That will not do. Vexed, I stride to the fridge and pull out one of the water bottles provided by the hospitality team. Then I crack the cap and hand it to her. “Drink that.”
She takes a few big gulps, the simple action pleasing me to no end.
“Do you have any ibuprofen?” I ask.
“I do,” she hedges. “I’ll take some before bed.”
If the hesitation in her tone is any indication, I’m pushing the limits again.
“What else might help?”
Evangeline yawns widely, stretching her arms overhead. “Honestly, once I start winding down and stop staring at this screen, I’ll be fine.”
“Does your bathroom have a tub?” The instant the words are out, I regret them.
Because despite a warm bath being a great option for unwinding, who am I to suggest my employee, who also happens to be my son’s ex-girlfriend, strip down and enjoy a nice long soak?
“Actually, it does,” she says, a hint of hopefulness behind words.
Pushing my self-admonishment to the side, I nod and pick up her plate. Now we’re getting somewhere. “Why don’t you take a load off and enjoy the water? I’ll clean this all up.”
“Alaric,” she warns, her brows pulling low.
“I insist,” I say over my shoulder, the two words clipped.
This may be too far. I’m being presumptuous and bold, pushing her to let me do even more for her. But if acting like a domineering asshole helps her in even a small way, I have to forge on.
She hasn’t moved, but I don’t turn around. I wait her out, rinsing the plate, then turn back to fetch the bowl from the table.
She watches me. Her eyes are glassy, a hopeful hesitation dancing behind them.
“You’re sure?” she murmurs.
“I insist,” I repeat, keeping my expression even, offering no room for argument. I turn back to the task at hand.
Only when I hear her close her laptop and slide off the barstool do I allow myself to exhale.
CHAPTER 21
EVANGELINE
I’m equal parts delighted and concerned about how deep this tub is.
Before tonight, I hadn’t paid much attention to it. Honestly, I thought it was comically small. It’s much more compact than a standard American tub, that’s for sure. But what it lacks in length, it makes up for in depth.
I snicker to myself. With my nose at the surface of the steaming water, the move creates little bubbles that tickle as they rise.
The buttons and icons on the side of the tub were easy enough to figure out. The water has remained balmy, despite the time that’s passed since I stepped in.
The pieces of hair that have fallen out of my messy bun dip into the water each time I shift and slosh, but I don’t care.
I love a bath, especially when the water is hot enough to warm me from the inside.
Though never in my life has a man insisted I go take one.
I am equal parts freaking out and swooning over everything that’s transpired tonight.
I’m also feeling exceptionally vulnerable. Partly because I’m completely naked and chin deep in steamy water while Alaric Steele is inside my messy hotel room, on the other side of the wall, doing dishes. But more so because this man sees me in such a raw, intimate way.
