Page 40 of Kidnapped Bride

The exit wound on his back was worse than the front, a jagged tear held together with more of those rough stitches, and blood had dried in streaks down his lower back and hip.

He had a wet cloth in his hand and he'd been trying to reach behind himself to clean it, but the movement was pulling at the stitches and that was what made him growl.

When he turned slightly and I saw his entire naked body, my face went so hot so fast, I thought my cheeks might actually catch fire. I turned away sharply and stared at the wall.

"Sorry, I heard you and I thought you were in trouble."

"I am in trouble. I can't reach my back." For someone in need of help, he sure spoke to me like he needed nothing from me, so callous and hard. "Are you going to stand there or help me wash it?"

My lips pinched into an angry line and I clenched my jaw tightly, biting back my sharp reply. As nasty as he was being, I could see it was his pain, not him.

He needed my help and if I didn't do this, I'd have to listen to him whine.

My compassion won out, though I knew I was sending him the signal that I was easy to manipulate… but I knew in my heart, to know to do good and not do it was morally wrong.

I didn’t want to be like him—or my father.

"Fine," I said. "Get in the shower."

Nikolai glowered at me as he turned on the water and with no shame stood stark naked in front of me while it heated up and started to steam the glass.

Then I helped him step in, and he braced himself against the tile with one arm while I adjusted the water to lukewarm so it wouldn't sting too badly.

I took the cloth and carefully worked around the exit wound on his back, wiping away the dried blood in slow passes.

He held still, but I could feel him flinch under my hand every time I got too close to the stitches.

He would hiss or suck in a breath through his teeth and jerk away.

Up close, the wound was angry and swollen, and it made my stomach turn to think how much worse it could've been—or how badly it must've hurt.

"A few inches over and this would've hit your kidney," I told him.

"So I've been told."

I kept cleaning.

The water ran pink down his back and swirled around the drain and I focused on that instead of the rest of him, which was difficult.

The rest of him was right there and my eyes kept drifting toward the curve of his ass, making my core warm and achy.

Then his hand found my wrist and he pulled me forward under the water.

My nightshirt soaked through instantly, clinging to me everywhere, and I gasped at how suddenly he'd jerked me off balance.

He turned slowly, wincing as he did, and his other hand came up to my face. He tilted my chin up and leaned in to kiss me.

"No," I said, putting my hand flat against his chest. "You're going to tear your stitches open."

"It's a kiss, Kira, not gymnastics."

"I said no," I told him before my lip caught in my teeth and I bit down. I felt conflicted.

After what he'd done, he didn't deserve any part of me, though my body told me how much I’d enjoy it.

Still, he actually was hurt, and his stitches would most likely pop open if he tried to exert himself.

But Nikolai let me go and I stepped away, giving him the shower to finish his business.