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Embarrassment, surely. Nothing else made sense.
“You don’t have to—“
“Wouldn’t offer if it was some kind of major fucking inconvenience,” he said, shrugging as he set the clothes down on the sink counter.
Something about his brusque demeanor set me at ease enough to turn away from him, positioning so that he couldn’t see anything in the mirror either.
“I can’t lift my other arm,” I said as I raised the one with my cast.
“Don’t gotta,” he said, moving in close, making me suddenly aware of a spicy scent that clung to him. Body wash? Cologne? I had no idea. But it smelled good. And I was picky about that kind of thing.
He reached out, his surprisingly rough hand grabbing the elbow of my arm on the bruised rib side, then yanking the shirt down so it stretched to free the arm through. Then it was over my head and off of the other arm.
“Brought a zip-up,” he told me as he reached for the hoodie, sliding it on one arm, then the other.
Then, despite me being completely capable of reaching down to zip it myself, even if I would struggle a bit with the cast, his arms went around me, closing me in, as he slid the zipper up.
Then, almost without warning, he was grabbing the waistband of my pajama pants, and yanking them down and off.
With his hoodie on, my modesty was protected, but I felt another swarm of heat as he bent in front of me.
My mind—clearly still dealing with the effects of the pain medicine, since nothing else made sense—flashed with dirty images of him on his knees, but with me bare, with my leg over his shoulder, and him looking up at me with hunger in his eyes before his head dipped and his tongue…
“Gotta lift your foot up,” Silvano said, making me jolt out of my unexpected little fantasy to find him looking up at me.
“Right,” I agreed, lifting one foot up, my good hand slapping down on his shoulder as my balance faltered.
Could he see what I’d been thinking?
Was I as flushed as I felt?
He got each of my feet in before starting to pull the material up. But in doing so, his knuckles grazed my thighs.
There was no rational reason for the way the barely-there touch made a shiver course through me, making my belly flip-flop.
“You got it from here,” he said when the material was reachable. And you had to appreciate a guy who didn’t take advantage and make you uncomfortable by pulling a strange woman’s pants all the way up.
“Thanks,” I said, meaning it.
“Gave Storm some water in a bowl, but as soon as you’re settled, I’ll pick him up some food, if you give me a brand.”
“I don’t have my cash—“
“Did I ask for money?” he cut me off.
And, having no response to that, I gave him the name, wishing I could ask him to pick up some treats and toys for him trying everything in his power to save my life and get me rescued. But I couldn’t spend someone else’s money, so I said nothing.
“How’s the throat feeling? Think you can choke down some pasta?”
“I think I could handle that,” I said, even if the thought of eating anything made me sure it was going to be like swallowing glass. But my empty stomach was twisting too painfully to ignore.
“Alright. I’m out then. Help yourself to whatever,” he said, waving at the apartment in general before making his way out of the bathroom. “Someone is waiting for you,” he said, leaving the door open for Storm to come rushing in.
“Hey, baby,” I cooed, rubbing his head. “You’re the bestest boy, you know that?” I asked, feeling grateful tears prick my eyes. “Let’s go get settled, okay?” I asked, wobbling my way out to the living room, and lowering myself down near the pillows and blankets Silvano had left there for me. He even thought to drop the TV remote on the top of the pillows. And a bottle of water was on the coffee table.
“What do you think of Silvano?” I asked as Storm stared up at me from the floor. “I don’t know if he’s okay with you on the furniture, bud,” I said, rubbing his head in an apology.
He didn’t seem to mind, curling up on my feet, and letting out a deep sigh. Like he’d been stressed all day. He probably had been. Worried about me, then being taken in a car, then dropped off with a stranger where he was stuck for hours before taking another long car ride, before, finally, finding himself in a house again. Albeit a much nicer one than the cabin.
