Page 5 of More Bite than Bark

“Were you expecting someone?”

“A delivery,” she said, nodding her head.

“What did you have delivered?”

“Clothes.”She took a couple of breaths then pushed herself upright and out of his arms.“I better get those.”

“I’ll get them.You go wash your face.you’ll feel better.”He didn’t say he didn’t want her going out into the hall where someone might see her in just the thin sheath she had on.

“All right.”Elle headed for the bathroom while he went to the door.He brought in the bags and dropped them on the bed.

“Is there anything in here you want now?”he called over his shoulder as he looked down at the half dozen bags.

“Yeah, there’s a nightgown and a pair of fuzzy pajama pants, and don’t forget the panties.”

Hex blinked as he stared down at the bags.She wanted him to go through them and find them.It wasn’t something he would normally do, at least not without permission, but he had that.It only took him a minute to find the pants and the night gown, both were pretty obvious, but he had to go through each bag before finding the underwear.He finally found them in the last bag.

“You want me to bring these to you?”

“No.I’ve got it.Thanks,” she said from beside him as she scooped the things he’d pulled from the bags for her into her arms and headed back to the bathroom.Not sure what else to do, he went to the sliding glass door that led out onto the balcony and pushed the drapes open enough he could look out.

A few minutes later, she emerged, going to the sink and mirror that sat in a small alcove just in front of the restroom.“Did you find the brush and hair ties in there?”

“I saw them.Do you want them?”He turned back to the bag still scattered on the bed.

“Please.”

He dug through the bags, found the items, and took them to her.Elle stood in front of the mirror pulling pins from her hair and dropping them on the counter in front of herself.

“I think she put about a hundred of these things in there.I keep finding more and more.”

“Want some help?”Hex asked, setting the brush and hair bands on the counter.

“Would you mind?”

“Not at all.”He looked at the curls draped over some kind of bun on the back of her head and wondered where to start.“You mind if I mess up the curls?”

“Nope.The brush will do it anyway.I need some normal.I need to feel in control.”

“All right.”He started by patting her head gently, feeling for hard spots and anything that might stab him.He found a few of the odd U-shaped pins.He pulled them out and added them to the growing pile in front of Elle.“Want to talk about it?”

“About what?”she asked.

He glanced up and found her watching him in the mirror.“Whatever you want.”He turned his attention back to her hair.

“I don’t know.”She dropped her gaze.

Slowly, he picked the pins from her hair until he ran his fingers through it and didn’t encounter one.Then he picked up the brush and stepped back.

“Come sit down.Let me brush your hair.”

She met his gaze in the mirror and narrowed her eyes at him.

“Why?”

“Just trying to help you feel better, Elle.If you want to do it yourself, you’re welcome to.”He extended the brush in her direction.

She stared at him for a long minute then turned and went to the bed without taking the brush.