13. Lucy

Chapter 13

Lucy

S pencer had been so good to me that I couldn’t help but wonder if he was even real. Like, perhaps I froze to death in my car, and this was heaven. Or maybe I had lapsed into the best coma ever, destined to dream of Spencer for the rest of my unconscious life.

But the cold bite of the wooden floor against my bare feet told me I was, indeed, awake. When I opened the bathroom door and saw a shirtless Spencer standing there waiting for me, the waft of steamy air was a sure sign that I would remember tonight forever because he looked even better than I remembered.

He stood shirtless. Shadows from the lantern hanging by the door cast a stark contrast between the pronounced muscles of his abs and chest, making him look like he was carved out of granite.

Luckily, I managed not to gasp out loud at the sight.

His massive body filled the doorway while one big hand rested on the frame. The perfect sprinkling of dark hair covered the muscled expanse of his broad chest. My helpless eyes drifted down through the line of black hair running between his abs to disappear beneath the low-slung waistband of his plaid pajama pants.

The thought of getting dizzy again so he would have to catch me was tempting, but I resisted. That would be wrong, wouldn’t it?

A smirk floated across his lips before setting into a benign smile. He knew I was checking him out. But to be fair, I wasn’t trying all that hard to hide it anymore.

“I’ll leave you alone to change.” His voice was dark as sin. He didn’t want to leave. I could tell by the muscle ticking in his jaw and the way his eyes roved over every inch of my body before he switched places with me and backed away. “Yell when you’re done.”

I nodded in answer, entirely at a loss for words.

My heart rate skyrocketed, and my lingering headache throbbed in my temples from the rush of emotions coursing through my body. I wanted his hands on me. I wanted more of this feeling, more of being cared for by a man who wouldn’t push for something sexual in the end. Every other man I dated found my migraines annoying and steered clear of me until I felt better. Or they handed me my meds before running for the door as if my headaches were the ultimate cockblocker.

I studied my face in the mirror before changing into the simple black tank suit.

Who was this woman staring back at me who finally had hope in her heart?

“Ready,” I called out and pushed the door open. And I was. I was ready to see where this thing with Spencer could go.

He appeared in the doorway, back under control. “I’m not going to try anything. I swear I just want to help you.”

“I know that.” Never once had that thought crossed my mind. I would have laughed if he wasn’t so earnest.

“Do you need help getting in? Is the dizziness still gone?”

“I got it.” Carefully, I stepped into the massive tub. My muscles unclenched and relaxed as I sank into the shimmering water—it was the perfect temperature, which I always thought was almost too hot. I could feel it in my bones. It was always a strange sensation whenever I was recovering from a migraine. The pain was never just in my head, and I would always forget how tense my entire body would get.

A deep sigh escaped, along with a few tears of relief.

“Is it too hot?”

I swiped beneath my eyes, hoping he hadn’t noticed. “No. It’s perfect. You have no idea what you’ve done for me.”

He offered me a washcloth, which I took, dipping it into the water to place across my forehead. Then, I put my toes on the tub's edge and stretched out.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him leaning on one hip against the counter, watching me. I grabbed the side of the tub and let my head float.

“Hunter gets headaches like you do,” he remarked. “A few times when we were kids, Dad had to take him to the ER. I’ll tell him about the hot bath thing, though he’s way too tall to fit like you do.”

“Is he the oldest?”

“Yep. Hunter, Deacon, Tucker, Brody, me, and Charlotte.”

“Damn, I have four half-sisters. We’re close, but I’ve never shared a house with them. What was that like? Did you have to brawl for time in the bathroom every morning?”

“We had four bathrooms, and yeah, sometimes it was a close call.”

“God, I hope Charlotte had her own.”

He chuckled. “She did. Dad gave her the room with the attached bath.”

“Ha! Good.”

“Do you want to stay like this? I can leave if you’d rather relax alone.”

“No, stay, please.” I turned my head to face him. “Having my mom wash my hair was always one of the silver linings of a headache when I lived at home with her. I’d pay someone to wash my hair every day if I could. But I mean, if this is awkward or whatever, I understand.”

“I do not feel awkward,” his protest was immediate. “There is nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you. I mean that, Lucy.”

A charged silence filled the air. I saw him grab the shampoo bottle and kneel at the tub's edge, resting one hand near my head.

“You don’t give me butterflies,” I blurted out.

“Ouch.” His face fell into a mask of uncertainty. “You know how to make a guy feel good.”

I sat up, accidentally splashing water over the side of the tub in my haste to bring back his smile. “No, this is better than butterflies,” I clarified, covering his broad hand with both of mine. “With you, I feel like I’m sinking into a warm bath—just like this one. Or like I’m finally coming home after a long day. You don’t scare me, is what I’m trying to say. I’m not sitting here wondering how this thing with you will fall apart or what you’ll end up doing to hurt me. For the first time in my life, I have hope. I trust you, Spencer. I’ve never felt this way before.”

His eyes gentled, growing contemplative. “I trust you too. I want you to know that I’m falling for you, Lucy. I think something inside of me always knew this would happen if I ever had the chance to get close to you.”

“I feel the same way. I’ve always had a thing for you since high school.”

His words lit me up inside. Having him confirm out loud what I’d been suspecting he felt was a heady feeling. Having my feelings reciprocated meant I was right to trust my gut when it came to him, which meant more than anything. After so many letdowns, this thing with Spencer was repairing my heart piece by piece.

“I liked you too, Spencer. I was just too shy to do anything about it.”

“I don’t want this to end when we go home.” He did not attempt to be cagey with his feelings, to keep me guessing and uncertain, and it set something free inside me. Each day here had me opening up to the possibility of being with him more and more. Tonight might push me over the edge.

“It won’t end, Spencer. I won’t let it.” I tightened my grip on his hand. I wanted to pull him into the tub with me, but this wasn’t the time to let my physical desires eclipse the real and heretofore unprecedented feelings flowing between us. “I’m pretty stubborn,” I confessed to lighten the mood. “I’ve also been told I’m clingy and needy—previously described as negative traits that might work in your favor when we get out of this cabin. We shall see. I mean, you should know what you’re getting into if you want to be with me.”

“Ah, I get you.” Teasing laughter lit up his eyes. “Well, I’ve been told that I’m too bossy in bed, and I should stop thinking I know what’s best all the time. I’m also a know-it-all, and I should never grow a beard.” He hadn’t shaved since we got here, and his beard was sexy.

I let the bed comment slide because, yum. I felt those words right in a spot I shouldn’t be thinking about when I was sitting here practically naked in front of him, and he was not wearing a shirt. “Do not shave the beard. Not anytime soon, anyway.” Back to joking, “Oh! We can’t forget what Skip McFadden said about how I should dress to impress and wear more makeup.”

His low, throaty laugh filled the room. “Sweetheart, you’re gorgeous. You’ll always be gorgeous, no matter what you wear.”

My heart fluttered in my chest, threatening to burst through my ribcage and fly around the room. “That’s one more reason I’m into you so much. I’ve looked like hell the entire time we’ve been here. Clearly, you like me for my sparkling personality and not my looks. I even threw up in front of you, and you seem to like me still. It’s a refreshing change of pace. And for the record, I’d still be into you if you shaved your beard. You’re gorgeous, with or without it. It’s just that I’m curious about—” I flicked my eyes down his unbelievable, carved-out-of-stone bare chest, then back up to let them linger on his mouth—“ Things . I’ve never dated a man with a beard before.”

“ Things , huh?” He ran a hand down his beard, and his expression grew dark as he pinned me in place with his eyes. “I look forward to showing you all the things then.”

“I’m making a mental list.”

His lips tipped up at the corner in a sly smile. “Don’t forget that I’m bossy and always know best.”

“There is literally no chance in hell I’ll forget those things, Spencer. Don’t you worry about that.”

For a brief moment, we sat there, eye to eye, sharing our breath, getting lost in a way we couldn’t joke our way out of. There was no way to lighten the feelings that passed between us anymore. He reached out and stroked his hand down the length of my hair, lingering at the ends where it was plastered against my skin before letting the wet strands slide through his fingertips.

“We should wash this before the water cools off.” This prolonged anticipation would kill me, and I knew he felt the same way from the look in his eye.

“Mmm-hmm…” With just that slight touch, I felt tingling all over. Words had escaped me.

“How is your headache?”

“It’s practically gone. Hot water always does wonders.”

“Good. Let’s see if I can take it all away. I hated seeing you in pain.” He filled his palm with shampoo while I turned my back, anticipating how it would feel to have him touch me again.

Waiting was so stupid. I wanted him right now. Truthfully, I had gone beyond wanting. I needed him.

His big hands tunneled into my hair, rubbing the suds into my scalp with light circles of his fingertips.

My senses reeled as if I had short-circuited. I breathed lightly through my parted lips, trying to regain control over my emotions. I had to respect his boundaries—it was the right thing to do. But my heart wasn’t listening; it had swelled with feelings I never knew were possible for me to have. The word “forever” suddenly had a new meaning, and I wanted to start on it now. I was free-falling as everything I had ever hoped for and secretly wished for was coming true around me.

He reached for the showerhead and began rinsing my hair. He was achingly gentle, careful not to pull or let the shampoo get into my eyes. He had taken such good care of me the entire time we’d been here.

“All right, Lucy.” He placed the showerhead on the hook by the faucet. “I’m finished. How do you feel?”

“So much better. Thank you for this, Spencer.” Facing him, I watched as he dried his chest with a towel and then pulled his T-shirt over his head.

“I’ll leave you to finish up.”

He lingered in the doorway. And his eyes were heartrendingly tender. I took it all in, freezing in place to memorize this moment—how his eyes crinkled at the corners, his lips tipped up with his sweet smile, and most of all, how he made me feel like I was the only woman in the world.

I pulled the plug, carefully exited the tub, and wrapped myself in a towel. He’d left the hoodie he was wearing this morning on the counter. Instead of putting on the shirt he’d set out for me, I slipped it over my head and zipped it to the top, before donning the leggings and fluffy socks he had chosen for me to wear.

The hoodie smelled like him. I inhaled deeply and stifled a groan, vowing that I would be wrapped in his arms one day and wouldn't need to sneak into his shirts to feel this close to him. I could get a hit of his scent anytime I wanted.