Page 23 of Hammer’s Fall

She turned to look up at him and he couldn’t help but notice her eyes were dilated.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Go on up. This won’t take me more than a couple of minutes.”

“A-all right.” She released his hand and headed for the stairs. He watched until she disappeared then headed for the bar. There, he didn’t bother to wait for the prospect to take his order but stepped behind the bar and fixed Camila a margarita, then grabbed a beer for himself and followed Camila up to their room.

He heard the shower running when he stepped into the room. He set their drinks on the nightstand then shed his boots and cut. He pulled his t-shirt off then knocked on the bathroom door before trying the knob. When it twisted easily, he eased it open, not wanting to scare Camila.

“You want me in there or to wait out here for you?” he said.

“Um, in here would be good.” The way her voice shook said she wasn’t as certain as she tried to sound but he also heard determination in her voice.

“All right. Give me just a second.” He stepped back and stripped out of his jeans and shorts then picked up both drinks and carried them into the bathroom. “Stick one hand out.” he said. Then he set the margarita he’d made into her hand and watched as she pulled it behind the curtain. “You can put it in the windowsill so you’re not holding it the whole time.” He waited a couple of moments, giving her a chance to take a sip and set the cup down before he left his own drink on the counter beside the sink and stepped into the shower with her.

Camila’s eyes went wide as she stared at his bare chest. The drink in her hand trembled, but she quickly steadied it and took another drink before reaching over her head to put it in the window.

“Sorry. I didn’t think you might not be able to reach.” He took the cup and set it up in the sill for her. “Have you ever had anyone wash your hair?” He fingered one strand away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

“Not since I was a child.”

“Will you let me? I’ve wanted to get my hands into your hair for days.” He searched her face for what she really felt. From what he’d learned about her father, both from his research and from what she’d said, Camila probably wouldn’t be open with what she wanted and how she felt. She was too used to doing what was needed to avoid her father’s wrath.

She looked up at him, her wide eyes surrounded by spikey black lashes, then nodded.

“I’m sure you don’t want the water spraying in your face the whole time. Want to trade me places?”

She blinked a couple of times, then nodded. Hammer wasn’t sure if she was nervous or if she was having second thoughts. Either way he had no plans to make things more difficult for her. He waited while she tipped her head back and soaked her hair then traded places with her. Hammer took his time with her hair, working the tips of his fingers against her scalp then working the soap through the length before grabbing the nozzle and carefully rinsing out all the soap, then repeating the process with her conditioner. He quickly washed and rinsed then left her under the spray as he stepped out and dried off.

“Let me know when you’re ready to come out—I want to dry you off.”

“I’m done.” She shut off the water as he grabbed a towel. She shoved the curtain back and he wrapped her in the towel, using a second to wrap up her hair before drying her body. When he’d finished, he wrapped the towel around her, and removed the one from her hair.

“Come sit on the bed and I’ll comb it out.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Go get comfortable, cariño, I’ll be right there.” He grabbed the brush they’d gotten for her when the women had gone for supplies, took a long pull from his drink, then fetched hers from the window and took them both into the other room. After setting everything on the table beside the bed, he went to the closet and pulled on a pair of underwear. He didn’t mind wandering around with no clothes on, but he thought she would be more comfortable if they both covered up, at least a little. Pulling out one of his t-shirts, he tossed it her direction.

“Here’s something to wear for a bit, if you want.”

“D-do you want me to cover up?”

“No. I like you like this, and if things go the way I hope, you won’t be wearing it long, but I’m not going to push you into anything you’re not ready for. You don’t have to wear it. I just though the shirt would be more comfortable than the towel.”

He waited while she slipped the shirt on then pulled the towel from under it. His shirt hung almost to her knees. When she’d settled onto the bed, he settled in behind her, leaving plenty of room between them so his erection wouldn’t freak her out, then he gave her the margarita and picked up her brush. It didn’t take him long to have the length all combed out and the few snarls he’d found eased loose.

“Want to dry it? I could go ask one of the old ladies if they have a blow dryer you could borrow?”

Camila shook her head, making her hair shift in a soft waterfall. Hammer ran one hand through the strands, loving the silky feeling of it between his fingers.

“Thank you,” she said taking a deep breath and letting it out before reaching up and pulling her hair over her shoulder and leaning back against his chest. Luckily, she either didn’t know what the thick rod between them was, or she ignored it

“Why?” she said, her head resting just below his chin.

“Why what?”

“Why are you so sweet to me? Why do you take care of me like this?” a wistfulness in her tone told him she’d likely wondered why her father was the way he was and why he couldn’t be better. Or that maybe she thought Hammer was after something. He was, but probably not what she suspected.