Chapter 33
Gabriella
I wasn’t aware that Vienna had moved us.
I wasn’t aware of anything anymore.
One minute I was on the floor, his cock splitting me open, the pleasure almost killing me.
The next I was in his arms, and he was carrying me somewhere, using his feet to kick open the doors, his arm shielding my head as we went through the doorway sideways.
I was vaguely aware of being carried upstairs and placed on a soft bed, but my eyes had closed before I completely understood what was happening.
What felt like a second later, though instinct told me it was longer, I was picked up again, two strong, warm arms slipping beneath my body.
“Luke?” I murmured.
“Who else would it be?” he replied gently, placing a soft kiss on top of my head.
Only a few days ago, this could have been anyone. Sure, they wouldn’t have carried me as gently, or cradled me as closely, but it could have been any faceless man having access to my body—should Nico give permission.
But it wasn’t.
It was Vienna.
I curled my body into his, pressing my chest against his warm skin.
“You still with me?” he chuckled, his arm raising over my eyes to shield me from the bright light of the bathroom.
“No. I think I died,” I said, meaning it to be funny. But his entire body tensed beneath me, his breathing becoming ragged before he cleared his throat.
“Don’t go dying on me too soon, Gabby. I only just got you back.”
And then I felt a complete cunt, because it hadn’t even occurred to me that that’s where his mind would have gone.
“I’ll give it a year or two,” I said softly, not wanting the conversation to be too heavy, but also wanting to acknowledge my mistake.
“Make it around sixty, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”
“I’ll schedule it into my diary—sixty years from now, death by Vienna orgasm.”
He chuckled. “I’ll make sure your headstone says the same thing.”
“Cheers, pal.”
He smiled at me before his hand lowered to check the water.
“Perfect. Hold on to me whilst I lower you down.”
“I can get in the bath myself, you know,” I said, squirming in his arms to be put down. But he just tightened his grip on me.
“Hold on to me whilst I lower you down,” he repeated, and I knew there was no winning.
Rolling my eyes, I did as he asked, my hands scooping around his neck as he lowered me into the water.
The warmth of the bath immediately seeped into my skin, and it was heaven until it wasn’t. A sharp hiss escaped through my teeth as he completely lowered me into the bath, and the water made my ass sting.
“It won’t hurt for long, I promise,” Luke said, swishing the water around me after lowering me down until my back was against the cold porcelain.
I shivered at the sensation and then watched in amazement as he pulled his shirt over his head and folded it in half, and then half again. Without a word, he gently pushed my back away from the bath and placed his shirt behind me.
“Better?” he asked, crouching down next to the bath.
“It was fine anyway.”
“It was cold,” he said simply, his tone letting me know there was no room for argument. “Are you okay now? I’m sorry it hurt you.”
“It’s okay,” I lied, forcing myself not to wince against the sting.
“I know. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt,” he said, dipping a flannel into the water. I watched as he wrung the flannel out and then gently placed the damp material against my cheek and neck, running wherever his beard had been, soothing the scratch and burn of his hair.
And then he was dipping the flannel again, this time silently running it over my body as he washed away the bits of dirt and leaves that had stuck to me.
“Who knew an impromptu romp in the woods would be so messy?” I laughed.
“Me,” Luke replied, his voice completely blank. He locked eyes with me, and I saw a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.
“What are you… oh!” my cheeks flamed as I remembered exactly what he was talking about.
Back before we had become so brazen as to have sex in his clubhouse, we had to learn to be more… creative, and to take opportunities as and where we found them.
Which meant we had once found ourselves outside my house, hidden beneath the window. Vienna had his back to the wall, I was riding him, our chests pressed together, and each of us clamping our hands over each other’s mouths to silence our moans.
Without another word, Vienna gently pushed my body forward and sat me up before tipping my head back, cradling it with his arm before gathering my hair up. With gentle movements, he poured the water over my locks and then massaged shampoo into them.
“You need to—”
“Rinse and repeat?” he interrupted. “Gabby, please. Look at my glorious locks. Do you think I grew this magnificent beard without knowing about rinse and repeat?”
I laughed, trusting him completely, and enjoyed the head massage.
True to his word, he rinsed and repeated, and then applied conditioner, allowing it to sit for a few minutes. He washed my body as he waited and then turned the taps back on.
“What are you doing?”
“You never rinse conditioner out with bathwater. You always use fresh. Honestly, Gabby, don’t you know anything?”
He shot me a small wink to show he was teasing, and then he was pulling the plug and unfolding a large, fluffy black towel.
Without a word, he bent over the bath and scooped me into his arms, wrapping the towel around me until my body was covered. And then he curled me back against him, my head buried under his chin before carrying me back into the bedroom.
A girl could get used to this type of treatment.
“Hey, Luke?” I asked as he went to lower me onto the bed.
“Hmm?”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He paused, almost flinching, but I knew he would know what I meant.
I wasn’t just saying thank you for today. I was saying thank you for not giving up on me. For wasting over ten years obsessing over me. For all the years before that. For rescuing me.
Honestly… for just being him.
“Thank you for coming back to me,” he whispered in return and then lowered me to the bed.
My eyes shut almost immediately, though I was vaguely aware of him leaving the room and then coming back.
“Gabby?” he whispered, placing a kiss to my shoulder. “Are you awake?”
“Hmm.”
“I need to apply some cream to you, sweetheart. I don’t want you to wake up and be sore.”
“Okay.”
“Try to relax,” he said, and then I felt the towel lift from behind me. I took a deep breath as his cold, cream-covered fingers slipped between my ass, applying the numbing salve to me, and then the towel was lowered back into place.
My cheeks flamed, but it was more out of awkwardness than embarrassment.
And that soon disappeared when Vienna returned from washing his hands.
The bed dipped under his weight, and the next thing my back was pulled against his front, and he was murmuring words of praise and adoration in my ear until I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.