Page 46 of Worth the Try
Elodie laughs as I squint through the windshield. “Guess we’re making a run for it.”
I twist and reach for the warm-up jacket I keep in the back seat, but it’s not there. Grimacing, I say, “I can run and get an umbrella for you—just stay here.”
She reaches for my hand. “No need. I won’t melt.” Then she grins. “On three?”
I chuckle. “On three.”
Her eyes bright, she grips the door handle. “One…two…”
“Three!”
It’s a scramble out of the Land Rover, and I curse my lack of garage space as we run. It’s not even that far, but the rain is coming down so hard that we’re both soaked by the time I get the door open and we tumble inside. Shutting the door behind us, I laugh as I turn to her.
“You’redrenched,” she says, giggling. Rivulets of water run down her face and neck. Then a shiver wracks her body.
“You too,” I note. Another tremor takes over her, and an idea hits me. I grab her purse and set it on the small table in the entryway, then take her hand to pull her farther into the house.
“I should go change,” she says.
A massive clap of thunder goes off above us in answer, and the sound of rain intensifies.
I grin. “I have a better idea.”
She squints, and as with everything she does, it’s fucking adorable. “Like what?”
“Like let me draw you a bath.”
Surprise washes over her face. “A bath?”
I nod, pulling her close to warm her when she shivers. “Come upstairs. I’ll behave, I promise.”
She lifts her chin, a bit of defiance glinting in those beautiful hazel eyes of hers. “What if I don’t want you to behave?”
It’s as though the world stops. Or maybe I black out for a second, because no way did she just say what I think she said.
Stepping close, I pull her to me and lean down. Her lips are so soft, and they open without hesitation. The softest of whimpers comes out of her as I take the kiss slow, keeping a hand cupped around her face, thumb stroking her temple.
Elodie increases the intensity, her hands gripping my waist as though she wants more. When I break the kiss, her eyes are glazed and blown with want.
“C’mon.” I turn and lead her upstairs, her hand in mine. Her skin is soft and clammy with cold. In my bedroom, I lead her to the reading chair. “Sit,” I say, grabbing the blanket from the chair and wrapping it around her shoulders.
“But I’m wet,” she protests.
My dick immediately perks up at that. “Please.” I guide her down, then press a kiss to her forehead. “Give me a few minutes. Okay?”
She looks up at me and nods, and my heart fuckingsqueezes.
In the bathroom, I close the door and start the water, then find the bubble bath I’d set aside on the hope that I might one day get her in here—something a bit more adult than Rosie’s usual fare—and dump a ton into the water. The scent of lavender fills the air as I grab the candles I’d stashed beneath the sink and set them around the room, turning them on as I go. They’re not real; I’m way too much of a worrier to have real ones in the house with a five-year-old. I find a silk hair tie of Rosie’s and put it on the edge of the tub for Elodie, then look around. Satisfied with my setup, I turn the lights off as the water still runs, and step back into my bedroom.
“Ready,” I say. Elodie’s eyes snap to me. “Go on in.”
She rises and comes toward me, and try as she might, there’s no hiding the way she trembles as she leaves the blanket behind. “But?—”
I put a finger on her lips. “Once you’re in the tub, I’ll check on you. Promise.” Then I step back and gesture for her to walk in.
A gasp escapes her as soon as she steps inside. “Ansel.” Her eyes glitter, soft and surprised in the candle-lit room.
“You like it?”
