Read Online Beauty and the Feast by Julia Barrett - Free Book Online Page B

me in the tub.”
    “Nice thought,” Gabe grinned up at her devilishly, “but you’re going to sit on the edge and I’m going to clean off your knees. Now be a good girl and come here. Sit. I need to get your bike shoes off.” He dropped the lid to the toilet seat.
    Eva perched stiffly on the closed toilet seat while Gabe removed her shoes and socks. He tossed them carelessly into the hallway. He rolled up his sleeves and checked the water temperature in the tub. Eva watched through half-closed eyes. The man was an intriguing mix of hard and soft. She didn’t know which portion of the mixture intrigued her the most, but before she had time to make up her mind, she was lifted bodily from the toilet to the edge of the tub. Her legs dangled into the warm water.
    “All right, this part’s gonna hurt. I think you’ve ground some gravel into your knees. I’ll go slow.”
    Eva sucked in a breath, anticipating the initial sting of warm water against open skin. Gabe knelt beside her. With one strong arm wrapped around her for support, he dipped the other into the water and began to gently wash her knees, first with plain water and then with soap. Eva closed her eyes. She felt him pick out several tiny pieces of granite.
    “Hands.”
    Eva extended her hands and Gabe provided them with the same gentle treatment.
    “Where do you keep your clean towels?”
    Eva pointed to a cabinet. She felt herself growing sleepy.
    “You’re not gonna pass out on me, are you?” she heard Gabe ask, concern in his voice.
    Eva shook her head. “Just tired, I guess,” she said. “I didn’t sleep much last night.”
    “And the bump on the head didn’t help, did it,” Gabe replied.
    Gabe dried her legs and hands gently with a clean towel. She watched him rummage through her medicine cabinet and pull out a tube of antibiotic ointment. He helped her to stand.
    “I’m going to get these clothes off you,” he said, “and spread some of this ointment on your knees and your palms and then you’re going to get into bed with an ice pack. You have anything easy you can put on?”
    Eva heard herself answer him, “yes.” Why was she so passive? Why was she letting this man take charge? What was wrong with her?
    Gabe helped her walk into her bedroom and she pointed at the boxers and old, ratty tee shirt she’d dropped on the bed earlier in the day. Eva automatically lifted her arms as her sweat soaked shirt was removed. She felt a chill as the air hit her bare breasts and she realized he must have pulled off her sports bra. Gabe muttered something under his breath, but Eva couldn’t make it out. She felt him tugging at her bike shorts. She wore nothing beneath them. She really should protest, she told herself, she really should, but she’d grown so drowsy that it didn’t seem to matter all that much what he did. Gabe managed to get her out of the sticky shorts without hurting her knees too much. Suddenly Eva found herself on her back in bed, wearing the old tee shirt and boxers she’d shown him. Gabe sat beside her. He delicately spread the soothing ointment on her knees and hands. He tucked her in, taking care to lift the blanket over her knees, and piled two pillows behind her head, then he disappeared. Eva heard banging sounds coming from her kitchen. Gabe returned shortly with a dishtowel and a plastic bag filled with crushed ice. He wrapped the ice in the towel and climbed into bed beside her. He leaned her against him and pressed the ice bag to her forehead.
    “Gabe,” Eva whispered.
    “Hmm?”
    “Can you take my ponytail out? It hurts.”
    “Sure sweetheart, I’ll be happy to.”
    The ice bag was set aside for a moment and she felt him tug the elastic out of her hair. He combed her curls with his fingertips for a few moments before he pulled her against him and once more pressed the ice to her head.
    “Eva?” His deep voice rumbled against her.
    “Yes?”
    “Do you want to go to the hospital?”
    “No.”
    “Do you know