Page 68 of Ash Storm

“He lost a lot of blood, but he’s Griffin. He’s going to be fine.” He went down on his knees in front of her, picked up one of her feet and lifted it onto his legs. “I’m sorry. This is going to hurt.”

Reka braced herself, but still ended up hissing through her teeth. Tears filled her eyes. She wiped them away angrily.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “I’m sorry I’m being a wimp.”

“I’m sorry you got hurt.”

He finished applying the ointment and a new bandage. Reka leaned back in the armchair and closed her eyes. It was odd, after everything that had happened, to feel safe and warm. It wasn’t something she would ever take for granted again.

She let out a soft sigh.

When she opened her eyes, Ash was staring at her with a look that was pure fire.

He swallowed once, twice. She looked down, saw the telling bulge behind his jeans.

“I’m sorry. I can’t control how beautiful I find you,” he said. “But I can control myself, and I swear to you, you are completely safe with me.”

Reka leaned forward in her seat and took her hand in his.

“I feel safe with you,” she said, watching as the smile lit up his face.

“There’s a doctor,” he began, after a moment of silence. “A doctor you could speak with.”

“I already saw Slate,” she said. “I’m not hurt anywhere else.”

“No,” he clarified. “I mean a different type of doctor. A psychologist.”

A sudden understanding filled her, of why he looked so worried.

She licked her dry lips.

“I’m a psychologist,” she said.

“Then you know of the importance of not keeping things bottled up inside.”

“They didn’t rape me,” she said.

The word made him jerk painfully.

“Nobody touched me like that in the days I was there. I was always afraid they would, but they didn’t.”

The expression on his face remained neutral, but there was no hiding the intensity of his gaze.

Reka tensed as a knock sounded on the door.