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Nova’s head moved in a nodding motion, but she kept her face buried into his chest.
“I love you, Daddy.” Her voice was muffled, but he’d heard what she said.
“I love you, too, baby,” he replied. His eyes grew scratchy, and he inhaled sharply. Tomorrow, his girl would be off for her adventure of a lifetime. He pulled her back and offered her a small smile. “Are you finished packing?”
“Almost,” she replied sheepishly.
He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her and guided her into the house.
“Go finish so you won’t be late tomorrow,” he said.
Nova gave him one last hug before spinning on her heels and jogging toward the stairs. Rhys turned to the door and ensured it was locked. Now that everyone was home, he would send Honor out to guard the house for the night.
Once he was sure the place was secured, he headed up the stairs. Rhys grimaced from the feeling of dirt caked on his skin. He would hop in the shower while Jordan soaked in the tub. He’d had to force the woman to run a bath and get in to relax.
He entered their room and whistled softly for Honor. The dog trotted out of the bathroom with her ears erect in the air.
“Hey, girl,” he murmured softly.
Her ears flattened on her head as she arrived at his side. He gave her a rub on her head. He owed her a big steak for making it to Jordan before he had. There was no telling what would have happened had she not arrived to Jordan when she had. Honor whined as if already sensing what he was going to say.
“Don’t give me that look, girl.”
Honor’s eyes were wide, and she was doing that thing that always had him caving in to her demands.
But tonight was not the night for him to cave. He had almost lost his woman, and his nerves were still frazzled. He needed to be comforted that his dog—partner—was keeping them safe while they slept.
“Guard the house, girl,” he said. He walked her over to the door and let her out of the room.
She paused in the doorway and gave him the look again.
He shook his head. “Go.”
She slunk off and walked over to the top of the stairs and flopped down onto the floor with a huff. Rhys shook his head at her sass and closed his door. He peeled his filthy clothes off his body. He grimaced from the scent that came from him. He tossed his clothing in the basket in his closet before entering the bathroom.
The lights were dim, and a few candles were lit sitting along the double sink vanity. He was thankful that he had installed the soaking tub. When he’d remodeled his master suite he had almost not included it. He never took baths and had nearly dismissed the notion.
Jordan rested back in the water and bubbles that reached her neck. Her dark hair was tied up in a bun on top of her head. A folded towel acted as a pillow for her. Jordan’s eyes opened, and her gaze landed on him.
“Hey,” she whispered. Her voice was going in and out.
Rhys didn’t want to think that it was due to her almost being choked to death. He brushed that thought aside and walked over to her. He grabbed a towel from the rack and placed it on the edge of the tub so he could sit on it.
“What are you doing?”
“I was coming to see if you were okay, then I was going to jump in the shower,” he replied. He reached out and gently ran a finger along her cheek. Her face was bruised and swollen on one side. Her lips were plump, and the cut on the top one was crusted over with a scab.
“There is room for one more,” she murmured. She slid forward in the water as if to prove her point.
Rhys chuckled and stood. He stepped into the water and held back a grimace. How the hell was this woman sitting in water hot enough to boil? He gently lowered himself down and hissed.
“Whoa.” The grimace won out as the water came up to his chest.
Jordan waited for him to settle back against the tub before she positioned herself in front of him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. For a while they didn’t speak a word. It wasn’t needed. They both were where they belonged. He reached down and cupped his hand to draw water into it. He poured it on her shoulder while watching it run down her soft brown skin.
“I thought I would never see you again,” she admitted.
Rhys paused, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her shoulder. She turned and laid those big brown eyes on him. His breath caught in his throat at the tortured look in her eyes. As much as he wanted to draw her to him and kiss her, he resisted. Her mouth was tender and lips swollen from trauma. He was a patient man when it came to certain things, and this would be one of them. He’d take care of his woman, and when the time came, he would claim her lips, her body, and her soul.
