Page 42 of Keeping Amanda
Thank goodness the stall had a removeable showerhead. The kind with a long hose attached.
Mandy kicked off her shoes and stepped into the showerwith the rest of her clothes still on, and then turned on the water. She let out a girly screech as the cold water hit her, then giggled.
Buck could only stand there and smile. If someone had told him a month ago this was where he’d be—taking pleasure in a woman standing in his shower in dirty shorts and a T-shirt, with a grubby stray dog, while he was about to join her wearing his filthy flight suit—he would’ve laughed in their face. Yet, here he was. And enjoying every second.
“Okay, bring him in. The water’s warm now,” Mandy said.
Buck urged the suddenly unsure dog into the small enclosure, following along behind him and shutting the shower door. He was right, it was a very tight squeeze. Mandy sat on the tile floor and reached for Rain. “It’s okay. I know this is scary, but you’re doing such a good job. I promise this will feel good. Trust us, buddy.”
Bathing Rain took much longer than Buck thought it might, but by the time they were done, he felt closer to Mandy than ever. Taking care of another living being with her was…intimate. They worked together to reassure him, to cut off the mats that were too stubborn to comb out. The amount of dirt that went down the drain was shocking.
When it was over, Rain looked like a completely different dog. His fur was actually a light golden brown, not the dark brown he’d thought it was.
Since they’d had to snip off so much hair, what was left was sticking up in every direction, kind of like Mandy’s. In fact, they looked a lot alike at the moment, which made Buck chuckle. Then he had to explain to Mandy what he was laughing at. To his relief, she joined in and wasn’t offended he was comparing her to the dog.
When they finally opened the door to the shower, Rain bounded out, clearly relieved his ordeal was over. He shook violently, sending droplets of water across the small bathroom.Mandy giggled, and once again, Buck felt as if he was in an alternate world. Giggling women, a bathroom that smelled like a wet dog, now with water over every surface, and him standing completely dressed in his shower.
“I’ll get him dried off and leave you to the shower,” Buck told Mandy, as he stepped out of the small stall.
Without hesitation, he reached for the zipper of his flight suit. He quickly stepped out of it, leaving it in a puddle on the tiled floor. Keeping his back to the shower so he didn’t alarm Mandy, considering the more-than-obvious erection tenting his tighty-whities, he took off the grubby tank he wore under the suit, grabbed a few towels from the stack on the counter, and opened the door.
Rain was quick to leave the room, and Buck followed suit.
As soon as the door shut behind him, he let out a long breath. He felt overheated, even in just his underwear. Being around Mandy was making him feel all sorts of things he’d never felt before. None of them bad, just overwhelming at the moment. Because Buck knew without a doubt his life was forever changed, and all because of the woman on the other side of the bathroom door.
“Come ’ere, Rain. Let’s get you dried and comfortable. I promise I’ll hurry in my shower so we can get you some grub. Something better than squirrel and olives. We’ll need to get you some sort of leash and collar too. Someone around here will surely protest if you’re wandering around without them. They aren’t so bad though. You’ll see.”
Now he was doing it, talking to Rain as if the dog could understand him. But he had a feeling he just might. He had a way of staring into Buck’s eyes with an otherworldly knowing.
The sound of the shower behind the door he’d just closed was enough to make his dick twitch in his underwear. Knowing Mandy was in there was torture…getting naked, letting the water sluice over her skin as she ran a washcloth over her body. But it was also gratifying. The idea he’d been able to provide her with the things she needed to feel clean again.
Buck had never really thought of himself as a protector in the strictest sense of the word. And yet he couldn’t deny the sense of satisfaction he felt right now was immense.
After drying Rain as best he could, he stood in the middle of the small bunk room with his eyes closed, taking measured breaths and waiting for his turn in the shower.
They weren’t on the run from anyone. Didn’t have to worry about being bitten by venomous spiders or bugs in the middle of the night, and soon their bellies would be full. Things had turned out better than he ever could have hoped…
So why Buck still felt a slight sense of unease was confusing as hell.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Amanda never wanted to leave the shower. It was literally the best shower she’d ever had in her life. She’d soaped up three times and washed her hair twice—quickly. She was now taking a couple extra minutes just to stand in the hot water with her eyes closed, enjoying the feel of not having to be on edge. She was safe. Nash was in the other room, making sure no one barged in on her. Rain was out of harm’s way and clean.
Smiling, she opened her eyes and turned off the water. Nash still needed to shower, and she didn’t want to make him wait any longer. She dried herself, feeling so much lighter and happier now that she wasn’t covered in grime. And even more so when she was able to put on a clean pair of underwear, shorts, and a T-shirt.
She felt like a completely different person than the one she’d been a month ago, when she’d innocently been teaching a class before getting kidnapped.
She opened the door to the bathroom, expecting to see Nash waiting impatiently for his turn. Amanda should’ve known better. He probably wouldn’t have caredhowlong she took inthe shower. In fact, he wasn’t waiting for her to be done at all. He was lying on the twin bed, Rain next to him, his furry little head on Nash’s chest.
Both man and dog were sound asleep.
Amanda didn’t want to be a voyeur, but she couldn’t help staring at the man she’d spent the last two weeks with. The neatly trimmed facial hair he’d had when they’d first met was longer and scruffier. His hair was mussed, he had streaks of dirt on his face, and was wearing nothing but the tight briefs he apparently wore under his flight suit.
She felt awful for not immediately turning away or waking him up, but Amanda couldn’t take her gaze from him. He’d told her that he was only five-eight, not very tall for the average man, but for a pilot, he’d explained, his height was ideal, since he could fit in even the smallest cockpits and still maneuver around. And his body was perfectly proportioned.
Except, as she’d noted in that stream in the rainforest, he’d been givenmorethan his fair share when it came to what was between his legs.
Even asleep, he looked impressive. And now that she was safe, Amanda allowed herself to feel some of the things she’d pushed to the back of her mind while trekking through the jungle, hoping they weren’t being hunted.
