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Chapter 17
The longer I stayed in Niall’s arms, the more aware I was of my disgusting state.
“I need to shower,” I grumbled against him. I tried to stand, but my knees shook. I ended up back in his lap.
“Have you taken a healing potion since you woke up?” Kaden asked.
“No,” I tried again to lift myself, but Niall hugged me from behind, pinning me in place.
“Let us take care of you.” His whisper tickled the back of my neck, and I leaned into him, too weak to fight the overwhelming sense of comfort his presence brought.
“Here.” Kaden handed me a small vial with a yellow liquid. “It’s for strength and muscle recovery. I use it after a rough game.”
I thanked him and swallowed it, only tasting a hint of honey.
“I’ll get the shower started,” Sai said.
“No,” Niall growled and stood, with me still in his arms. “I’ve got it.”
Sai started to protest, but Theo stepped up to him and whispered, and they both dropped their eyes.
Kaden opened the bedroom door, and Niall carried me into my room, bridal style, kicking the door closed behind us and heading into the bathroom. He shut that door and muttered something, and I heard the lock click.
“You should take a bath. It will help your muscles relax, and you won’t have to stand.”
He sat me down and went to the faucets, testing the water before plugging the drain. He glanced through the bottles, bombs, and salts before selecting a handful and dropping them into the water. “These should help too.”
I couldn’t look away. This was Niall.
Silent, brooding, challenging, grumpy Niall.
Drawing me a bath. Making sure it was full of bubbles and shimmer and delicious smells.
Had I only been gone for nine days? How could he change this much?
“It should be ready.”
I pulled my eyes off him and stared at the water as another wave of fatigue hit. I covered my yawn, but he saw it.
He ran his eyes over me, then stepped forward. With gentle movements, he helped me take off my shirt and pajama pants. I stood in front of him in nothing but a bra and panties, but he didn’t take his eyes off mine. “Can you do the rest?”
I nodded and waited for him to turn, but he didn’t. He wasn’t going to. He probably didn’t want to risk me falling over.
I ducked my head, hoping my long hair would be enough to cover my bare chest, then bent over to slide down my underwear. I wobbled when I tried to lift my leg, but he caught me. I held onto his wrists and kicked off the cloth. I didn’t drop my grip as I stepped into the water and carefully sank down.
I waited for the sound of the door to open and close. Instead, I heard footsteps and watched Niall walk into my shower and collect my shampoo and conditioner. He sat them on the tub’s ledge, then dropped his sweats to the floor. In just boxers and a shirt, he stepped into the water and sat behind me.
I tensed, but he was all business. He used a plastic cup to wet my hair, then expertly worked the shampoo into my hair with gentle fingers.
“You can relax, Saige. This is all that’s going to happen tonight.”
I let out a sigh and rested my head against the inside of his knee while he rinsed out the shampoo.
“Thank you.” Whispering the words took nearly all the strength I had left.
“I’ve got you.”
He slowly worked conditioner through my hair, starting at the ends, and I closed my eyes.When he was done, he used a washcloth on my back, shoulders, and arms but stayed away from any areas that would have made me nervous. He was tender and thoughtful and stayed true to his word. He didn’t push me for more.
