Tilda swallowed hard, her eyes shut tightly, mentally transporting herself anywhere but there.
If she could detach from the moment, perhaps it wouldnât feel so overwhelming.
Lyndon carefully stripped away her remaining clothes, his movements gentle yet deliberate.
He then lifted her smoothly, lowering her into the warm bath.
The water rose to embrace her, soothing her immediate embarrassment under its protective cover, though she remained acutely aware of her vulnerability.
Below the surface, the contours of her body were just obscured enough to draw Lyndonâs eye even more compellingly.
He had moderated the water level carefully, ensuring it wasnât too high to irritate her wound, yet enough to maintain her modesty to some extent.
Lyndon watched her, the struggle evident in his tightening jaw as he tried to maintain decorum.
.
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Library
He reached for a sponge, his hands slightly trembling as he prepared to wash her.
âI can handle this myself,â Tilda protested weakly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her injury was localized to her left shoulder, and she figured she could manage well enough using her right hand.
Lyndonâs response came as a low, husky drawl, laden with an emotion she couldnât quite place.
âMust you always be so headstrong? Taking care of you is not just my duty-itâs my privilege as your husband.
â
His touch was tentative yet caring as he began to sponge her skin.
The bathroom was clouded with steam, casting them both in a dreamlike haze.
Tilda avoided his gaze, focusing instead on the sound of his controlled breathing, betraying his struggle to remain composed.
He was still a man, after all.
He surely was not calm when he bathed her.
While bathing, Tilda found herself broaching a subject that had been weighing on her mind.
âHas there been any news of Brian?â she asked, her voice echoing slightly against the tiled walls.
Lyndonâs hands stilled in the water, the playful ambiance dissipating under the weight of her question.
âNo, nothing yet,â he replied quietly.
Efforts had been extensive, involving numerous search teams combing the sea, but the oceanâs vast and unpredictable nature made the search daunting and uncertain.
The possibility of never finding Brian loomed large and unspoken between them.
Tilda watched him, noticing the tension in his jaw as he spoke, and ventured further, driven by a mix of concern and curiosity.
âLyndon, do you love Rosalynn?â
She recalled how Rosalynnâs mother-in-law had jumped off a building due to the scandals involving Rosalynn and Lyndon, which had made headlines back then.