Chapter 34
Anastasia wrapsher arms around my neck and I carry her from the kitchen to the bathroom. I set her down on the toilet and quickly start the shower for her. Though, I’m not sure the hot spray will be the best thing for her hand. “I’m more of a bath person,” she says then. Well, that solves that problem. I turn the water off in the shower and move to the large clawfoot tub. “I also like candles and there are some bath bombs and botanical oils underneath the sink.” I turn to her then, both amused by her and grateful there are still things left for me to learn about her.
“Of course, my love,” I say. I get the water going, and remembering the blisters on her feet, I choose a eucalyptus oil to help with the pain and a lavender-and-rosemary-scented bath bomb to help her destress. Man, it smells so good, I almost want to hop in with her. But no, this is meant to be relaxing, not sexual, and if I get in that tub with her, I can’t promise my dick won’t awaken. Next up, I light the candle on top of her vanity and make sure there’s a towel ready for her when she gets out.
With the water rising and steam filling the dark room, Anastasia bends over to remove her heels. “Allow me,” I say. Quickly, I kneel before her and discard them. “Oh, baby.” Her feet look worse than I thought. “I hope you’re not attached to those heels, because you’re never wearing them again.”
“Ha, my mother always said beauty is pain.” At that, she stands and struggles with the button on her jeans.
“Allow me,” I say once more. Anastasia lifts her eyes to mine, as if assessing my intentions. No doubt, the flickering flames of the candle have brought up memories from earlier just as they have for me. “Don’t worry, baby. This isn’t about me. This is for you.” She nods then, granting me permission to undress her. I’m not sure if her hesitancy is due to her sleepiness or if she’s still struggling to trust me. Either way, I know not to push her.
I move my hands to the button on her jeans and gently pull them down her legs. This one simple movement has her standing before me fully exposed. Respectfully, I avoid looking at the space between her thighs as she steps out of the jeans and kicks them to the side. Next up, I move my hands to the bottom of her T-shirt. I look to her before I remove it and find her staring back at me, her lips parting in anticipation. Slowly, I pull her T-shirt up over her shoulders and head.
With her shirt discarded, she stands before me, naked with messy curls and glistening eyes. “You look like a goddess or angel, if you prefer, just something otherworldly.” She smiles then and takes a step toward me. Gently, she stands on her tiptoes and kisses me on the cheek. The simple movement takes all the broken parts of me and melds them back together, removing any remaining uncertainty from my body. We’re going to be okay.
“Help me into the tub?” she asks.
“Of course, my love.” I offer her my hand and help her balance as she steps into the warm, lavender-tinted bath.
“Ah,” she breathes as the water immediately soothes her aching feet. “This feels so good.” Slowly, she sits, sinking all except her bandaged hand and head beneath the water. I kneel down to remain beside her. She takes a few moments to breathe in the calming aroma of the oil and bath bomb and then quickly gets busy, with the one working hand she has, scrubbing the makeup from her face. I smile, admiring all of her little movements. I’ve observed her for months now and have fallen in love with her mannerisms, but there’s obviously not a camera in her bathroom or bedroom. Seeing her like this now is a new experience and I cherish every second of it.
Quickly, she dips her head beneath the water to remove the soap from her face and any makeup residue along with it. When she rises, she is fresh-faced with sopping-wet hair and red-tinted skin. She looks at me then. “What?” she asks.
“Nothing, I’m just…”
“Admiring,” she says, finishing my sentence for me. Remembering the last time she caught me staring at her, I laugh and nod. “Well, can you admire me a little closer? I need help with my hair and, well, with everything else.”
“Um.” I glance down at my still fully clothed body. “I may have to join you for that.”
“I know.” Her voice is soft and innocent. It tugs at my heartstrings and I have no choice but to oblige, even though it’s going to be a struggle to keep my dick from making an inappropriate gesture. I give her a gentle nod, stand, and toss my black T-shirt and jeans on the floor and place my watch, rings, and chains on the vanity.
Anastasia looks me up and down quickly and then averts her eyes. She moves forward, allowing me to slip in behind her. “Oh, this does feel good,” I say as the hot water soothes my muscles. I stretch my long legs out on either side of her and she fits perfectly between them.
“Something tells me you aren’t used to such a simple pleasure.”
“Not really. I’m usually too busy to take an hour-long bath. And besides, I’m more of a shower guy. But these bath bombs might convert me.” Anastasia laughs and scoots around to find the best position. “Easy there,” I warn her. “I got more to work with between the legs than you do.”
“Sorry, I’m just trying to get comfortable.”
“I know, baby. Now, put me to work, before I get distracted or fall asleep.” She laughs again. “I love that sound.” At that, I place my hands on her waist and she places one of hers overtop mine, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“My hair. I need you to wash it for me,” she says softly. She nods toward the shampoo bottle sitting on the shelf beside the tub. I grab it and squirt some directly onto her head.
Everything is quiet as I work the shampoo through her long, curly strands. Brinkley passed out the minute we got home. And now, it’s just the two of us, our heartbeats, and the soft swish of the bathwater. There’s something about this moment, this gesture, that makes me feel more connected to Ana than I ever have, even more so than when we had sex. In this moment, I truly feel like I’m taking care of her and it makes me want to do it every day for the rest of my life. I will wash her hair when she’s sick, when she’s tired, when she’s pregnant, when she’s eighty-seven. I guess, when I think of it like that, it’s not just a lifetime of hair washes I imagine, but a lifetime with Anastasia and that, that’s what has my throat raw with emotion and my hands slowing to a nothing pace.
“Is it ready for me to rinse?” Ana asks as I come to to find my hand stalled on her back.
“Um, oh, yeah.” She leans forward and goes face-first into the water. Using her hand without the bandage, she sloshes water through her locks, getting rid of the suds. I take the brief moment to get my emotions in check. Maybe I’m feeling a bit of the same overwhelm Ana was feeling before, just not so much about Aidan and his enemies, though she’s not wrong to be concerned, but about us and the fact that after everything there’s still an us.
Ana rises from the water and maneuvers in the tub to face me. She bends her knees and places her feet on either side of me. It’s a similar position to the one we were in before Aidan’s men interrupted us. She looks at me with soft eyes. Without a word, she brings her palm to my cheek and then traces my lips with her thumb. Leaning forward, she kisses me. Her chest presses against mine, leaving me desperate for more of her touch. As she pulls away, she says, “Thank you for being so attentive. It’s one of my favorite things about you.”
“Really? Hmm, I can remember a time when you struggled to find nice ways of describing me.”
She laughs. “Yeah, I can remember it too.”
“Well, I look forward to getting to know what else you like and letting you see more of my good side.” I reach for the bottle next to the shampoo. With Anastasia still facing me, I brush her wet hair over her shoulders and almost instinctively, she pokes out her chest for me. “Mmm, good girl,” I whisper as I drizzle the sweet-smelling liquid all over her body.
“What about you?” she asks.
I shake my head. “I’ll take a shower after.”
“Well, what good does it do for me to be all clean if you’re still dirty and contaminating my water?”
I laugh. “I guess you have a point.” I reach for the bottle of soap once more, but Ana gets to it first.
“Allow me,” she says. I lean back against the tub and hang my arms off the edges as Ana covers me with the caramel-pistachio concoction the same way I did her. She sets the bottle to the side and begins working the substance into my skin with her uninjured hand. She starts with my neck and shoulders, digging deep into my muscles as if massaging me and washing me all at once. I close my eyes as my body relaxes in a way it never has before. Next, she moves to my arms and then my chest. I open my eyes then as she works her way down my core, lower and lower until her hand dips beneath the water.
“My turn,” I tell her before she reaches between my legs.
Without giving her time to protest, I move my hands to her ankles and work my way up her legs. When I reach her hips, I move straight to her stomach, skipping over her most intimate area—at least, for now. I rub my hands across her stomach, up her sides, holding her gaze as I do. I cup her breasts gently and plant a soft kiss on both of them before I work the soap into a lather. Anastasia’s lips part as I take my time. As her nipples harden beneath my touch and she closes her eyes, I move on to her neck and shoulders, finishing off with her arms.
“Stand up, baby.” Anastasia does as I ask and stands before me, giving me easy access to her pussy. Just as I showed love to her breasts, I take a moment to kiss her steaming-hot, tender skin. Softly, I suck on her clit and run my tongue up and down her slit. Anastasia gasps and tosses her head back just as I pull away from her.
“Damon,” she whispers.
“Shh. You need your rest, baby. I didn’t mean to tease you. I just couldn’t help myself.” She lowers her eyes to mine and bites her lip, but nods. Like me, I can tell desire lingers inside her, but the truth is, we both need sleep if we plan to face tomorrow and whatever it may bring. Though I suppose thoughts of Aidan’s wrath and the plots for revenge no doubt brewing among the Italians in his ranks is just another reason to enjoy this moment with Ana, to take my time with her, to touch her softly and gently, to show her how much I love her, crave her.
As I finish massaging the soap between her legs, I give her a soft nudge and she turns around for me. Grabbing the bottle once more, I drizzle her tender red ass with the sweet cleanser and savor every moment with her cheeks in my face. “Now, bend over.”
Anastasia whips her head around to look at me in surprise. “What? No, Damon?—”
I give her a pop on her right cheek in response. “I said, bend over.”
“I thought you said you weren’t trying to tease me.”
“Maybe I changed my mind.”
“Maybe I don’t want my asshole in your face.”
“Maybe my face isn’t what you should be worried about.” I cock my brow and, again, move my hand to her right cheek. I tap my fingers against her soft skin as a warning. “It’ll feel good, I promise. And besides, it’s the last place on your body that needs cleaning before I take you to bed.”
“Well, in that case, maybe I’m not ready for you to leave yet.” Anastasia drops my gaze then and sadness takes over her features. My brows furrow and I take her hand in mine.
“Who said I’m leaving?” She looks at me. “I meant it when I said distance is the last thing I want, especially on a night like tonight. I want to make sure we’re okay, that you’re okay, before I let you out of my sight.”
Her lips draw into a smile and it reaches her tired eyes. She squeezes my hand. “Thank you,” she says softly. “Thank you for staying. Thank you for making sure I’m okay. But, most of all, thank you for fighting for me, for us. That’s all I ever wanted, Damon.”
“Then I will never stop, Anastasia. Never.”
She nods. “Then I forgive you—for everything.”
Now it’s my turn to smile. “Come here,” I tell her. This command, she follows.
As Ana sits on my lap, I wrap my arms around her and she lays her head in the crook of my neck. I hold her in this position until the water turns cold and my body feels numb. Then, with her half asleep in my arms, I carry her to the bedroom, quickly dry her off, and tuck her in. Even though we’re quiet, we wake Brinkley from his slumber since he and Ana share a room. So, as I make my final rounds to blow out the candle in the bathroom, check that the door and windows are locked, and the security system is armed, he accompanies me. I also throw my clothes in the wash and then the dryer since I’ll need them for tomorrow. Lastly, I put my watch back on my wrist so it’ll vibrate to wake me if an alarm is triggered or if I receive an important call or text. It’s after three in the morning by the time I finally make it into bed. But, with Ana in my arms, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Good night, baby bird,” I whisper. Softly, I plant one last kiss on her shoulder as I position myself behind her.