Page 57

“Look at me, Tamsyn.” Frowning in concentration, Merrick started brushing her teeth—not the easiest thing to do when he was used to a certain motion when doing his own. He waited until her eyelids blinked open, revealing a dull, heavy stare. “Now, you’re gonna keep your eyes on me while I say my piece, okay?”

A dribble of toothpaste foam trickled over her lower lip when she nodded.

“Good girl. I know you’re a good girl, Tamsyn, and better yet, you’re my good girl now.” He caught the flicker behind her eyes when he said those two magic words, like a firefly trying to spark. “Don’t know what steered you this way, what voice in your head drove you down the mountains to come here, but I’m gonna believe there are reasons for it. One of those reasons is me.”

She hummed quietly.

“Gonna take a swing and guess you’re quaking down to the soul at the notion your father and his friends are coming down that mountainside to find you. Thinking, I don’t know, that they’re gonna waltz in here and lay down a sob story about how you’re special in the head, wandering away from a loving family, and they’ve been searching for you for weeks. Am I on the right track here, darlin’?”

Her shoulders shook, slumping dejectedly.

“Thought so. Let me tell you something about this place, Tamsyn. I told you it was a safe haven, a sanctuary, and I meant it. If those jackasses come looking for you, every damn Master and Mistress will swear on a fucking Bible they’ve never seen you.” He popped the toothbrush free and gestured to the sink. “Spit, little owl.”

While she obeyed with all the energy of a weary puppet on strings, Merrick rinsed the toothbrush and set it back in the holder. He filled the glass beside the sink half full, offering it to her. “Rinse.”

Eyes on his, she took a mouthful, swished it around her mouth, and spat it out into the sink as he tipped the rest of the water away and put the glass down.

Gently, he fisted his hand in her hair, tugging her head back. “There ain’t no way you’re going back to them, ‘less you walk out of here under your own steam, Tamsyn. You’re twenty-six, well above the legal age to do whatever the fuck you want. If you say no and they try to take you against your will… well, the fuckers are gonna have to go through me first, then through my friends. That ain’t happening, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

He almost heard her say,You don’t know them like I do.

“Don’t know them, but known others like them. Pompous, entitled, dickless fuckwits who use threats, violence, and bully tactics to get what they want. They think they can throw money around, maybe toss in a woman or two to sweeten a deal. That shit don’t fly around here, darlin’.”

She nodded as though agreeing with him would keep him in the dark. It was too late for that, even if she didn’t realize it yet. Her secrets were crawling out of the woodwork, and they wouldn’t stop until everything was in the light.

“I don’t want you getting so upset that you lose control of your bladder,” he told her firmly. “That kind of fear isn’t healthy. Throwing up when you get scared isn’t good for you either. We’re gonna figure out how to rein in the fear when it gets overwhelming instead of letting it run riot through you.”

Tamsyn plucked at her pants leg, obviously unhappy.

“For now, we’re going to get you naked and in the shower so you can wash away the stress. I’ll get you some juice, then you’re gonna take a nap.” He tapped a finger on her lips when she pouted. “I know when you’re exhausted, darlin’. We’ve been making progress on getting you to look and feel better; let’s not start going backwards.”

Reluctantly, she lifted her arms so he could wrestle her top off. The sweater was baggy enough to tug over her cast without too much trouble, and she wore one of his T-shirts underneath. It made him smile when she wore his clothes because they dwarfed her.

She’d gone without a bra, so her breasts jiggled slightly as he stripped her. Pinching a nipple, he rolled it until her ass squirmed on the counter. He loved that she was gaining weight, fleshing out her bones, healing physically if not mentally.

“Valentine’s Day is in two days,” he commented gruffly. “Know what that is?”

Biting her lip, she shook her head.

“Big day for romance. Flowers, chocolate, fancy meals, and a universal night for sex.” If she’d been a dog, her ears would’ve popped up straight. He watched her pit intrigue against the misery of the morning, and saw the moment intrigue won when her eyes finally brightened. “Think you’re ready to explore yourself some more?”

Tamsyn laid her hand over his on her breast, questions in her eyes.

“Yeah, you can have my fingers again.” She wouldn’t need to wait two days for them, though. His mouth curved when she lifted her hand to his face, her fingertips brushing his lips. “Maybe I’ll give you my mouth later, if you keep being a good girl today.”

The eager wriggle of her hips made him chuckle—she had no idea what she was asking for, no clue what his mouth could and would do to her.

“All right, on your feet, little owl, and get these pants off. Where did you put the waterproof cover for your cast?” He gave her nipple one last squeeze, then gripped her hips and lifted her down.

Struggling to push down the stretchy material with one hand, Tamsyn grunted in frustration until he yanked the wet pants down to her feet. She stepped out of them, then hurried over to the little set of drawers near the toilet where he’d stashed sundries like condoms and a box of tampons. She opened the top drawer and pulled out the plastic sleeve he’d bought her for when she preferred a shower over the bath.

It was a cross between a plastic mitten and a bag, he thought as she tugged it over her cast. The rubber seal fit smoothly around her slender forearm, just below her elbow.

“You gonna be okay in the shower if I leave you for a few minutes?” Merrick gestured to the bedroom. “I’ll get you a clean shirt for your nap.”

When she pouted, her eyes conveying her disappointment, he patted her arm. “Darlin’, you’re not ready for me to get in there with you. Seeing me naked is a gamechanger, trust me.”

Her gaze ticked down his body in steps until it stopped on the zipper of his jeans.