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R enard helped her into her bedroom.

Fuck.

He hated that she was hurting so badly. He stood for a moment and just breathed, trying to keep himself from doing something stupid.

You cannot force her to take painkillers.

You cannot punch the wall because you’re frustrated that you can’t help her.

You cannot go punch Dean because you’re angry that he’s a dick who hurt her.

Well, he could.

That would likely bring him a lot of joy. But it wouldn’t help Opal. And it would mean leaving her, which he wasn’t going to do.

So he’d just have to keep himself under control.

“I think I’ll have a shower,” she said. “Hot water seems to help.”

He narrowed his gaze as he studied her. “Don’t like the idea of you showering on your own.”

Opal raised her eyebrows, pursing her lips. “Now, darlin’, normally I’d love to take you up on a shower together, but not sure I’d be much fun right now.”

“I didn’t say you had to be fun,” he replied. “This is about me taking care of you. About me making sure you don’t slip in the shower and hurt yourself worse than you already are.”

Her face grew soft and he could easily see there was shock there.

“That’s really kind.”

He snorted. “I’m not kind.”

“I think you are,” she countered. “And sweet.”

He scowled and pointed at her. “Don’t be spreading that shit around, Gem.”

“Why? You think the secret will get out and everyone will find out how sweet and kind you are?”

“You know that if you didn’t have a sore back, you’d be going over my knee right now.”

She giggled, then groaned. “Promises. Promises.”

He shook his head. “Stop laughing. Just stop doing anything that makes you sore.”

“Pretty sure I’d have to stop breathing, then,” she grumbled.

His frown deepened. “I don’t like hearing that. I’ll wait in the bathroom without coming into the shower with you. So long as you tell me if you need me.”

He followed her into the bathroom where she started to undo the buttons on her shirt. He brushed her hands away.

“You really don’t have to do that,” she told him.

“I do. And you’re going to let me.”

“I’m not very good at accepting help.”

No kidding.

Anyone could see that.

“Someone must have taken care of you in the past.”

They better have.

Because he didn’t think that he could bear to think of the alternative. That she’d never had anyone look out for her.

“I grew up mostly taking care of myself. It wasn’t until I met Lilac and Ryleigh that anyone took care of me.”

“What about your boyfriends?”

She scoffed. “Men are the ones who hurt me the most.”

There was a bitter note to her voice that made him pause. “Then they weren’t men. Not decent men.”

“No. None of them were decent,” she agreed. “None of them would have undressed me without having one thing on their mind.”

He cupped her face between his hands. “Well, I’m not them. And the only thing on my mind is making sure that you’re all right.”

He was killing her.

It seriously felt like her insides were melting.

How was it possible for a man who scowled so much to be so . . . damn . . . sweet?

To make her want to wrap herself around him and never let go?

It didn’t make much sense, but here she was staring at him like he hung the moon.

He drew off her shirt before crouching down to pull off her faux-leather pants. She was really regretting putting them on now as they were a pain in the ass to get off. But he didn’t swear once as he got them off, gruffly ordering her to hold onto his shoulders for balance.

Even though he was being extremely gentle with her, by the time she was standing there in her bra and panties, she was breathing heavily through the pain.

“Want me to undo your bra?”

She nodded and he reached around and undid her bra.

“Panties?”

Yeah, no way she was getting them off without help.

“Yes, please,” she said, hiding her wince.

Opal never used to have any issues about being naked in front of someone else, but Stefan had seriously eroded her confidence in her body. But surely, he could help her without seeing too much.

He slid her panties down. Stepping back, he turned on the shower before turning back to her.

Then his gaze ran over her. It felt like everywhere it touched, her skin heated.

“Damn, Gem,” he said gruffly. “I thought you would look good. I didn’t realize it would be amazing.”

“What?” she asked.

“You. You’re absolutely fucking amazing.”

“I thought . . . I thought you weren’t gonna look.”

“When did I say that?”

“Um, when you said you only cared about making sure I was all right.”

“Baby, I am doing that. But I never said I wouldn’t look. I’m not a saint after all.”

She had to grin at that. Somehow, she didn’t feel like an invalid when he had his gaze on hers. No, she felt . . . desirable. “No, you are not.”

Lightly grasping hold of her chin, he tilted her head back, kissing her gently. “So beautiful.”

When he drew back, she let out a noise of protest. “Come back.”

“No.”

“Come back please?” Maybe she’d be able to get her way if she said please.

“Nice try, but no. Like I said, I’m no saint. And kissing you while you’re naked is definitely pushing the edge of my control. Now, get in the shower.”

When she was in, he grabbed the shower head to aim it against her back. “Is that a good spot?”

“It’s perfect,” she said as she leaned her hands against the side of the shower.

Her eyes closed.

Bliss.

Why had she gone to the club tonight? What an idiot she was. Her back hadn’t been that bad before Dean the Dick tweaked it.

Shit.

Now she was calling him that.

“You all right, Gem?”

“Now I’m calling Dean the Dick, Dean the Dick.”

Great. Was she even making sense right now?

He grunted. “And once you earn a name like ‘the dick’ you can’t ever get rid of it.”

“Truer words were never spoken. He’s ‘the dick’ for life.”

“Deserves it.”

“Really wasn’t his fault, though. It was mine. He didn’t know.”

He made a sound like he didn’t agree. “It’s true that you should have told him about your back, but he grabbed you like that out of frustration because he couldn’t control the scene. The man should have called for a pause before then. And that’s why he’s ‘the dick’.”

Right.

Made sense.

“Doesn’t mean you’re not in trouble for not telling him about your back. And for Topping from the bottom during that scene.”

“You’re really gonna punish me for that?”

“Well, it wasn’t my scene,” he said. “Of course, I could punish you for scening with someone else who wasn’t me.”

“Um, considering I thought we were just friends, no you can’t.”

“That is a point for consideration.”

She glared at him over her shoulder. “It’s the only point for consideration.”

“You try Topping with me, I’m gonna shut that shit down real quick,” he warned.

Something came over her. Different than those jabs of happiness he’d given her.

This was more like a blanket.

A warm blanket. One that made you feel at ease.

Which was weird when he’d basically just threatened her.

But if she had to take a guess, she figured it was because she knew that he meant every word. He’d follow through. And he wouldn’t leave her floundering . . . upset and out of control.

Because he would seize control.

“You’d keep me safe?” she whispered.

Shit. She didn’t mean to say that. Opal liked to play. And she liked to sass. What she didn’t usually do was trust. And to feel safe, you needed trust, so she wasn’t sure that she’d ever really had that.

Renard moved in close and opened the door. Grasping hold of her chin, he turned her face toward his. “I will keep you safe, Opal.”

She sucked in a breath and nodded. She believed him.

“Could you pass me the shower gel?” she asked, needing a break from the deep stuff.

“Yeah, baby. Sure you don’t need help?”

“Think I’ve got it.”

It was painful but she managed to wash her body. While keeping her hair out of the water. She didn’t have the energy to deal with that disaster right now.