Page 53 of Bad Moon Rising (Dark-Hunter 17)
Irritated, she pointed at the door. "Get out."
When he refused to do as she said, she pushed him through the door, then slammed it in his face.
"That was really rude, sis," he yelled from the hallway. "You actually hurt my tender little feelings." His voice sounded like a kid's.
"You have no feelings, Devereaux. That bus passed you by a long time ago."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot. Fine. Be that way. I have more important things to do anyway. I have a hangnail that needs my attention."
Aimee rolled her eyes again as she took the broth from the tray to Fang who had been remarkably quiet through their exchange.
"Is he always like that?"
She wished she could say otherwise, but she couldn't. "Basically yes."
Fang took the bowl from her and sipped it like a cup. "It's a wonder you haven't killed him."
"Isn't it, though?"
He paused as if he realized what he was doing. He gave her a sheepish look. "I'm supposed to use something to eat this, aren't I?"
That question touched her deeply. That he would be concerned about offending her after all he'd been through. It was unexpected and it warmed her. "Don't worry about it. I know you're starving."
Fang nodded. She was right about that. His stomach ached so badly that it was all he could do not to attack. He downed the soup quickly and then swapped her the bowl for the glass of water. "You know, I could really use a steak right about now."
"Your body isn't used to real food. Carson's been keeping you on IVs and we've hand-fed you liquids all this time. I don't want to make you sick by putting something solid in you until I talk to him."
Fang looked down and realized just how thin he was. "Damn. I'm half my size."
"Not quite, but it will take time to heal."
Still, he shuddered. He didn't like looking like this. Most of all, he didn't like this weak feeling. He was a fighter, not an invalid. "I need a bath."
"Can you stand?"
That question seriously offended him. "I'm not helpless."
"Oh, look!" Aimee exclaimed in an exaggerated falsetto. "Mr. Macho is back in all his glory. Hello, Mr. Macho, it's so not good to see you again. But you know, Mr. Macho, that you've been bedridden to the point that your legs aren't used to carrying your weight and you're not really human. So if you want to get up and fall, gods forbid I do anything to stop it. After all, I live for America's Funniest Home Videos. Should I fetch a camcorder now?"
He wanted to be angry at her. At the very least offended, and yet he found her strangely entertaining. "Shut up and help me get to a bathroom."
"Okay, but you might want to put some clothes on before Maman, Papa, or Dev has a stroke. On second thought, we want Dev to have one, but my luck it'll only be Maman or Papa who sees us and that wouldn't go well for either of us."
Smiling at her humor, he dressed himself in a pair of jeans and a shirt. And as he tried to stand he realized just how right she was. His limbs were like walking on damp noodles. But with her help, he was able to get to the bathroom and into the tub. He dissolved his clothes as Aimee turned on the water and adjusted the temperature.
"Should I ask about how at ease you are with me naked?"
She pulled a towel down and set it next to the tub. "I have many brothers."
"That you've seen naked?"
She dropped her hand into the water to test the temperature. "Bear naked many a day and more times than I've ever cared for. Plus I help Carson out in the clinic." She folded her arms on the edge of the tall, claw-foot tub and rested her chin on her hands. It was an adorable pose and made him wish he had the strength to pull her into the tub with him and ease the ache in his groin.
"If it eases your ego, you are a very attractive wolf." She handed him a washcloth and bar of soap, then placed a razor, shaving cream, and mirror on the floor within his reach. "However, I do need to leave before Maman or Papa happen to catch me alone with you. Neither of them would be happy and I went through too much to save your life to have them end it now."
Fang really didn't want to be alone again. He'd spent so much time that way these last few months, but he knew she was right. The last thing he wanted to do was get her into trouble.
"If you need me, call."
He nodded as she walked out the door like a normal person. But she wasn't normal and neither was he. They were two animals who had no business interacting with each other.
Sighing, he lathered the cloth and set about cleaning himself up so that he didn't offend his own olfactory glands. Gah, how had Aimee stood being near him? He was disgusted by his own scent.
The shaving was a little harder than the bathing. He'd never quite gotten the hang of it on his best day.
Hissing, he flinched as he cut his chin.
Aimee was there immediately. "What happened?"
Surprised, he frowned. Had she been listening in on him? "I cut myself."
She grimaced at the sight of the pooling blood. She grabbed a piece of tissue and covered it. "Goodness, wolf. Can't I leave you alone for three seconds?"
"I never could do this sh-stuff right."
She took the razor from him and carefully raked it over his cheek. "It's not that hard."
He waited until she pulled the razor away to rinse it before he spoke. "And again, I ask you how it is you're so good at shaving men."
She laughed. "I'm a bear and I have a lot more area to shave than just the face."
He arched a brow at that, then tilted his head to look at her legs as if trying to imagine what they looked like underneath her jeans. "Yeah, you do."
Aimee took his chin in her hand and forced him to lean his head back so that she could shave his neck. Her gaze slid down his ripped muscles to where his erection was plainly visible in the water. Heat covered her cheeks. While she might be comfortable with his nudity, that was another matter entirely. And it was something she'd never seen before.
Since she'd never felt the quickening, she'd never mated with a male. Not that she was naive or uneducated about what males and females did. She knew all the nuances of sex as her brothers felt more than free to share the most embarrassing facts of their premarital exploits, but . . .
She'd never experienced it herself.
And until Fang she'd never really been all that curious about what she'd been missing. But now she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to taste Fang. What he would feel like inside her. Even though he was fierce, she knew he'd be gentle. Loving.
Forcing her attention back to his neck, she admired the perfect curves that made up his jawline. He really was a gorgeous man. Even emaciated and worn.
Focus, Aimee.
The problem was, she was focused. Just not on what she needed to be focused on.
Fang licked his lips as she finished shaving him. He tried to keep his hands over the stiff part of himself and he hoped to the gods that she wasn't able to see it. But it was hard and he was in excruciating pain over it.
Pulling away, she put the razor up on the sink. "I know you're not helpless, but do you need me to help dry you off?"
The mere offer of it made his cock jerk in expectation. "Um, no, I think I can do it."
"You sure?"
He felt himself harden even more. "Pretty much. Yes."
"All right. Can you use your powers to take you back to bed while I clean up in here real quick?"
And keep her from seeing just how bad he wanted a taste of her? "Absolutely."
She frowned at the word that had come out as a strange squeak. "Are you okay?"
Fang cursed silently at himself. "Fine." Or at least as fine as a man dying of unsated testosterone poisoning could be.
She gave him a suspicious scowl. "You don't seem fine. You seem a bit agitated."
"Absolutely great." He flashed himself out of there so fast that he forgot to dry off.
He cursed as he realized what a mess he'd made of his bed. Growling at himself, he used his powers to set everything to rights before he conjured a pair of flannel pajama bottoms for himself. But they did nothing to hide his erection that now formed a solid tent at his crotch.
Put her out of your mind.
Yeah, right. Her touch was as branded on his senses as her scent and there was no relief in sight.
Kill me. . . .
He sighed and forced himself to turn over. But the moment he did, he felt a powerful shift in the air. One that could only herald the arrival of an extremely powerful entity.
Ready to battle, he crouched in the bed to find Thorn standing just inside the door.
"What are you doing here?"
Thorn gave him a piercing glare. "It's time for you to earn your keep, wolf. You ready?"
