Chapter Eleven
Faith cuddled against Rylan’s chest and decided it was somewhere she could stay forever. He was warm, hard, and made her feel safe, and he also smelled really good. Everything about him appealed to her on so many levels, and all she wanted to do was stay in his lap for a long time because she needed his touch more than anything.
She must have dozed because she didn’t know they had stopped until the door opened.
“I can get out, Rylan.”
“It’s no problem. You don’t weigh that much. That’s something we’ll fix.” He stood, thanked the driver who followed them with her bag, and carried her to the door, where he put in a code. He thanked the driver again, then locked the door after he left. After that, he continued to hold her as they walked up the stairs and down a dark hallway, and into a large room that she assumed was his bedroom.
He stood her up in the bathroom, turned on the light and then the shower, and started to take her clothes off.
Her hands grabbed his. “Wait. What are you doing?”
“I’m going to get you into the shower.”
“But I can do it by myself.” She knew he could hear the tension in her tone because he took a step away from her.
“Are you strong enough for that?”
She nodded.
“All right. The last thing I want to do is scare you. I’ll find something for you to wear and set it on the counter. You go ahead and hop into the shower. Okay, sweetheart?”
She nodded and watched him walk out the door and close it behind him. Her gaze was stuck on the door as her thoughts swirled through her head.
“You better get a move on, sweetheart, because if you’re still standing there when I get back, I will be helping you,” he said through the door.
She squeaked, tore off the clothes she never wanted to see again, and jumped into the shower. Her eyes slid closed as the water pounded down on her shoulders. She’d never been in a shower this fancy or large before. There was water coming out of several places, shelves full of shampoos, and soaps. There was even a bench.
Her body jerked when she heard his voice on the other side of the shower door. She could see his silhouette, but even the glass was fancy, so she couldn’t see any details, which meant he didn’t either, and she relaxed.
“Here’s a shirt for you to wear. I’ll be right outside, so call if you need me.”
“Okay. Thank you.” She rushed through the rest of her shower, turned it off, and reached for a towel on the shelves at the other end of the shower. The area was the size of most of the whole bathrooms she’d used in the past.
She squeezed out the water from her hair. When she walked out of the shower, she had a towel wrapped around her and one in her hair.
The first thing she saw was a large button-down shirt she guessed was Rylan’s. She took off the towel and pulled on his shirt, then smiled. The sleeves hung several inches past her fingertips, and the bottom of it went practically to her knees. She tried to roll the sleeves up as much as she could before she used the blow-dryer he’d left out for her.
“Are you covered?” he called out.
She turned off the blower and lowered her arms. “Yes.”
“Can I come in?”
“Yes.”
The door opened, and Rylan walked in and stood behind her. They stared at each other in the mirror.
She hadn’t realized how much bigger he was than her.
The longer they stared, the more she could feel the tension start to build. This time, it wasn’t anxiety, but desire. And at a level she’d never felt before.
“How are you feeling?”
She cleared her throat. “I’m a little achy, but otherwise, I’m good. Have I thanked you yet for coming to my rescue?”
He set his hands on her shoulders. “I know, sweetheart. You don’t have to say anything.” He reached for the blow-dryer. “Let me help you.”
She felt shivers race up her spine as he blew warm air on her hair while he ran his fingers through it.
“You have beautiful hair.”
The emotions were starting to overwhelm her. She’d never had anyone take care of her before or given her compliments. She didn’t know how to deal with either. “What do you want from me?” she asked.
He turned the hair blower off and looked at her in the mirror. “Have you ever heard of a big/little relationship?”
“I don’t think so.” She couldn’t ever remember hearing that term before.
“Do you remember Larkin?”
“Yes. I really liked her.”
“She liked you, too. Anyway. Remember when she called Darian her daddy?”
“Yes, I was confused, but Larkin said she’d explain later.”
“It’s where the man makes the majority of decisions for his little, and in return, he takes care of her every need.”
Oh, God, that sounded like a dream to her. “I … is that what you want?”
“Very much so. Is it something you’d even consider?” he asked.
“I— Yes, I would.”