Samuel pursed his lips. “Of course there’s a fully equipped bathroom, but are you sure you can stand on your own right now?”
She wasn’t sure herself, but she gave him a considering look.
Samuel sighed dramatically, rolled his eyes and grinned. He ducked down and picked her up in his arms. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
Far from complaining, she felt relaxed and went along with it, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and snuggling into his arms.
“Thanks for the help,” she murmured happily.
“Mmmhmmm,” Samuel murmured, amusement in his eyes. He carried her through the house, back to the bathroom.
Samuel helped her undress, and then undressed himself. Turning on the shower, he checked it for warmth and then helped her in. She was naked and wet, and so was he, but there was nothing too sexual about them showering together. Instead, Samuel, took the time to massage her scalp with the shampoo and then the conditioner. And then began on the tension in her shoulders, rubbing the muscles to help her relax. Camila couldn’t help but melt in his hands. It felt so good that she never wanted it to end. But as the water began to cool, he switched to washing her, and then shut the water off and helped her out and thoroughly dried her and then himself.
“Food or sleep?” he questioned once they were both redressed in comfortable clothes.
“Mmmm food and then sleep?” Camila suggested.
Samuel nodded. “How about you get into bed and then I’ll make food and we’ll eat together and watch a movie?”
Camila nodded and climbed into the king sized bed.
* * *
From then on,Samuel tended to her attentively. Anything she wanted, he was there to get it for her. He pampered her like a princess, caring for her every need. At first, Camila felt a little awkward, especially after being held captive for so long, but this was different and a welcome change to how she’d spent the last month. Camila was so relaxed, she slept through much of the next day and a half.
Samuel was by her side, holding her, to comfort her when she experienced nightmares. She had been startled the first time she woke up from one, because for a moment she mistook him for Adrien. In trying to get away from him, she screamed and shoved against him, still half in the nightmare she fell to the floor.
“Stay away from me, Adrien!” she shouted and backed up to the wall. She grabbed a shoe that was close by and flung it at him in desperation.
“Sweetheart, wake up, it’s me, it’s Samuel,” he said calmly, his voice gentle.
Camila blinked. She looked at him, and took a breath, the fright turning to shame.
Samuel moved over to her slowly, holding his hands out, as if he was approaching a frightened animal instead of her. “It’s alright, sweetheart, I’ve got you. Adrien can’t hurt you,” he murmured softly as he wrapped his arms around her.
“Oh.” She crumpled, both in her expression and in her body.
She gripped him and they both sat on the floor with him rocking her in his arms. Her breathing was just slowing down from her dream, but as she started to cry, it turned ragged.
“Shhh, I’ve got you, sweetheart.”
“Oh, Samuel, I am so sorry. I had no idea what I was…”
He didn’t even wait for her to finish speaking, picking her up, taking her back to the bed, then sitting down with her held against his chest. She continued to cry as Samuel rocked her, comforting her with soothing words and gentleness. She soon slipped back to sleep.
When she woke up a few hours later, her stomach protesting, she recalled what had happened. She looked around for Samuel, but didn’t see him in the room. Panicking, she called for him.
“Samuel?” Her voice hardly sounded the same to her ears, it was too timid, too scared.
He wasn’t in the bedroom with her. But he must not have been far, because even with her light call, he showed up at the door in seconds.
“You’re awake,” he murmured with a smile that went all the way to his eyes. “How are you feeling? Better?” He crossed the room to take a seat at the edge of the bed. He ducked his head down to peck a kiss to her forehead, then tucked her hair back from her face. His eyes, when they met hers, were soft and filled with contentment.
Camila didn’t get to respond to his question, since her stomach rumbled and let him know exactly what the problem was.
“Ah. You’re hungry, I bet you thought I almost forgot to feed you.” He grinned and she knew he was teasing her. “I’ve been cooking in the kitchen, I just need to warm something up and bring it to you, okay? I’ll be right back.” He smiled. “I wasn’t sure when you’d wake, but I wanted to have something ready when you did. You slept longer than I imagined you would.”
“I’m probably just exhausted with everything that’s been going on,” she rationalized. “My body will get used to everything and adjust on its own, or so Doctor Shelton said.”