Page 34 of Remnants
Without batting an eye, he pulls his body wash from the shelf and lathers it on a washcloth, proceeding to clean me without anotherword. I’m surrounded by the smell of cinnamon as the cloth works the scent into my skin. It feels like another claim of his. One more way he’s marking me, between the bruises, his cum, and now this.
It makes me wonder if we made any progress at all, but I’m too tired and content to argue.
That’s exactly how he wanted me, isn’t it?
Well, fuck.
He wins this round.
Chapter ten
Raegan
Aidenshutsthewateroff once we’re both clean, then takes the towel he’d laid aside for himself to wrap around me. It’s massive and could probably fit two people in it, and I hug it tightly around myself as I step out of the shower. Without the hot water running to produce more steam, the cooler air of his bedroom slips in, adding a slight chill that induces a full-body shiver.
“Dry off and get dressed before you catch a cold.” Aiden wraps his new towel around his waist, then strides to his bedroom.
When I grab my clothes from the floor, a piece of paper tumbles free.
Oh.
Whoops.
I pinch the paper and hurry to the door, only for Aiden to walk through it first with a bag in hand. “Here are your things from the bunker. Make me a list of anything else you need: clothes, bathroom supplies, shoes, anything. I’ll order and have them delivered here for you.”
I nod, accepting the bag in my arms, though I don’t need much more than what’s already in there. Maybe a few restocks of bathroom supplies, but which bathroom will I keep that in? There’s the shared powder room right off the living area, but the only full bathrooms in this apartment are in each of their rooms.
Hopefully that discussion will be part of the one we’re about to have as a group. My living and sleeping arrangements.
“And one more thing,” he adds, his hand closed around something and waiting for mine.
Freeing a hand, he drops a purple butterfly clip onto my palm.
Portia’s clip.
“You grabbed this?”
“You said it was important to you.”
I close my hand around it and swallow thickly. He remembered this tiny little thing, searched the bunker for it to make sure I was reunited with it, and that does more to me than I know what to do with. “Thank you.” Clearing my throat, I wave Dane’s piece of paper at him. “Dane asked if you could add some things to the grocery list. Is it too late?”
He checks his phone, which he apparently picked up at some point, tapping something with his thumb a couple of times, then brings it to his ear. “This is Aiden, the one who placed the order you’re on your way to deliver. Yes. I have other items that need to be added. I understand. I’ll add an extra hundred-dollar tip for the inconvenience. Great. I’ll text them over to you now.”
He takes the paper and holds it in front of him, then snaps a picture with his phone and taps away again. “There. The store isaround the corner, so it’ll still be delivered shortly.” He returns to his bedroom, leaving me in the bathroom to get dressed.
I pull out something comfortable for today: a crew neck shirt and some jeans, for a change. Peeking into the bedroom, I spy Aiden working on his tie with only his dress jacket remaining. No time to blow-dry my hair, then. I stick to finger-combing the wet locks to avoid future tangles and make sure it dries somewhat nicely. Add a touch of eyeliner, and I’m done.
The sound of a door opening has me kicking my bag to the corner and tossing everything else on top so I can rush out at the same time as Aiden. We’d been waiting for Dane to wake up first, but now it’s on me that we haven’t all caught up yet because I’d been busy having sex with half of them.
Fuck. Don’t think of it like that.
I round the corner after Aiden to the dining table. He takes a seat at the head nearest to us, while Kellan is seated at the opposite end, and Dane on the right between them. I’m assuming the last chair on the other side of Dane is Jack’s, even though it’s empty.
“You can have my seat,” Jackson murmurs behind me, coming from fuck-knows where. But I don’t react, having expected him to be somewhere close.
“Thanks.” I offer him a small smile over my shoulder, which he returns, but there’s still something off about it. About him. There has been since I woke up in his bed this morning, which means it has nothing to do with me and Dane or Aiden. I just need a chance to be alone with him to find out what it is.
“You feel better after getting your dick wet?” Kellan drawlstoward Aiden, his grin sharp. Dane shoots him a glare. “What? He took a shower, didn’t he?”
