Forty-Three
Bay
Do not look at his erection. Do NOT! But, dear God, it is huge.
“You might want to breathe before you pass out,” Hale said, sounding amused.
“I am breathing,” I replied, although he was right.
I hadn’t meant to be holding my breath though.
Silently, I sucked in oxygen and continued to wash his back, being careful to avoid the covered bandages.
When I finished the side of his body that he couldn’t reach, I held out the scrubby. “Here, you can do the rest.”
He smirked. “You didn’t even get my ass. A man can’t have a dirty ass.”
Placing a hand on my hip, I narrowed my eyes. “You can wash your butt just fine with your left hand. I got the parts you couldn’t reach.”
His gaze dropped to my damp top that was clinging to my skin. “You can be so mean, even when you look so damn sweet.”
Yep, I was done. Out of here. I turned to leave the luxurious cave he called a shower.
“You’re really just gonna leave me here to do this injured?”
“Hale, we both know you can wash the rest of your body,” I replied, not looking back at him because I wasn’t sure I could stop if I did.
I would be lying to myself if I didn’t admit I’d enjoyed getting to touch his chiseled chest and back. And his legs…whew, yep, that hadn’t been a chore either. But it was done. I had to walk away.
“All right, Snow, leave me here to fend for myself,” he called as I stepped out into the bathroom.
I needed to go get dry clothes on and cool down.
Finding the laundry room took a little while, but I wasn’t going to ask Hale where to find it.
I needed some space from him after the shower experience.
I was down to the last of my clean clothes, and getting them washed was a priority.
I wasn’t sure how much longer Hale was going to keep me here.
And the longer I stayed, it seemed the less I cared about leaving.
Which was the reason I didn’t return to his room once I had my clothes in the wash. Instead, I went to the library to look for one of Noa’s books. He didn’t need me, and if he did, then he could come find me. I needed to think, and he made it difficult.
This morning, I’d had a moment of weakness, and that wasn’t happening again. I couldn’t allow it. Even if the man looked like a naked Adonis in the shower and made my girlie parts tingle.
Spotting a spine that read Juliette Romeo, I quickly went over to it and slid the book from the shelf. Perhaps this would be the distraction I needed. Anything to get my thoughts off that man.
“In search of some naughty reading?”
Hale’s voice startled me, and I spun around to see him standing there, shirtless with damp hair and a new pair of sweatpants hanging on his narrow hips.
I held up Noa’s book, feeling flustered by the sight of him. “I thought I’d read this.”
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Like I said, naughty reading.” He held up a shirt. “Need a little help, unless you prefer I stay like this.”
I did not prefer it, and I’d forgotten he needed help with dressing. I wondered how he had gotten the sweats on without my help since he hadn’t been able to get them off. Setting the book down on the nearest table, I made my way over to him, taking the shirt from his hand.
“Do you like your job?” he asked, taking me off guard.
That was a random thing to ask.
I shrugged. “Yeah, it’s okay. Pays the bills. I get to travel.”
He studied me for a moment. “But you don’t love it, do you?”
No, I didn’t. There were times I thought I might scream if I had to deal with one more person. I shook my head.
“What would you rather be doing?”
I held up the shirt. “Not being a private nurse.”
He smirked. “That’s not what I asked, Snow. If you could do anything, what would you be doing right now?”
“Why are you asking me this? What does it matter?” I just wanted to dress the man so his naked torso was no longer on display.
“I’m curious.”
Fine. “Do you like your job?” I shot back at him.
He nodded. “Love it.”
Well, lucky him.
“The owner of a distillery or your criminal one?”
He leaned closer to me. “Both.”
Okay, so he wasn’t denying the last bit. He was a criminal, and I was lusting over his body and struggling not to have wicked fantasies about him in my head. I sure had poor taste in men.
“Tell me, Snow, what would you be doing right now if you could choose anything?”
Sighing, I crossed my arms and stared back at him. “I would be working in a marketing firm.”
“And you’re not doing that now because of Harland?”
I lifted one shoulder. “Yes, and no. His wife was the one who blackballed me. But he was the reason she did it.”
“Have you tried getting a job with another firm farther away?”
I nodded. “I sent in some résumés as far as California, but no one ever responded.”
“Hmm,” he replied, then dropped his gaze to the shirt in my hand. “All right, let’s get me dressed so you can stop ogling me.”
Rolling my eyes, I held up the shirt and helped him get his arm from his injured side into the sleeve before moving to the other side.
Thankfully, he’d brought a button-up shirt today, making it much easier.
Although having to stand so close to him while I buttoned it up and smelling the woodsy scent of his skin from the body wash reminded me of the shower, and I needed to stop thinking about that.
“What about DC? Do you like it there, or is there somewhere else you’d rather live?”
I paused, glancing up at him. I hadn’t really thought about that. I’d made my life in DC. Had my apartment, my volunteer work.
I shrugged. “I don’t think so. I’m fine with where I live,” I replied, then went back to his shirt.
When I finished, I stepped back. “I was going to read for a while,” I told him, hoping he took the hint and left me alone.
He was planning on going to the distillery at some point. I hadn’t liked the idea of being here by myself earlier, but I’d changed my mind.
“I’ll leave you to it then.”
I watched him leave the room before going to pick up the book, and I found a comfortable spot to read.
Time to think about anything other than Hale Carver.