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Seconds later, Lucian was there, pulling a living Star off the ground. I almost fainted with relief. It was while I was on the ground, catching my breath, that the doors slid open and Marku appeared like an avenging angel. I didn’t know how he’d done it, but he’d come for me.
Here in the cab, I’d struck out at Marku until my energy flagged. Exhausted and weary to my bones, I simply place my cheek on his chest and gratefully nod off.
The taxi stops and I jerk awake. We’ve arrived. In a blur, I watch Marku pay the cabbie, leave the cab, and bend down to scoop me into his arms. I would normally fight him, but I don’t have the strength. By the time we reach his front door, I’m shivering. My thoughts are scattered. Each time I try to remember the subway, my memory gets whisked away on a great gust of fear and stress.
He carries me to his bedroom where I’d lost my virginity five days ago. I listlessly look around the familiar room. So much has happened since then.
Depositing me carefully on the bed, he kneels, and pulls off one shoe. Then the other. I simply watch him from above, numb and cold.
“Baby, we need to get you in the shower.”
I grind down on my chattering teeth. “S-stop c-calling me that.”
He glances up at me. “Baby?” He shoots me a disarming lopsided grin. Shaking his head, he says, “Nah, I’m gonna keep using that.”
“I-I’m n-not your b-baby.”
“Why don’t we pick this back up once you’re warm enough to talk without stammering?”
I narrow my eyes. God, I hate it when he acts so rational.
“I refuse to go into that b-bathroom with you. If I go in there, you’re going to fuck me,” I grumble.
He concentrates on rolling down one sock and dragging it off my foot. “I maywantto fuck you, but you’re in shock. I’m not going to do anything but take care of you right now.”
I harrumph, not sure whether I’m a little disappointed by this sudden show of self-control. “We’ll see about that,” I mutter under my breath.
Ignoring my comment, he takes off the other sock and gently tugs me to standing. He strips down nude and saunters into the bathroom, again subjecting me to a view of his broad shoulders and back, covered in ink. Oh, and his perfect ass. I roll my eyes toward the ceiling. How could I forget his ass? I growl in irritation. People in my clan are not shy about their bodies, but he’s purposely showing off, the jerk.
I cross my arms over my chest and glare at his back. I may have taken my rage out on him, but I’m still nursing a grudge.
The sound of water raining down in the shower drifts out to me. I hear him fiddling with the pressure or temperature and then he comes back out, nonchalantly uncrosses my arms, and starts pulling my clothing off. I’m about to fight him, I figure Ishouldfight him, but in the end, I can’t summon up enough energy to stop him.
Even standing in one position this long is a struggle. By the time he’s undressed me, steam is enticingly pouring out of the doorway. He grabs my hand and gently tugs me toward the bathroom.None of this means I’ve forgiven him.Helping him kill my father absolutely does not mean I’ve forgiven him. And letting him help me also doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven him. I’m simply taking the path of least resistance. There are days when even I succumb to that.
Marku helps me step into the huge glass shower. The air is thick with steam. Blessed, hot water rains down on my face as I walk under the showerhead. He turns one of the knobs below the showerhead and water sprays from two of the walls. I freeze in place, gasping at the unexpected direction of the water. Jets of water strike marble and glass, the drumming sound calming me.
I relax in the multi-directional shower, letting the heat and steam warm my skin and relax my muscles. A shudder works its way through me as I release the cold that roped itself around my core like a boa constrictor.
“You could’ve told me about these last time,” I gripe, waving toward the walls of spraying water.
He steps in behind me and says, “It wouldn’t do to show all the tricks I have up my sleeve.”
His hard cock prods my lower back. He leans forward and I tense, but he was only reaching for the body wash. He lathers up and then his hands are on me. So hot and smooth. So comforting. My shaky legs almost collapse; it feels so good to have him massaging my sore muscles.
He takes his time, touching, washing, caressing every inch of me. My head drops forward and my eyes flutter shut. I breathe in slowly. The steam makes it a little hard to breathe in, but I don’t care. Everything feels so good compared to before.
As long as I don’t think. Don’t think about the subway. Don’t think about Star, about Marku, about Alexei, about my father, about my mother, and on and on. Just let the steam and heat and Marku’s hands work their magic.
I waver on my feet and he sits me on the marble bench. I slump back, letting my head drop, preparing it to thump against the wall. But it doesn’t. Marku slipped his hand behind me as a buffer to absorb the impact against the hard, smooth marble. He sits beside me and massages my scalp. Water gently sprays my face and I close my eyes, reveling in his soothing touch.
He grabs his shampoo, squirts too much in his palm, and lathers my hair. Standing up, he takes down a detachable showerhead that I hadn’t even noticed and shifts me on the bench so that he can get behind me and rinse my hair.
At this point, I’m as malleable as clay, but I still mumble a complaint about the lack of conditioner just to be difficult. Hey, it’s the least I can do. He deserves far worse. He may have realized his mistake, he might be chastened, but I’m still pissed off. Fear of my reaction to him killing my father is not a good enough excuse to ignore me after taking my virginity.
We’re in there so long that the skin of my hands starts to wrinkle. Marku shuts off the water and opens the glass door. I make a distressed sound at what feels like an artic wind blowing over my skin in the dispersing steam.
Marku yanks a large towel from its hook and holds it open for me. Grumbling, I heave myself off the warm marble bench and step toward him, letting him wrap me in the ginormous soft, fluffy towel.
