Chapter 52: Holding Himself Back
Eiden:
The moment I heard the bathroom door open, my head lifted automatically.
And then I stopped breathing.
Rosalie stood frozen in the doorway. For a second, she didn’t seem to realize we were still in the room. She had one hand wrapped around a towel and looked like she had been in the middle of drying her hair when she stepped out. Then her eyes landed on me, before shifting toward Zaiden. And she froze.
I forgot how to breathe.
Her hair was still damp. Dark strands fell over her shoulders and down her back in soft waves now that she had apparently won the battle against whatever disaster the storm had created. Her cheeks were flushed pink, probably from the hot bath - though part of me wasn’t entirely convinced that was the only reason.
Then my eyes moved lower, and immediately regretted it.
Her long, fair legs were completely bare. The oversized black shirt hung loosely on her frame and ended right on her mid thighs. While the boxers underneath weren’t visible at all.
I went completely still. Because I knew those boxers. I had bought them last Christmas as a joke - the smallest size available. Zaiden had opened the gift, stared at me for a full minute, then calmly informed me he would eventually find a way to make me regret it.
Apparently today was that day.
I slowly turned my head toward him. Zaiden stood near the window, completely motionless. His expression hadn’t changed. But I had known him too long. His eyes were fixed on Rosalie. Too fixed. Too quiet. The man looked like he had forgotten how breathing worked.
I almost smirked. Except my own situation wasn’t any better. So I looked away before I embarrassed myself.
Rosalie finally stepped further into the room. Then stopped again while her eyes moved around uncertainly. She looked completely lost as though she didn’t know where she should stand, or sit, or whether she should leave.
That snapped me out of whatever had momentarily happened to my brain.
I stood from the couch, walked over, and reached for her hand before I could even notice I was doing it. She looked startled for a moment, but she let me guide her.
Her fingers were warm now. No longer freezing. That alone eased something in my chest. I led her back to the couch and gently made her sit down. Then reached for the towel in her hands.
She blinked. But before she could ask, I moved behind the couch and picked up the blow dryer I had been keeping there ready just for this very moment.
The second I touched the ends of her damp hair, she turned around immediately and her hand closed around my wrist. The touch wasn’t hard, but enough to stop me.
Her eyes widened, and she spoke, "I can do it myself." Her voice sounded quiet and soft, but there was something in her expression that made me pause - surprise, embarrassment, and something else. Something I recognized far too easily. Something dangerously close to the same restless feeling that had been sitting beneath my skin all evening.
I held her gaze for one second too long.
Her eyes really were unfair. Dark brown and deep enough to pull someone under if they stared too long.
I looked away first, collected myself, and then gently turned her forward again as I spoke, "I want to dry your hair." My words were simple and straightforward, with no room for argument.
She stiffened and I felt it immediately. But after a few seconds, she relaxed and didn’t stop me again.
I plugged in the dryer and switched it on. Then I carefully started drying her hair. At first I focused only on getting it dry. Then I realized halfway through that I was being slower than necessary.
My fingers moved through the dark strands - separating them, drying them properly, and working gently around the tangles she had clearly spent time fixing.
Her hair was softer than I expected. Silky. Warm. And faintly scented.
I frowned slightly before realization hit me. It was Zaiden’s shampoo. My wolf whined, wanting to surround her with our scent too. And I had to remind him that we needed to take things slow with her.
Meanwhile Rosalie slowly relaxed beneath my hands. Her shoulders lowered and the tension in her posture eased. Her eyes drifted closed for brief moments, and somehow, that felt unexpectedly satisfying.
Once her hair was dry, I switched off the dryer. But didn’t move immediately. Instead, I ran my fingers through the strands once. Then again. Combing through them gently until they settled over her shoulders.
Only after I was satisfied did I step back and glanced across the room. Zaiden was watching. And though his expression remained unreadable, one look was enough.
He knew.
Knew exactly why I took so long. Knew exactly what I was doing. His mouth barely moved. Not enough to qualify as a smile, but close. I shook my head once and put the dryer away. Then I walked around and sat beside Rosalie.
The couch suddenly felt smaller than before.
Perfect.
My wolf and I couldn’t stand any sort of distance between us right now. I was already missing her presence in my arms. I should have held her for a little longer, especially since there’s no telling when I would get the chance again.
Right that moment, someone knocked, and Zaiden gave them permission to enter. The door opened and Mrs. Brown entered while pushing a trolley. She quietly rolled it inside and parked it near the entrance. Her eyes briefly moved across the room, then she bowed politely and left.
The door closed behind her.
I stood and walked toward the trolley. Then looked over at Rosalie. "You should eat."
She opened her mouth to speak, but before any words could have left her mouth, her stomach growled loudly. The room went completely silent, and she froze. Then very slowly turned pink.
And somehow, that was the first time all night I had to genuinely fight not to smile.
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