Chapter 3 Hot Showers #2
Finally, I managed to answer. “Sure, it was hard at first. But then Evrin took care of me once he picked me.”
“He was the reason you were there to begin with. You wouldn’t have gone through any of that if it wasn’t for him and his family.”
My mouth slackened, my eyes dropping to my hands. Between my burning eyes and my churning stomach, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to puke or sob.
“I’m sorry,” he said gruffly. “Look, you’ll feel better after a shower and once you get some food in you. I’ll be waiting in the hall.”
Peeking up through my lashes, I watched him rub the back of his neck, his triceps bulging, showing off more tattoos.
Why did he care if I was feeling better? It wasn’t his problem, unless he was worried I would do something reckless and destructive, which sounded pretty good right about now. After stealing me away from my home, it would serve him right.
My nails dug into the covers as I disentangled myself and slid my bare feet to the floor. My threadbare dress and boy shorts still hung off my bony frame. The wood floor was cool underfoot.
Holding my breath, I crossed the room with shaky steps, and he let me pass without trying to touch me, to my relief.
The hallway looked much the same as the room, with simple wood floors and plain cream walls.
The opposite door stood open, showing a darker room with a wooden mirror and double sinks.
Cautiously, I stepped into the bathroom.
To the right, a door opened to a toilet, and to the left, an archway revealed a shower. Gray and blue tile made up the walls and floor. It must have been brand new because it was flawlessly clean and bright.
A stack of clothes and a bag of toiletry essentials sat on the counter. Carefully, I closed and locked the door behind myself.
Being naked and vulnerable in a stranger’s home was the last thing I wanted, but the shower was appealing, as was new clothing. I couldn’t remember the last time I was given a new garment - perhaps my birthday last year.
There were no mirrors in Evrin’s den, so the sight caught me off guard. My eyes traced over my reflection.
Was that what I looked like now?
My skin was pale, but that was to be expected living in the den. Similarly, my brown hair looked darker than I remembered as a child. Evrin kept it chopped at chin-length to minimize mess and provide easy access for when he fed from me.
Swallowing, I tucked my bedraggled hair behind my ears. My face had dips below my cheekbones that I didn’t remember. All my baby fat was gone, and honestly, I looked hungry. There was a feral gleam in my eyes that made me uncomfortable.
I wrenched my gaze away, uneasy at the sight. There was no reason to be staring at myself. It didn’t matter. Evrin liked how I looked. No one else’s opinion mattered.
It was easier to focus on getting clean. Quickly, I peed and stripped off my clothes. Stepping into the shower, I reached up and turned on the water. It sprayed over my head, soaking my hair.
After a few seconds, the water changed from comfortably cool to really fucking hot.
It was burning.
Yelping, I jumped back, smacking my head on the tile wall. The damn floor was so clean and smooth, I slipped, and my ass hit the ground with an embarrassing slap.
“Summer!” a muffled voice called.
The blazing fire-water sprayed over my legs, and I pulled them back with a gasp. The small space was filling with steam, and I couldn’t get a deep breath.
What the fuck is wrong with their shower?
The door slammed open, and Luca stood there. His icy eyes swept over my naked form, and I screeched, scrambling for the towel hanging off a hook. Clutching it to me, I glared at Luca.
“Summer,” he said, squatting and reaching for me. “What happened?”
Recoiling, I hissed at him through my teeth. My feet pushed off the floor, scooting me as far away as I could get without touching the water.
“Hey, hey,” he said, raising his palm like he was calming a wild animal. “It’s okay. I won’t touch you, but I’m worried you may have gotten injured.”
“Yeah, your fucking shower burned me! What are you pouring out of there, liquid fire? That stuff that comes out of volcanoes?” A coughing fit broke my last few words.
“It’s too warm?” he asked dumbly. “Then why did you turn it all the way to hot?” Straightening, he grabbed the handle of the shower and adjusted it until the handle pointed vertical.
“I just turned it on! You want to explain why you guys have that torture device? Did you bring me here just to torment me?” I spit, too angry to watch my words.
“It’s just a hot shower. I’m getting that you didn’t have those.” Luca’s concerned expression twisted into a grimace.
“A shower is just normal water,” I started to say, but the words fell away when realization dawned. The outside world had showers that poured out heated water, ridiculously overly heated in this case.
“Keep the handle to the right and it’ll give you cooler water,” Luca said. “Now, did you hit your head?”
The steam glistened on his skin, showing off the rich sun-bronzed color. I could have licked one of those drops of steam forming on his forearm.
Fuck! Maybe I hit my head on the tile harder than I realized. Why the hell would I lick my kidnapper? Especially while naked in a lava-steam-filled slippery-clean bathroom.
“No,” I growled, ignoring the pain radiating from my tailbone and the way my skin was flushing. “Don’t worry, my ass caught me.”
His mouth twitched. Dark lashes lowered, and his pupils expanded, eating up the icy blue as his gaze searched my body under the towel. “Do you want me to inspect your ass for injury? I’m happy to help.”
“Seriously,” I asked, my eyes narrowing into a glare.
How fucking dare he?
My butt twinged in pain, and I resolutely refused to rub at the spot where I was confident a bruise was forming. Not when Luca was watching.
“If you’re sure you’re fine, I’ll leave you be.” He rose in a fluid motion that I greedily drank up. In the doorway, he paused, resting his forearm against the frame. “I’ll be right out here if you need anything.”
I bared my teeth at him, and he shrugged, disappearing. Under the sound of water streaming down, I could hear the hinges work and his retreating footsteps. After a moment, I cautiously followed him to the bathroom door. It sat closed in its frame, but the lock was splintered.
He broke the fucking door to reach me when I screamed, and I had no idea how to feel about it.
Just busted down the door because he thought I was… what? Hurt? Unsafe? Maybe I should be disturbed, but instead, my idiot heart was flattered.
That tracked, after wanting to lick a drop of water off his skin. I was messed up in the head.
With my breath held, I tiptoed forward and nudged the door. It didn’t budge. Suspicious, I crouched down and peered under the bottom. Two bare feet were visible.
Luca was standing against the door he had broken, keeping it closed and secure.
It was the least he could do after busting the lock, and I wasn’t about to waste it.