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They reached his house about fifteen minutes later. He helped her out of the car and followed her up the front walk, shoving his hands in the back pockets of his jeans so that he didn’t accidentally touch her. He wanted to more than anything.
“I’ll get dinner going now. You can go ahead and relax on the couch. Take a nap if you want. Or feel free to take a shower or bath. You know where my clothes are if you want to borrow something.” He yanked his gaze away from her when he realized he was staring. Quit being creepy, Ambrose.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Everly smile at him, a true and happy smile. “Oh God, I could seriously use a hot bath. I don’t think I’ve warmed up since the protest.” Without hesitation, she headed down the hall then up the stairs. Ambrose mentally followed her footsteps. The fact that she was acting like she owned the place both pleased and upset him. He wanted her to feel like she was welcome there, but the pretentiousness of the house embarrassed him more now that she knew it was his.
It was impossible to forget that she was there while he could hear the water running. When the water stopped, the issue became thinking about her getting naked and climbing into the bath. He started preparing dinner, searing meat, and chopping vegetables, while controlling his avalanche of feelings. She probably wouldn’t appreciate it if he went charging up the stairs and tried to invite himself into her bath, let alone if he kissed her and ran his hands over her skin, and then tried to seduce her into his bed.
He texted Konstantin and Banner for advice, but they didn’t text back. The Catacombs was a loud place. He was on his own.
Fuck, he was so going to screw this up.
Focusing on making dinner helped. When the food was ready, he set it aside to keep it warm. He waited. A while later, when she still hadn’t come down, he went up to his room and knocked on the bathroom door.
“Everly? The food is ready. No rush though. I can always warm it up for you when you get out.” There was no response, so he knocked again. Nothing. “Everly? Are you okay?”
Still nothing.
His instincts kicked in, and he turned the doorknob, opening the door just enough so that she’d be able to hear him more clearly. When there was still no answer, he glanced in. Everly was sound asleep in the tub, her face blissful.
Shit.
He thought about going back downstairs and letting her rest for a while, but then he started getting mental images of her sliding under the water. She seemed so sound asleep. It wasn’t safe. She could drown.
Hoping he didn’t piss her off, he patted her shoulder. Nothing. He tried hard not to let his gaze drift downward, but this was like setting a starving man set loose in a five-star restaurant.
“Everly? Ev?” He shook her shoulder, and blearily, she blinked up at him.
“Hi.” The word was breathy, and interest stirred behind her golden eyes.
“Hi.” He smiled, trying to keep his own interest from showing before things got out of hand. “You fell asleep, sweet girl. Dinner is ready, if you’re still hungry. Do you need help getting out?”
Like a sleepwalking child, she reached for him, trusting that he’d take care of her. Her trust squeezed the breath out of him. Their fingers laced together, and he stared at them as he helped her to her feet. So perfect. She stood there, swaying, watching him. He lifted her out and put her on the bathmat, then wrapped a fluffy towel around her. A shiver shook her from head to toe, and she leaned into him. Unable to stop himself, he hugged her to him and rubbed her back.
“Are you too sleepy to eat?”
She shook her head. From the bedroom, he grabbed a T-shirt and track pants, then dressed her when she didn’t seem inclined to dress herself. Did she have any clue how beautiful she was? Her face was so dear to him that he ached to cover it with kisses. The column of her bare neck, the swell of her breasts, the curve of her hips, had him staring, enraptured, when he shouldn’t have been. The warm scent of her made him want to taste her and remind her of how well they fit together. His dick was hard, but right then he just wanted her in his arms, in his bed. Safe.
Instead, he rolled thick socks onto her tiny feet and led her downstairs, guiding her so she didn’t stumble.
“I don’t remember being this tired in my whole life. I feel drunk,” she murmured.
He chuckled. “I can tell.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you dress me, but even lifting my arms is hard.”
She shouldn’t know how much pleasure he got from taking care of her.
He settled her at the table, then dished food onto plates and poured them both tea.
“Thanks again. My mom is out of town, and I couldn’t think of anyone else who could front me the money. I’m going to pay you back though. I’ll go to the bank first thing in the morning.”
Ambrose sat down, waving her promise away. She would do no such thing, but he didn’t feel like arguing now. He cut her food, in case she was too tired to do it. When she didn’t pick up her fork, he skewered a piece of meat for her and put it to her lips. She opened her mouth and took it, then accepted her fork back from him.
“I’ve been keeping the food warm for a while. I hope it’s not dried out.”
Her eyes fluttered shut, and she groaned in pleasure. The sound was like a jolt of electricity straight into his jeans. He could think of several more pleasurable ways of making her groan than feeding her, but he doubted that
would ever happen again. At least she was being civil and letting him help her.
