Fidelity (Infidelity #5)(33)
She nodded, her earlier broken expression melting into one of surrender. It wasn’t me that she was about to surrender to, but sleep.
“Sleep.” She elongated the word like it was a pipedream.
“Yes, you and me…” I tilted my head toward the large bed. “…there.”
Charli hummed. “Don’t let me go.”
“Never.”
She tugged my hand. “I mean it. I don’t think I’ve slept, really slept. I want to know—no need to know—you’re with me.”
“I’m with you always. It sounds like your mom is doing better. Now it’s time for us to rest.” I smirked knowing it was already tomorrow. “And later today, once we’re awake, we’ll talk.”
She nodded against my chest before looking up. “How did you get away from the police? I got Isaac’s text on your phone, but it just said you were on your way.”
“Later.”
She shook her head as she pulled away and walked toward the bed. “I hate to leave my mom, but I’m so tired.”
As Charli pulled down the covers, I turned on the light in the bathroom. “Give me a minute. I’ll be right there.”
I’d spent most of the day waiting for the damn party and then hours waiting along a dirt road. Then I ran on the same dirt road, knocked the shit out of two guards, and punched Alton Fitzgerald. That was all before I was arrested. All in all, it was a fucking long day.
I turned on the shower and as it warmed, shed my clothes, leaving them in a pile upon the tile as the room filled with humidity. Just before I stepped inside, the most beautiful image filled my vision. Coming from around the door, walking through the cloud was Charli. She’d lost the clothes she’d been wearing, leaving us both dressed, or undressed, to match.
“Fuck, princess, I thought you said you were exhausted?”
Her small hand rested upon my bare chest and her fingers splayed. She tilted her head toward the shower as her long hair hung in waves and flowed over her shoulder. “If we get in there, can we wash it all away? Like the time with my makeup… when you made it all go away… can you do that again?”
I kissed her forehead. “We can give it a try.”
The hot water prickled like small needles on my skin as I stepped under the spray. Using my body, I shielded Charli, turning down the heat until the temperature adjusted and we both could comfortably step under the warm waterfall. Just as she’d asked, each drop eased the tension, washing it away until it swirled on the tile and disappeared down the drain.
Behind the glass doors the mist filled with the aroma of fruit—something citrus—as I massaged shampoo into Charli’s long silky hair. In the light of the shower, her red tresses darkened, bringing out a rich, beautiful mahogany hue. With her hands on the side of the shower, her head bowed forward as I covered her, cleaning away the last week—the last two. The conditioner, the body wash… each step removed a little more of the edge. When we were done, Charli turned in my arms, wrapped her arms around my waist, and under the still-hot spray broke down.
It wasn’t the reaction my body had been hoping for. I knew we were both tired, but having her naked body next to mine had an effect that my brain could do little to control.
Instead of taking the woman I loved, I held her shoulders as they shuddered.
“I love you.”
She shook her head. “I’m so sorry. There’s so much I need to tell you.”
Did she know about the marriage license? Had she signed it but didn’t want to admit it? Did this have to do with Spencer? She’d kissed him to distract him. What else had she done? What had he done?
Turning off the water, I reached for her chin.
“I need to know just one thing.”
Her tear-filled eyes lifted to mine.
“Do you still want to be here with me?”
Her entire body lost tension as she exhaled. “Oh God, yes. If you still want me. You thought you were getting a cash-strapped girl—at worst, an opportunistic girl—who signed with Infidelity and you thought that was a mess. I’m not that person. I’m so much more of a mess than that.”
“I had no idea who I was getting when I spoke to you in Del Mar. I only knew that there was something about you, something I needed and wanted. On that first night, when you walked out of my suite, I knew I had to get you back. When I figured out why you walked out, I knew you weren’t only beautiful but so much more—strong, driven, and honorable. You’re my princess and always will be.”
Her golden eyes glistened.
I went on, my tone changing, “But as I said earlier, if you make me come after you one more time because you do something like get in that man’s car…” I reached for her bare ass. “…this ass is mine.”
“You don’t regret it?” she asked. “Coming after me?”
My grin grew. “Regret having your ass in the palm of my hand, your sexy body against mine? Never.”
She shook her head. “Nox, my life is so fucked. My mom almost died tonight.” She looked up. “She did. Her heart stopped. I’m so much more of a mess than just needing to pay for law school.” She stepped back and reached for a towel. “And now, what if Alton sends the police here? My mom and I shouldn’t be here. We’re putting you and your dad at risk.”