from his hand, pulling it on. He stood back and I grabbed the panties, holding them up to inspect them. “I haven’t had panties that covered my ass in years.”
“Must be Penny’s stuff. The bunnies don’t wear shit like that.”
Being a dancer, I wasn’t shy about a lot, and I already knew that being around Falcon without a barrier between me and leggings wasn’t a great idea. The underwear didn’t look used, but they weren’t in a pack so there was no way to know. I leaned over, and gingerly slipped my bad foot in first, then the other and pulled them up, wiggling to get them up all the way to my hips. After grabbing a t-shirt from the pile and pulling it over my head, he grabbed the leggings and knelt down to help me get them on before he pushed the material up on my bad side.
“Here,” he said as he turned me to rest my feet on the bed. “I’ll wrap that up, then you can hobble to the bathroom to finish up whatever women do.”
“Like brush my teeth and my hair? I’m dripping all over the bed.” I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around my head to soak up the water.
He shrugged and sat on the edge, lifting my foot onto his lap. “That’s your bed for now. So you gotta sleep in it, not me.”
I wanted to grab a pillow and smack him but that was too cute and friendly. I didn’t know if I wanted to get cute and friendly. But I couldn’t help but notice how gentle he was with me. And he seemed to know what he was doing.
“You must see a lot of broken bones.”
“Maybe. Why?”
Watching him wrap my ankle, I answered, “You seem good at that.”
He clipped the end of the wrap into place. “Feel okay?”
“Yep. Seriously. You do that well.”
He lifted my foot and stood, going back to the bathroom. He came back with a bottle in his hand. “Here, take two and call me in the morning.”
I took the bottle of Ibuprofen from him. When I popped it open and poured a few out, I looked them over.My paranoia would probably take a long time to subside.
“Those help with pain and swelling. I’ll get you some ice when we get to Mama Hen’s.”
“Who?” I wasn’t sure I was ready to leave the confines of the room. I didn’t know what to expect outside of it. Everything about him seemed safe, but clearly my judgment in men was shit.
“You met her yesterday. She was the lady that helped you up after I tackled you.”
The reminder of the chase and capture that followed flashed in my mind and my arms lifted, wrapping myself in a protective hold over my chest.
“Listen, sorry I pinned you. I just didn’t want you running off.”
My eyes widened and I curled into myself even more. What the fuck?
“Shit, that sounded bad, too.” He let out a deep sigh and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “We had some trouble recently. Until we sort out the problem, I can’t let you just tear off in the woods.”
“So you plan to just keep me locked up here?” My voice went up an octave. “No thank you. I’m sorry about your issues but I am not interested in being a prisoner anymore.”
I tried to slink off the bed but did so too fast and landed on my ankle harder than I should. A grunt was followed by a few ‘fucks’ before his big hand was steadying me.
“Don’t touch me, please.” Like that will do anything. But one thing I’d always have was my big mouth.
His hand tightened around my arm and he pulled me closer, leaning to look in my face. “I’m not trying to kidnap you, Daisy. I’m trying to keep you safe. Just go talk to Mama Hen and–”
I shoved him, wincing as pain shot through my leg. I reached for the flip flops and hobbled toward the door. Before I could even reach the knob, I was lifted into the air like a rag doll, slung over his shoulder.
Pounding on his back and kicking my one good leg, I shouted, “Put me down you asshole!”
He took a few long strides as I swatted him with the flip flops still in my hands before he put me down in the bathroom. “Brush your teeth so you don’t offend Mama Hen, and maybe run a brush through your hair. Then we’ll go see her.”
He pulled the door closed so I figured I’d show him, but when I checked, there was no lock on the door. Fuck! “You’re a dick!”
“And you’re a fireball,” he called calmly through the door. “Hurry up.”
There was no way to get past him and this was his club or whatever, so I figured for now, I’d just go along with what he said. But I didn’t have to make it easy on him. What do I have to lose, anyway?