When her sobs die down to soft hiccups, I continue to stroke her hair and murmur nonsensical comforts to her, even as the rain cascades at a steady pace from the sky.
She begins to shiver and I lift her into my arms, carrying her to my car. I put her into the passenger side, buckling her seatbelt, then I head to the trunk for the blanket I store there. I return to her shaking form and cover her, tucking the blanket around her trembling form.
I hurry around to the driver's side and turn the car on, turning the heat up as hot and high as it goes. It doesn't matter that it's in the seventies in California and I'm sweating. All that matters is Sera. Whatever she needs, I will give her.
Instead of taking her back to Lucy's house, I take her to mine. Her head is still bowed, her hair hanging in wet strings, blocking my view of her pretty face. I pull to a stop, then make my way to her side of the car. I open the door and unbuckle her seatbelt. When I go to lift her into my arms, she immediately wraps her arms around my neck-that's when I know, without a doubt, I made the right decision.
I greet the guard at the door and tell him, "Not a word of this to anyone," and he nods his assent.
I carry my sweet Fee to my room, then make my way to the bathroom. I stand her up and she stays clinging to me.
"Fee, you need a hot bath so you don't get sick from standing in the cold rain for so long. We have to warm you up," I tell her. "I'm just going to turn the water on and I'll help you, okay?"
She looks up at me with those eyes that now resemble the color of cinnamon, her lips trembling, her face red from crying. She is, quite simply, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
"Okay?" I ask again and she nods slightly.
I turn on the bath water and remove my suit jacket that's dripping all over the floor. I toe off my shoes and slip off my socks. I remove my tie, unbutton my shirt, then roll up the sleeves before approaching her.
"You should change," she whispers. "So you don't get sick either."
I study her closely, and see within her the same thing within myself, and that tells me I should change so she doesn't feel guilty or worry about me. All that matters is her.
I nod. "I'll be right back."
She sits on the bench in the corner and slips off her shoes.
By the time I return to the bathroom in a pair of pajama pants, it's only been maybe two minutes. I hadn't even bothered with a shirt, but Sera's managed to undress herself completely by that time. Her jean shorts and halter top in a heap on the floor, along with her lacy undergarments.
Hell. If I'd seen her in just those lacy underthings … Then it hits me. Fuck. She's naked under that towel. I grit my teeth and strengthen my resolve. This isn't about sexuality or attraction right now. It's about friendship and comfort and my dick will just have to accept that fact.
I check the water and hold my hand out for her.
She reaches out for mine, grasping it firmly, the other hand going to the knot in her towel, undoing it and letting it drop to the floor as she walks up the three steps to the Jacuzzi. I can't help the breath that stalls in my lungs, but either she doesn't notice it or pretends not to, as she steps to the Jacuzzi platform, then slowly, as her fingers continue to hold mine, she steps into the warm, bubbling water. When the water swallows her body and I can no longer see that perfection, I breathe a sigh of relief.
I note her hair dipping into the water and I walk to the cabinet in the hallway. I grab some of Joan's hair things and walk back into the bathroom where I find Sera watching the door wide-eyed and afraid. When I enter the room, her eyes droop in relief.
"Hey, hey," I murmur as I approach her. "I was just getting some things for your hair." I hold out my hand where pins and rubber bands and I don't even know what else are sitting.
Her eyebrows pucker into a frown. "You have women's hair pins?"
"I do. Joan uses them. I wasn't sure what type you'd want-" I break off when I note her scowl. "What's wrong?"
"Who's Joan?" she asks me. I want to laugh with happiness at her jealousy but I don't. Knowing Serafina and her temper, she'd slap me.
"Joan's my mother. She adopted me when I was fourteen." I'm going to leave it at that for now. There'll come a time when the need to go into the whole detailed story is necessary, but for now that's enough.
Sera looks down into the swirling water. "Oh."
"Should we put your hair up?" I ask.
"I should wash it first if that's okay."
"Of course. I can get you some other-"
"No. I'll use yours. Your hair always smells nice," she admits and then blushes.
I smirk and she narrows her eyes. I grin and her eyes narrow even more. I can't help it. She's so stubborn. My grin widens and I flash some teeth. She keeps giving me the evil eye.
"You think you're so cute, don't you?" she asks.
I shrug. "I never really thought about it."
She rolls her eyes. "Sure."
She reaches out for the bottle of shampoo and that's when I see her bruised and scratched knuckles. I grasp her hand in mine.
"What did you do, Fee?" I ask.
"I hit something."
I lift my brows. "Person or inanimate object?"
Her lips twitch.
"Inanimate object."
I nod, not willing to probe further and push her.
I stand up and untie my pajama pants.
"What are you doing?" she asks, watching me with curiosity, excitement, and reluctance.
"With your hands injured, you won't be able to wash your hair without it hurting you even more, so I'm going to come wash it for you," I tell her, letting the pants drop to the floor.
She stares at me in my black boxers and I stare back, waiting to see what she's going to do.
She nods. "Okay."
I nod back. I step into the hot water. "Scoot forward. I'll sit behind you." She does as I ask. I take my seat and reach for the sprayer. I adjust the temperature and pull her to lean back. She's stiff and slow to abide, but she eventually does. Then I take the sprayer and carefully wet her hair so not to spray her in the face. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this, and while I think I know what I'm doing well enough, I'm still nervous. I don't want to do anything to hurt her.
When her hair's wet, I let the sprayer sink to the bottom of the Jacuzzi and reach for the shampoo. I use a generous amount. Fee has a lot of hair. I begin lathering it up, massaging her scalp a little and she lets out a small moan of pleasure. My body responds, my cock getting hard at the thought of her making noises like that when I'm buried deep inside her. Shit. Now I'm completely hard.
I lean forward, reaching for the sprayer, then gently tip her head back to rinse the shampoo out. She lets out a sigh of contentment and I smile inwardly. I'm enjoying this-taking care of her. I always have, even when she didn't know I was doing it. But now, now I get to do it up close and personal and I know that tonight something has changed-something that neither of us is ready to discuss just yet.
I focus anywhere but on the bubbles running down in soapy tendrils over her perfect tits and into the water. I want her so badly right now, but instead of taking her, I reach for the conditioner.
I rub it into her hair, combing it through with my fingers. I rub my way down to her neck and knead out the tension there and in her shoulders. She leans back into me and I can't hide the fact that my cock is hard and ready, I won't. I think maybe it's time Fee knows how she affects me.
She leans back, relaxing into me, and she doesn't even flinch when she feels my hardness against her back. Interesting.
"I need to get the conditioner out, Fee," I tell her softly and she sits up again, tilting her head back. I rinse her hair until it's smooth and clean, then reach over to turn off the sprayer.
She reaches out and grabs my body wash and sponge. Then she does something I didn't anticipate-she hands them to me.
"Wash me?" she asks softly.
I nod. I start at her shoulders and down her arms, avoiding her hands until I can wash them properly. She turns to face me and it's all I can do not to look down at her tits. I meet her gaze and hers is full of desire, want, and need. I get it. I do. Her need to feel alive, I just don't know if it's a good idea for us to fuck-no, I know it's a bad idea for us to fuck right now. She's not thinking straight and she's definitely not ready for what I want.
"Will you wash the front?" she asks.
I bite back a groan and lather the sponge. She stares into my eyes and I can't look away, though I have to when I reach out to touch her shoulders. I slide the sponge across her shoulder and watch as if in slow motion as it descends down her arm. I move it slowly back up her arm and across her collarbone to her other shoulder, then down her arm.
I look up to meet her heated gaze. That look in her eyes undoes me. I need to keep myself in check. It's going to be so damn difficult to touch her and not have her the way I want. One day soon. For now, this is enough.