“Raina, it is not your fault.”
She didn’t respond. She seemed to have forgotten he was even in the room. He watched, stunned, as she got down from the step stool and marched over to the white dresser filled with baby clothes. She yanked open the first drawer and pulled out all the neatly folded onesies. He knew it had taken her quite a while to launder and fold them all.
She picked up a big armful and dumped them on the floor at her feet.
“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.” He repeated the words but didn’t seem to be getting through to her. Before long she was shaking as she grabbed more and more clothes. When he touched her arm, she flinched and then sat down on the ground. She wrapped her arms around her legs and didn’t move.
Nick dropped to the ground in front of her and pulled her into his lap. She clung to him and buried her face in his chest as if she didn’t want him to see her cry.
“Raina.” He couldn’t keep the pity from his voice. “Come on, sweets, let’s get you into bed.”
She shook her head frantically, her limbs trembling. The more he talked to her, the tighter she curled.
This is not working, Nick thought.
Talking wasn’t getting through to her. It was time to take some drastic action. He leaned back slightly and shucked off his suit jacket. It fell in a heap behind him.
Then he stood, carrying Raina in his arms. At the sudden movement, she squeaked and tightened her hold around his neck until she was almost strangling him.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to have to pull rank on you, sweetheart. You’re really upset and I think you need a bath and bed. So that’s where I’m taking you, whether you want it or not.” He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her forehead. “You can yell at me for this later.”
* * * * *
AFTER STRIPPING HER clothes off, Raina sat on the side of the tub, watching Nick. He moved around the bathroom with quick, decisive motions. He’d turned the water on, adjusted the temperature, and then gathered all the bath stuff he could find. He’d pulled bath salts, bubble bath, and several types of scented body gel from beneath her counter and lined them up on the edge of the tub. When he started pulling out shampoo and conditioner, she finally put up a hand to stop him.
“I don’t need all that. My hair’s dry, so I don’t have to wash it as much. I’ll just put it up.” She pointed to the counter where she’d left a hair band. Nick handed it to her and watched as she twisted her hair into a long coil and then wrapped it around itself until it formed a big bun on top of her head.
“I always like when you wear your hair up. You look like a naughty librarian,” Nick commented. Then he turned back to the line of products on the edge of the tub. “I’m not really sure what I’m doing here so help me out, love.”
She pointed at the bubble bath and the shower gel. “That’s really all I need. My loofah sponge is in the shower.”
He retrieved it and then helped her into the tub. Usually he would have made some racy comment or at least tried to cop a feel. But even though she was naked, his eyes didn’t dip below her neck. There was something different about the way he looked at her. Like he was scared of doing the wrong thing.
She thought back to her hysterics. It was no wonder he was scared to say anything. He was probably worried she was on the verge of another mental breakdown. She sighed and sank down slowly into the hot water before turning to face Nick.
“I’m really sorry about all that. I don’t know what came over me.”
Once she was sitting in the middle of the froth of bubbles, he leaned over and kissed her softly on the nose. “Let’s just relax for a while. We can talk later. What do you say?”
“Care to join me? I think I’ll relax faster if you stay.” She really hoped he would. Even though she felt calmer after her little fit, she really didn’t want to be alone. She felt like she’d spent far too much time alone lately.
Nick nodded his assent and began shucking his own clothes. Since he’d already taken his jacket off, he yanked at the knot in his tie and removed his pants and boxers. He was about to drop them on the tile when he noticed her watching him. She’d been teasing him since they got married about living with a slob. With a sheepish smile, he folded them in half and put them on the counter.
“See, you’re getting better,” she teased.
His lips tilted up as he quickly unbuttoned his shirt and folded it as well. “Apparently I can be trained.”
Raina would have responded, but her mouth went dry at the first sight of his flat stomach and well-developed pectorals. What dream was this that she was allowed to be with someone so magnificent? She got to wake up every morning with this amazing man and he came home to her every night.
When she’d started this journey, he’d simply been a gorgeous man offering her a lifeline. Now she knew without a doubt that he was more than just her savior.
He was the love of her life.
Nick climbed in the tub, facing her. They didn’t talk for a few minutes. Then they both started speaking at once.
“I just want to say…”
“I want to apologize…”
Laughing, Raina shook her head and held out her hand for Nick to speak first. Apparently Nick had other ideas, though. Without another word spoken between them, he leaned forward and kissed her until she could barely think straight.