“Then why were you afraid of him?” Gerri asked.
“Because he was a big ass bear!” Joy laughed. “Isn’t that reason enough for my fear?”
“I’ll leave you to answer that question yourself,” Gerri said. “I do want to ask, though, how did you feel around Adam before you found out that he was a shifter?”
Joy thought about the question before she answered, letting the spray of the hot water wash away the several days worth of grime out of her hair and off her body.
“Honestly?” she asked.
“Always,” Gerri replied.
“I felt happy around him. Safe, even. Like really safe. I just felt that no matter what, he would protect me. I don’t know why I felt like that, but I did.”
“Hmm. That’s interesting, don’t you think?”
“It really is. I guess I should figure out why that is,” she said, turning off the water and grabbing a towel for her hair.
“Yes, I think you should,” Gerri said, handing Joy her robe.
Joy’s thoughts were a jumbled mess. She didn’t know up from down or left from right anymore. Nothing made a damn bit of sense to her. Not with everything that had happened in the last several months. She didn’t know who the hell she could trust and who she couldn’t.
Either way, she really needed to figure that shit out and fast.
“Have a seat and let me brush your hair out for you,” Gerri said, grabbing the hairbrush from the vanity.
“You really don’t have to do this. I’m not going to crumble. At least, I don’t think I am.” It was amazing how much good a hot shower could do for the soul. She already felt better, but the truth was she needed to do some serious soul searching.
Seeing Adam again, well, that just opened up the can of worms that held her feelings for him. She had thought that she’d left all those pesky little bastards behind in Alaska when she tucked her tail and ran as far and as fast as she could. Apparently, that hadn’t been the case because the second she saw him, all the love she had for him came rushing back.
It was like nothing they had been through mattered. Not finding out that he was a ginormous polar bear. Not the fact that he had chased her down at the cabin in Alaska. And certainly not that just an hour ago, he killed a man right in front of her. Though, if she were honest, Donovan got what he deserved. At least she no longer had to worry about him coming after her and brutalizing her again.
As much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t. She loved him with her whole heart. How the hell was she supposed to reconcile that with him being a monster?
Gerri grabbed her leave-in conditioner and smoothed it through her hair, followed by anti-frizz gel. Next, she grabbed Joy’s brush and pulled it gently through her hair. The lightest of touches helped Joy relax even more.
“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Gerri asked.
“Who?” Joy asked, wanting to be sure of who they were talking about.
“The man who took you. He didn’t ...”
“No. Other than knocking me out a couple of times when I attacked him, he didn’t touch me in that way. Though he did say that if I wasn’t worth so damn much that he’d keep me. That we would make pretty babies, and he wondered who they would take after. Me or him? I thought that was a weird thing for him to say.”
“You’re right. It was. Do you want your hair up or down?” Gerri asked.
“Up. I need it off of my shoulders for now.” Her hair had been hanging in her face for days. If it stayed down, she would likely take a pair of scissors and hack it off.
“I thought you might say that,” Gerri said, twisting a few strands here and there before gently pinning it up. “It’s not the greatest, but it’s not going anywhere and will stay off your shoulders until you take it down.”
“Thanks. It looks fine. I honestly don’t even care right now. I’m just happy to be home and clean.”
“I bet you are. I do have to ask, though, when I asked if he hurt you, did you think I was talking about Adam?” Gerri asked.
“I honestly didn’t know. But just so you know, Adam has never hurt me. Though I was really scared that he might hurt or kill me both of the times I saw him as a polar bear.”
“Why would you think that when you felt so strongly before you knew he was a shifter that you were safe with him?” Gerri asked.
“Because I watch animal planet, and I’ve seen all the shows on polar bears where they turn on humans pretty much instantly.” She shrugged.
“Yes, but those are wild polar bears. That’s what they do. They don’t have a human part of them that feels or behaves like we do.”
“Huh. I guess I never thought about it like that,” Joy replied.
“Anyway. You’re all set now. I’m going to go check on Adam. If you want to get dressed, get dressed. If you don’t, don’t. It’s no big deal. But come out soon because I know he was going to order some food.”
“Thanks.”
“You are very welcome, baby girl. I’m glad to have you back,” Gerri said before heading out into the living room.