Chapter 25 #3
“Baby, everything okay?”
She glanced over to find that he’d already returned, and she hadn’t even moved.
“I know it sounds silly, but I’m just figuring out that I don’t have to do everything Mother told me.
And I know that’s a good thing. But at the same time, it’s slightly terrifying not knowing what the future will be.
What am I going to do for a job? I have no skills.
What am I going to wear? I don’t even know what I like. ”
Her breathing started to grow faster, and suddenly she found herself pulled into his arms. They were tight around her, keeping her close.
She leaned into his embrace and felt the tension start to ease, the fear start to drift away. “Maybe I’m not as strong as you think I am.”
“You are definitely as strong as I think you are. You think a few moments of self-doubt make you any less strong? They don’t.
No one expects you to know exactly what you want or need right now.
You can figure that all out. Maybe you start with what pants you like wearing, or your favorite colors, or your hairstyle. ”
“What will I do for money when we leave this place? I’m going to need a job. I guess that should be first on my list, then.”
“No, you don’t need a job,” he told her. “Money is something you don’t need to worry about.”
“Why not?” she asked, leaning back.
“Because I will take care of you. I have plenty of money.”
“Harvey Gallagher! I’m not going to just let you take care of me!”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because it’s not right! And I don’t just want to sit around and do nothing.”
“You can do anything you want, baby. But I just want you to take the time to think about what you want to do. Okay? You don’t have to jump into the first thing that comes along because you’re worried about money.
And I’m sure if things were reversed, and I was the one who had to make a big change in my life, and you were the one with plenty of cash, then you’d do the same for me. ”
Well, hell.
He had her there, didn’t he? Because she would definitely do the same for him.
“All right, but just until I figure out what I’m going to do.”
“Good girl, I’m so proud of you.”
Oh hell.
Him calling her a good girl was almost more than she could handle. Her legs grew weak.
“Now, you should be lying on the bed with your top off. I’m going to turn around like a gentleman and give you to the count of five.”
“You’re going to act like a gentleman?” she asked.
“I can be a gentleman sometimes. I open doors. I’ll always carry stuff for you. I sleep on the side of the bed closest to the door. If we’re driving somewhere, I’m in the driver’s seat. I open all the jar lids.”
“I’m not sure all of those things make you a gentleman,” she said. “Although opening all the jar lids really is a good quality to have, because those things can be stuck on there tight. It’s like companies don’t want us to get to the deliciousness inside.”
“It’s a conspiracy, all right. They sell you their product, and then you can’t eat it, so you buy more. Terrible.”
“Yep.”
He turned around, and she stripped off, leaving her pants on. After her shower, she’d gotten dressed in a soft tracksuit. She hadn’t even bothered with a bra. It wasn’t like she had a lot that she needed to secure.
She lay down on her stomach. Lily didn’t know why she was nervous. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her before this way.
“Just relax, baby. Nothing happens that you don’t want to happen. If you want me to stop, what do you say?”
“Red,” she said, although it seemed to be a bit silly to say ‘red’ while she was getting a massage. He was doing something nice for her.
“That’s right. Good girl. I’m just going to warm up the oil. Tell me if it’s too hard or too soft.” And then he started to rub her back, and suddenly all her worries and fears about what she looked like, or what he thought, left her mind.
All that remained was complete and utter bliss.
This was incredible. He seemed to find every tense knot in her back and was able to rub it until she became floppy and relaxed. Her breathing deepened.
“That’s it. You needed this, didn’t you? My poor girl. You’re so tense. Have you ever had a massage before?”
“No,” she said. “I never knew how amazing they were, or I might have tried one.”
“Well, now you can have one whenever you need.”
“I think I’m going to marry you,” she said on a sigh. And then she suddenly realized what she’d just said and tensed.
“Don’t tense up and ruin all my good work.” He lightly slapped her ass.
“I didn’t mean what I said,” she told him quickly. “I mean, I know we’re not going to get married. It’s just something I said because your hands are so magical, and I want to feel them every day. And I just realized how that sounded.”
He started laughing, and she relaxed slightly.
“Baby, you can feel them every day, any way you like,” he told her. “And getting married? Well, that’s going to be some time down the road. But only because you need time to come around to it. I certainly don’t. I’d marry you tomorrow if I could get you to agree.”