AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do I need to be worried, Fox?”
His smile broadens until his dimples pop.
“Not at all.” His eyes flare suddenly. “But I do wish to return to the temple before dawn. I have a feeling the Baleful Hunt will be back tomorrow.”
Sylvanar must be alive still. The thought makes me relax a little, but not enough to risk a trip outside for the sake of entertainment. A flash of my humiliating walk around the Nexus hits me. When the water fell on my face, my terror made it so much worse.
“You know what?” I ask quietly. “There is one thing I’d like to do.”
“Whatever you need.” Unwavering gray eyes make me blush.
“It’s kind of embarrassing. I was hoping you’d help me take a bath. You know, like you did the other night?”
I figure the more attempts I try, the less afraid I’ll be.
Something dangerous flickers in his gaze before a roguish twinkle replaces it. Fox glides his hands down my back and grabs my ass. “You need me to drink the bathwater if you feel like you’re drowning?”
“Forget it.” I scrub my face. “I know it’s irrational to think I’ll fall and drown in a tub.”
“Willow.” He holds me at arm’s distance, showing me he’s serious. “It will be my honor to catch you.”
“Good.” Smirking, I shove him and wrench off my coat, almost tripping in my haste to get past him. “The last one in the bath is a rotten egg.”
Chapter
Fifty-Seven
WILLOW
Ishouldn’t be doing this.
I’m standing outside Fox’s bath while he’s sitting inside the steaming water, holding my hand and trying to convince me I won’t drown. Tinger’s pendant is the only item on my body. There’s no excuse not to get in, but I glare at the water and hunt for sharks. Or Well Worms. They’re the fuckers that ate Rory.
“Willow, relax,” he murmurs. “I’m right here.”
I haven’t moved in five minutes. I keep remembering how the constant stream of water over my head felt suffocating. But if I can’t get past this, the fear will control me for the rest of my life.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he reminds me. “If you want to stand there all night, that’s okay.”
My gaze flicks to his. I see no hate, no anger. Just patience. He deserves a medal for it.
My shoulders drop. I can do this.
“Yes, you can,” he agrees.
“Seriously,” I mumble, letting him help me climb into the bath despite the warning my galloping heart gives me. My eyes squeeze shut as my toe hits the water and I hold my breath.
“Good girl.” He guides me down onto his lap and tightly wraps his arms around me. “See? You can’t go anywhere.”
I nod and try not to think. Definitely not about hot water feeling like it’s suffocating me.
“Open your eyes, Willow.”
Nope.
“You don’t trust me to keep you safe?”
I twist to scowl at him. “Of course I do.”
