Page 41 of Guarded (Hopeless Blessed #3)

Jeremiah

I managed to persuade Noah to sit on one of his sofas and drink a cup of tea. While he did that, I busied myself in his en-suite.

A bath was needed. It was one of the few luxuries we’d had in Hell, the river of flames handy for more than keeping the errant souls in. There were caves under the ninth circles where the baths were. Bubbling hot springs kept them supplied day and night.

Going down had been an escape for me; a chance to retreat after a particularly traumatic torture session or to lick my wounds after a punishment. It was quiet down there too. There was no screaming, no begging, no pleading. Just me and the water, washing away my sins.

I always felt reset after. Ready to face whatever bullshit was going to be thrown at me next. Maybe it’d have the same effect on Noah.

There was a whole array of bottles and products along the edge of the bath.

Noah must like to add them to the water, but which ones?

I didn’t understand what most of them were for.

Did bath salts make your skin taste salty?

Or dry it out, perhaps? And what the fuck were bath bombs?

Did they cause an explosion of water? That didn’t sound very relaxing.

I wrinkled my nose, trying to decide. Fuck it. I’d chuck in a bit of each. What could go wrong?

Famous last words.

A few moments later, I was cursing as I frantically flicked the taps off. “Shit, shit , shit .”

I plunged my arm into the water without bothering to roll up my sleeve.

There was no time, not with how the bubbles were currently cascading over the edge.

They were seeping over the once shining tiles, winking at me tauntingly.

I grabbed the plug and yanked it out before sagging against the side of the bath in release.

“Having some issues?”

I turned my head to see Noah in the doorway, manfully trying to control his laughter.

I huffed. “Why do you have so many products when they cause so much mess?”

“Um.” Noah bit his lip as he surveyed the mess. “Which ones did you use?”

I waved in the general direction of the bottles. “A little of each. Plus a bath bomb. Didn’t know what it did but I was curious.”

Noah nodded rapidly, his lips pressed together. His face was turning an alarming shade of red as he eyed the bubbles once more. They were continuing to make a break for freedom, the water emptying too slow to stop them.

“It’s okay,” I said with a lopsided grin. “You can laugh.”

“Oh thank god.” Noah hooted with laughter. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I grinned. “It’s pretty funny. I’ll bump ‘ learning to run a decent bath for Noah’ to the top of my list.”

His laughter faded away. “You were running it for me?”

“Of course.” I got up off the floor and looked at my soaked shirt with a sigh. It would have to come off. As would my jeans, for that matter. The bubbles had got everywhere. “Everyone finds a bath relaxing.”

I unbuttoned my shirt and let it fall to the ground. It soaked up some of the bubbles, which was handy. “Except me now. This was far from relaxing.” As I dropped my jeans, I realised Noah hadn’t said anything. I kicked them off and stepped towards him. “Are you okay?”

He was staring at the water with an odd expression on his face. “I don’t think anyone’s ever run me a bath before.”

There was an ache in my chest that had nothing to do with the bond. “Well, I’m glad I’m your first. You’re my first too, if that helps.”

Noah tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“You’re the first person I’ve run a bath for. I’d have thought that was obvious given how badly I fucked it up.” I hummed, tapping my foot. “Come to think of it, no one’s run a bath for me either. In Hell, they’re filled by running hot springs, so you just get in one.”

Noah cupped my face. “In that case, why don’t I finish running this bath?”

“But I was running it for you.”

“I know.” He slid an arm around my waist and pressed himself in close.

My cock thickened against him. I’d insisted on rest before sex, but apparently the message hadn’t travelled that far south.

“But how about I finish it, and we get in together? That way, it’s a first for both of us in two different ways. ”

“Are you sure? I don’t know if we’ll fit.”

Noah smirked, sliding his thigh between my legs. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ll make us fit. Besides, you deserve to relax as much as I do.”

I opened my mouth to argue. To remind him of all the bullshit Lyle had put him through. How these past few weeks had been far more stressful for him than for me.

But then I caught myself. Why did I want to argue? Why bring up everything Noah was trying to forget? If Noah wanted me to get in the bath and relax with him, why the fuck wasn’t I doing that?

I kissed his forehead. “I like that. You run the bath, and I’ll grab some towels and clean up in here a bit.”

N oah was right. We did fit. It was snug, but honestly, what could be better than having Noah’s naked, wet body pressed against mine?

Nothing. That’s what.

I was behind Noah, with him seated between my legs. He was reclined against my chest, his hair tied up in a messy bun. We’d been here for so long that the water had gone cool twice. That was another handy bonus of being a demon. A quick blast of my power had it steaming hot again.

“This is perfection,” Noah said dreamily, his head leaning on my shoulder. “What a great idea.”

“I have them occasionally.”

He grinned at me, cheeks pink from the heat. “I made it better by suggesting you join me.”

I ran my hands up and down his torso. “Not going to argue with you when you’re clearly right.”

“I always am.”

My cock was hard against the small of Noah’s back, but I wasn’t inclined to do anything about it just yet. Nor was Noah, despite being in a similar state.

No, we were happy here. Relaxing and talking.

“Where did you go after Nha Trang?”

I dropped a line of kisses along his shoulder, using them to punctuate my words. “Ho Chi Minh city. It was fun, but to be honest, I didn’t take a lot of it in.”

“You didn’t?”

I paused, my gaze meeting his. “No. I was too distracted worrying about you.”

Guilty eyes cut away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stress you out.”

“Hey.” I touched his chin, turning his face back to mine. “Believe it or not, I like having someone to worry about.”

“You do?”

“Yes,” I said softly. “Worrying means you care. I’ve not had someone to care about before, not to this extent, at least.”

His eyes softened. “That’s a lovely way to look at it.”

“It’s true.”

He traced a pattern in the lingering bubbles. With Noah in charge of running the bath, we’d ended up with a sensible amount instead of a flood. “Did you mean what you said in your texts? About not travelling every month?”

“I did. I don’t want to be apart from you for that long. I can’t.”

“Because of the ache?”

I heard the uncertainty in his voice, and after meeting Lyle, I understood it. Noah’s self-esteem had been battered over centuries. He struggled to believe anyone would choose him just for him .

It had me wishing I could rewind time. I’d go back to the day we first met and do everything differently. I’d walk straight up to him and introduce myself. I’d claim him in front of everyone before falling to my knees and vowing to choose him every day.

Not because of fate or a bond, but because of Noah. His kindness. His selflessness. His mischief. I wanted every side of him.

I knew that. Now it was time for Noah to know it too.

“No, not because of the bond. Because of you.” A strand of hair fell from his bun and I automatically tucked it behind his ear.

“Because there’s nothing out there as beautiful as your smile.

Or as interesting as your mind. There’s no one else who listens to me like you do. That’s what I want, Noah.”

He bit his lip. “But what about travelling? Your freedom?”

I hummed, still stroking his side as I thought about how to best explain it. “I don’t think I was travelling to enjoy my freedom. I think I was running.”

Noah tensed in my arms. “From me?”

“No.” I kissed his neck until he relaxed again. “Never from you. Well, except for that first time. But as established, I was a muppet.”

“You were.” Noah moaned as I kissed along his collarbone. “What were you running from then?”

I planted one final kiss on his shoulder before lifting my head with a sigh. “Honestly? I think I was running from my past. From everything I did. ”

Noah pursed his lips. “Is it connected to your nightmares?”

Of course he remembered that. “Yeah. It’s always the same memory, and it ends the same way.”

He snuggled back into me. “Want to tell me about it? You don’t have to, but it might help.”

I tried to get the words out, but they got stuck in my throat.

“I won’t judge you,” Noah said, rubbing my forearms soothingly. “I never would have, but especially not after today. You saw me at my worst and didn’t judge me.”

“There was nothing to judge you for. Lyle was to blame for everything that happened, and certainly for today. None of that was on you, sweetheart.”

“I kept going back to him.”

“You were in a toxic situation, Noah.” I was starting to suspect Noah was harder on himself than anyone else. “You didn’t know any better.”

“I do now,” he said, making my heart skip a beat as he smiled. “You’re better than him in every single way. Nothing you tell me will change how I see you, Jem. We might’ve not had the best start, but you’ve kept showing up for me. You’ve kept choosing me. Really, that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“It’s the minimum you deserve. I might not know much about relationships either, but I’m going to learn. I’ll be the best damn mate who’s ever existed.”

“I know.” He twisted to kiss my cheek. “Now let me be the best too. Let me be there for you, Jem. Let me know all of you so I can love all of you.” My jaw dropped and he chuckled. “I’m not saying I’m there yet…but I’m on my way. Is that okay? ”

I closed my mouth and swallowed hard. “It’s more than okay. Nobody’s ever loved me before.”