Protecting it All (The Punishment Pit #6) - Livia Grant Page 0,69

shower in the far corner of the room, but knew she was still too wobbly to make it there on her own. Desire to wash away the remnants of Jake Davenport warred with her reticence to ask Dylan for help.

"Hannah, honey. You okay in there?" He knocked lightly before pushing the door open tentatively. She glanced his way before looking down at her bare feet. She didn't want him to see how much she was struggling with her erratic emotions.

His boots appeared next to her as he wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. He didn't ask. Understanding what she wanted, he steered her silently towards the corner slowly, helping her step over the lip of the shower basin. She felt his fingers on the ties holding the ugly gown closed in the back. Her mind told her she should protest. They didn't know each other well. It was her heart that had her holding her tongue.

How long had it been since anyone had taken care of her in any way? Her mom had died when she was eleven and her sister Holly was thirteen. Holly had tried her best to protect Hannah, to keep her safe from the horrors of being the daughters of a sex offender in their Columbus home. Holly had taken the brunt of her father's attention and bouts of rage, all to protect her younger sister, but she'd been gone for years now, making Hannah the caregiver.

So standing there, naked, waiting for Dylan to warm the water, checking to make sure it was the perfect temperature, a strange feeling of being home washed over her. Strange because she wasn't even sure where home was anymore. Memories from the last few weeks closed in, threatening to overwhelm her again.

Sensing her mood change, he reached to pull her forward into the steady stream of water. She felt instantly better when the water sluiced off her body as if it were washing away the horrors of the last twenty-four hours.

Dylan pulled her hand to the rail on the wall. "Hold on here while I take my shirt off. I'm gonna help you get washed up."

She was grateful when he stopped at just his shirt. Hannah tried not to stare at his lean, muscular chest, and the flexing eagle tattooed on his right bicep as he reached for a washcloth and lathered it up.

Dylan worked silently to wash her from head to toe. She should have been embarrassed at his close inspection of her body, but she wasn't. It was as if he were washing away the pain Jake had inflicted, and it was cathartic. When he turned her so her hair was under the spray, he left her long enough to reach for a small bottle of shampoo the hospital stocked on a small supply shelf.

Their eyes met briefly as he returned. "Close your eyes, baby. I'm gonna wash your hair for you."

She complied, enjoying the feel of his fingers massaging her scalp slowly, thoroughly washing her hair. He returned with conditioner and only once he'd rinsed her hair for the second time did he turn off the water and reach for a stack of nearby towels.

The room wasn't cold, yet she shivered. He took the large bath towel and wrapped it around her first to help warm her while he dried her hair with a second towel. He then dried every inch of her body, slowly... methodically... reverently. Just as he was kneeling to dry her feet, they both jumped as Lukus called their names from the connecting hospital room.

Dylan stood, once again towering almost a foot over her. Her breath caught at the intensity in his eyes. She knew he'd enjoyed helping her as much as she'd liked it, which confused her.

"Looks like we need to get you back into your hospital gown. I don't think you'll want to talk to the police in a towel." His grin was disarming.

"Can't I just get dressed? Lukus brought my clothes, right?"

"Not yet. Not until the doctors give you the green light to leave."

Just before they were ready to head out of the bathroom, Dylan stopped her, slowly pulling a wide-toothed comb through her wet hair until it hung down her back, tangle free.

Their eyes met in the small mirror and she smiled. "Thank you, Dylan. Honestly... for everything."

"No thanks needed. I'm exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want; taking care of you."

There it was again. Him wanting to take care of her.