Chapter 13

Stasi

I'm really not trying to taunt him or tempt him.

I'm really not.

I need help with the aloe. That's all.

Peeling off my crop top, I stand with my back facing him, clutching the top across my bare breasts.

His thick, rough fingers smooth the cold gel over the skin of my back, and I can feel the medicine drawing the heat out of me already.

I let out a shuddering sigh.

"Thank you."

He grunts his signature grunt. "Not done yet."

I chuckle softly. "Yeah, you have a lot of ground to cover."

He pauses, then continues. "You have really nice skin. We have to take care of it."

"We?"

"Tomorrow, you stay out of the sun," he says.

"But I thought you were going to take me fishing tomorrow."

His voice is more firm now and does crazy things to my body. "I said you're staying out of the sun."

My insides melt into molten chocolate. "Yes, Daddy."

He pauses again because I've shocked him.

"Stasi," he says in admonishment.

"Hm?" I turn to the side and bat my eyelashes at him. His gaze rakes down to where I know he's getting a generous view of side-boob.

He dabs his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Don't."

"Don't what? Call you Daddy?"

He makes no reply other than another animal noise.

"Sorry if I upset you," I say sincerely.

"Nothing to be sorry about. Just don't want you teasing me while you're injured. Again."

"Okay," I say with a pout and turn back around.

I hear him curse under his breath as he dispenses more aloe into his hand and rubs it on my back, working it into my shoulder blades, spine, back of my neck, and lower.

"You shouldn't sunbathe naked."

"Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Lucky for you, the sting should be gone in two days."

"It's not that painful as it is," I say.

"You should go to bed and get some sleep," he mutters, his voice thick with irritation at my pushback. "Drink some water first. That will help."

After preparing for bed, I exit the bathroom in my tank top and underwear. Sigurd already has the blankets pulled down for me. He stands at the window, averting his gaze.

"What are you watching for? Bears?"

"What you wear to bed is not much more coverage than what you wore on the dock today. I don't want to invade your privacy."

"Well, you already saw me naked," I say.

"Not on purpose," he rumbles.

"I told you I didn't mind," I say, slipping between the sheets. "Okay, I'm in the bed now. No nipples visible."

With a huff, Sigurd marches over to the bed and hands me an over-the-counter pain medicine and a glass of water. I sit up, pressing my tits out as I guzzle all the water.

I hand him the glass back, then shuffle under the blankets and pull them to my chin. "Can you turn the TV on? Put in a movie? It will help me get to sleep."

"How will watching a movie help you sleep?"

"Because I'm on vacation, that's how. Why are you asking silly questions?"

I can't help myself, and I love all the grumbling noises he makes as he turns on the television and finally gets the streaming device working. "What do you want to watch?"

"Something romantic. That one!" I say, naming the swoon-worthy romance from the 1990s that I've watched a dozen times.

Without a question, he fires it up for me and I sigh, settling into the bed.

"I better go start the fire."

"Aren't you going to tuck me in and kiss me good night?"

"Tuck you in?"

"You know. Tuck the blankets in around me."

I know he knows I know I'm pushing his limits. But he does it anyway because I'm asking.

I have this man wrapped around my pinky toe, and that makes me feel like a sexy and powerful temptress.

He comes over to me and tucks the blankets around me as I lie there.

"Good night," I say.

"Good night, Stasi," he says, leaning in for a good night kiss.

Our lips meet in a soft, sensuous kiss that makes my body tingle, but I know nothing will happen tonight beyond kissing.

As he pulls away, I reach out of the blankets and touch his arm, the soft hairs tickling my fingers.

"Stay."

"What?"

"Stay with me," I ask.

"It would not be proper."

"Just until I'm asleep?"

He debates this in his mind briefly, then says, "Just until you're asleep. On top of the covers."

"Party pooper," I tease, curling sideways to get a better view of the movie.

As I watch, the mattress on the other side squeaks under his weight.

He's sitting up straight, looking uncomfortable with his back against the headboard.

"If you get tired, you can stay instead of sleeping outside. I won't be mad."

Done with pushing back, he sighs. "Noted," he says.

I watch the movie, happy to have the company. Eventually, I fall asleep, and wake up a few hours later, still noticing Sigurd's presence in the bed. He makes no even breathing noise, nothing to indicate he's asleep.

Which means he's sitting in the dark, watching me snore.

And I hunker down, surrendering to the best sleep I've had in years.