Chapter 4 :
The bath was too hot, the steam fogging the mirrors and her thoughts. Lena sank deeper into the bubbles, trying to wash away the memory of Nathan''s touch, his taste, his possession.
She must have dozed off, because the next thing she knew, water was filling her mouth and nose. She flailed, disoriented, before strong hands pulled her from the tub.
She coughed, water streaming from her nose and mouth. Nathan held her against his chest, his heart pounding against her back.
"What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded, his voice raw with an emotion she couldn''t name.
"I fell asleep," she gasped. "That''s all."
He carried her to the bedroom, laying her on the bed with surprising gentleness. His hands moved over her body, checking for injuries. When his fingers found the abrasions on her wrists from the silk tie, he stilled.
"I''m sorry," he said, so softly she almost didn''t hear it.
He retrieved a first aid kit from the bathroom. The antiseptic stung as he dabbed it on her wrists, but his touch was careful, almost reverent.
Then his fingers moved lower, to the soreness between her legs. Lena tensed, but he shushed her.
"Just medicine," he murmured, applying a cooling gel. "To help with the swelling."
His fingers slid inside her, spreading the gel. It should have been clinical, but it wasn''t. His touch was intimate, possessive. Lena''s breath hitched as he found a particularly tender spot.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, his eyes dark with concern.
"A little," she admitted.
He leaned down and kissed her, a slow, deep kiss that tasted of mint and regret. His hands continued their work, the gel making everything slick and cool.
When he was done, he didn''t pull away. Instead, he began to massage her thighs, her calves, the arch of her foot. His hands were magic, easing tension she hadn''t known she was carrying.
"Just sleep," he whispered against her hair. "I''ll watch over you."
And for the first time since this nightmare began, Lena felt safe. It made no sense, but there it was.
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