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“I . . . I . . . I just wanted to be clean. To wash him off me.” Was he really angry with her? “I’m sorry.”
He sighed. “No, Pequeña. You do not say sorry for any of this. I understand that you want to wash his touch off you. But burning yourself isn’t the answer. Understand me?” He lightly grabbed her chin, tilting her head back.
“Yes. I just . . . feel off, and I wanted to feel more like me.”
“Which I understand. However, I cannot allow you to harm yourself. What he did to you can’t be erased by doing yourself more harm. We have to work on helping you feel safe again.”
She realized he was right. She didn’t feel safe. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There was no denying his presence made her feel more settled, as though her body knew he wouldn’t allow anyone to harm her.
But she had to be more vigilant. She’d learned to always be on watch when they lived at the Camp. The years that she’d lived with Elsie and Jake had given her a false sense of security.
“Will I ever feel safe again?”
“You will,” he said firmly, without a hint of doubt. “I will accept nothing less.”
“And your word is law?”
“Now you are beginning to understand how things run. Good. It will make life easier.”
“For you?”
“Yes. And you.” He moved past her to turn the shower on. “Now, we need to cool your skin down.”
“I don’t want a cold shower,” she complained as he tested the water.
“It’s luke-warm, and you’re getting in, even if I have to put you in there myself.” He shot her a stern look.
For some crazy reason, her body heated at the idea of him washing her. Shouldn’t she be scared? This guy was pushy as fuck and he could easily overpower her the same way Vince had.
Yet, Cat wasn’t afraid. She didn’t believe that he would harm her. Nope. In fact, she wouldn’t mind if he decided to pin her to the bed and kiss every inch of her.
“You know most people wouldn’t barge into the bathroom and threaten someone who’d just been attacked.”
“I’m not most people.”
Truer words were never spoken.
“You’re shivering. Do you not feel well?” He placed the back of his hand over her forehead. “Hot. Could be because of the bath. Could be you’re coming down with something. I should get the doctor here.”
“No! I’m fine. I’m fine. I’ll get in the shower. I just need you to leave.”
“And have you turn up the heat again?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “I don’t think so.”
“So, what are you going to do? Stand there and watch me shower?” she asked incredulously.
“Yep.”
“Alejandro, you can’t!”
He frowned. “I told you I don’t like to be told no.”
“You can’t watch me shower.”
Unless you join me . . . and rub your hands all over me.
No. Bad Cat.
“Please,” she begged.
To her shock, he hesitated before nodding. “Fine. I will wait in the bedroom.”
Thank God for that.
“But, Pequeña. The door remains open. And you will not change the temperature. Understand?”
“Yes.”
He placed his hand under her chin. His touch was gentle but dominant.
“This is one of the very few times I will allow you to tell me no. I’m only giving this to you because of what you went through tonight. I won’t always be so generous.”
She licked her lips. Wow. Why did that make her body go up in flames?
“Do you understand?”
“Uh-huh.”
“The proper response, is ‘yes, Sir. I understand’. Or I will accept ‘thank you, Sir’.”
“Are you sure we don’t need to find you a chiropractor?”
“Careful, Pequeña,” he warned. “Or I will happily find you a gag. Perhaps a ball gag or maybe a pacifier? I wonder which you would prefer.”
Why was her heart racing? It had to be in fear, right? Or maybe in disgust.
Yeah, right.
It wasn’t either of those things. It was excitement. Interest. Intrigue.
He turned her around to the shower and gave her a sharp slap on the ass. It likely would have stung if the towel she had wrapped around her wasn’t so thick and luxurious.
Still, she jumped, then glared over her shoulder at him. “I think your comforting needs more work.”
“Unfortunately, I know nothing about being comforting. I don’t have the caring words you likely need, Pequeña. But I will protect you. And make sure that anyone who harms you, pays.”
And somehow, those words ended up being far more comforting than anything else he could have told her.
12
After putting the clothes he’d gathered for her on the bathroom counter, Alejandro moved through the bedroom and out into the hallway to call The Scot. Even though she was in the shower, he didn’t want to risk her overhearing anything.
“Hey, Boss,” The Scot said into the phone. “Some bad news.”
“What? What bad news?”
“Some of Sammy’s men have gone to ground. Disappeared before we could get to them.”
