Page 22 of Love Me Forever

She had not thought of a man and intimacy in a very long time. Her husband had destroyed all her girlhood dreams of love and being loved. She had closed her heart off to protect herself from the pain of a loveless marriage. She had sworn to herself that she would not ever care for another man and never would she love again.

“Ready?”

Royce stood over her, his large size intimidating, though she felt no intimidation from him. It was her own insecurities that caused her to tremble.

She nodded, fearful her voice would betray her nervousness.

He hesitated a moment as though having a second thought, then he stepped back away from the bed, slipped the strip of plaid that ran over his shoulder down to hang at his waist, and hurried out of his linen shirt as though he might change his mind.

He approached the bed again, this time the size of him intimidating.

She had seen his chest before but not nearly as clearly as she did now. He was twice the size her husband had been, and his muscles were much more pronounced, almost as if his flesh were carved around the thick muscles.

His chest was broad, his stomach hard, and his arms powerful. He was an opponent most men would fear and a man that women would admire.

“I do not want a wet shirt,” he said, as if he felt it necessary to explain his partial nakedness.

She nodded again and sent a silent prayer to the heavens for strength.

He eased back the blankets. “You may feel a chill.”

She remained silent, not trusting her voice, and kept her eyes on him. She told herself to look away and not watch him. That was not possible; she was compelled to keep her eyes on him.

He eased the blankets off her all the way down to her feet. “You are cold, you tremble.”

She trembled from her nervousness, but this she would not tell him.

He was quick to effortlessly snatch her up into his arms and hold her close to him.

She noticed that his eyes did not linger nor did they avoid her body. He simply did what was necessary. His focus was on his task, and his eyes?

They caught her own glance as he leaned over to place her in the tub. ‘Tell me if the water is a comfortable temperature for you.”

He lowered her toes in and she sighed, a smile following. “It is heavenly.”

He laughed softly and lowered her further into the tub. “I will hold you until you can rest comfortably on your own.”

He wanted no repeat of the early day’s incident. He intended to make certain that she felt no pain, only pure pleasure.

The heated water evaporated her nervousness. It was not lukewarm or unbearably hot, but seemed the perfect temperature for soothing her aches and pains. She sighed again and relaxed against his arm that wrapped firmly around her back.

Her eyes drifted closed for a moment and his glance drifted over her. She possessed a beautiful body, all curves and mounds in just the right places. And pale skin that was blushing pink from the heated water.

He shook his head. It was time to let go of her; her warming flesh was beginning to feel much too pleasing to his touch.

“Do you think you can sit on your own?”

She heard the reluctance in his voice, and she mistakenly thought that he assumed her too weak. Her courage surfaced. “Aye, I can.”

“Sure of it, then?” he teased, hearing the bravado in her voice.

“Let go and we will see,” she challenged.

He accepted, though it was with a slow hand he released her to rest on her own.

It was barely a minute and her smile was wide when the pain in her back began. Her first thought was to ignore it, but she had made that mistake earlier. She would not be foolish enough to repeat it.

Her hand went out to him. “Royce.”