Treating My Baby

ZANE

Once we were back at the house, I gently slid out of the passenger seat, Shay cradled in my arms. We stepped inside just as Conner and Noah emerged from the basement.

“He’s locked up tight in the cell,” Conner reported. “We’ve got four guys keeping an eye on him. He’s ready for you whenever you want to see him.”

“Not tonight,” I replied, my gaze on Shay. “Tonight, I’m taking my girl out for a treat. I need you two to come with us. Conner, make sure your guys are working on what I asked while we’re gone. I need a shower. I can still smell that damn house on me.”

Carrying Shay upstairs, Noah called after us, “How long do we have before we leave, boss?”

I paused at the top of the stairs, turning back to them. “Give it thirty minutes. You guys need showers too. You’re covered in blood and probably stink just as bad as I do.”

They both grinned and headed up to their rooms. Once we reached our room, I set Shay down. She darted for the bathroom without a word.

I stripped off my clothes, tossing them down the laundry chute, and did the same with Shay’s clothes from the bathroom floor. When I stepped into the shower, Shay was already there, scrubbing her skin until it was red.

She jumped when I reached for her, dropping the sponge. The next thing I knew, she was in my arms, sobbing and shaking.

“He touched me!” she cried out. “That bastard touched me! I have to get him off me, please. I can’t stand it. His touch, his breath on my face, his voice. I can’t get it out of my head. Please help me forget! Please!”

I held her close, her body collapsing into mine. I carried her over to the bench, holding her as she cried into my chest.

I felt helpless. I wished I could take her pain away. She was so strong in the face of danger, but the slightest reminder of her past could send her spiraling.

“Baby, you’re safe here,” I whispered. “I promise nothing will ever happen to you. I know what Luca did was terrible, and what happened when you were eighteen will always be with you. If I could take it away, if I could erase that memory so it would never haunt you again, I would do it in a heartbeat. Talk to me, love. What can I do to help you?”

She buried her face deeper into my chest, her voice muffled. “No one can help me with this. It’s my demon. It comes back to haunt me when I least expect it. I went through therapy, took extra self-defense classes, trained my mind to ignore it. But when he touched me, it all came flooding back. I thought I could control it by now. But waking up tied to that bed, unable to move... it sent me into a panic. Your voice calmed me down. I could handle it, as long as he didn’t go any further.”

Her breathing slowed, her eyes meeting mine. Her hand cupped my face, her lips meeting mine in a slow, deep kiss. I held her close, feeling her love pour into me.

When we pulled apart, she smiled at me. “Thank you. I needed that. You may not realize it, but it helped me calm down. Now, let’s finish this shower so we can go out for our special night.”

I smiled back at her as she stood up. “You sure you’re okay now?”

“Yes, thank you. I’m getting hungry, so let’s go get something to eat. This baby is making me hungry all the time.”

Laughing, I stood up. We stepped under the warm spray of the shower, washing away the grime and the memories. I wanted to make love to her, but I knew she was hungry. As she ran the sponge over my body, my body responded, but I forced myself to keep control.

I closed my eyes, trying to think of anything but the feel of her hands on me. I let out a breath, looking down at her. She was the most amazing woman I’d ever known. She shampooed my hair, her touch soothing and relaxing. I could feel the tension leaving my body.

Finally, we were done. I dried her off, then myself. She was almost ready by the time I pulled my shirt over my head. She’d put on a white dress with a single shoulder strap and a ruffled slit that started at her left knee.

She was breathtaking. I wanted to rip the dress off her and take her right there, but I held back. I offered her my arm, and she took it with a smile. We headed downstairs.

Noah and Conner were waiting for us in the front room. They both stood up when they saw her.

“Damn, woman, you’re going to have every man in that place staring at you,” Conner said, hugging her gently.

“Thank you, Conner. I feel better now that I’m safe here at the house.”

Noah stepped up, giving her a quick hug. “You look stunning. We might end up in a fight with you looking this good.”

She laughed, playfully punching his chest. “I hope not. I don’t want to get kicked out of this place.”

“You know we’d fight a whole bar if it meant keeping you safe,” Conner said as we headed out the front door.

Noah grinned. “You know it. We’d take on the world to keep you and the boss safe. We’d go down first if it meant you two could get away.”

We all laughed as we climbed into the limousine, heading for the place I’d picked for our special night.