Shoulder the Skye (Skye Druids #2)(21)
Author: Donna Grant

 

She removed her hand from his. He nodded and shifted the covers just enough to expose her right leg from the thigh down. She spotted the gauze taped to her knee that was now colored red.

 

Elias carefully lifted the tape. His touch was light, tender. She had tensed, waiting for the pain, but there was none. She saw the jagged cut that ran from the bottom of her knee upwards at a diagonal toward the inside of her thigh. It throbbed in time with her head now.

 

He dropped the gauze and slid his gaze to hers. “You have two options. I can bandage this now and you can dress. Or I can help you to the bathroom if you wish to shower. Then I’ll see to the wound.”

 

“The latter option, please.” She felt grimy, and she wanted to wash away her encounter with Sydney.

 

“Do you want to finish the toast?”

 

Bronwyn shook her head and tried to sit up more. She gritted her teeth at the pain that cut through her. The room began to spin. Suddenly, Elias was there.

 

“Easy. Easy,” he whispered, his voice close to her ear. “Hold on to me. That’s it. Give yourself a moment to let the pain pass.”

 

The dizziness had passed. But in its place was heat that had nothing to do with her injuries.

 

“Better?” he asked.

 

Bronwyn nodded, afraid to use her voice.

 

Elias helped swing her legs over the side of the bed before wrapping an arm around her. It was a mistake to allow herself to be tucked against him as she was, but she didn’t have the will to move away.

 

“Now, let’s get you on your feet.”

 

My God, his voice was so seductive he could probably get her to do anything he wanted. She locked her gaze on the fire, trying to tune out the fact that his bare skin was now against hers.

 

The warmth of his flesh called to her. She wound her arm around him, careful to keep away from his bruise. It felt so good that she leaned toward him, then she jerked her head up.

 

“It’s okay. Lean on me,” he urged.

 

But she knew it was better if she didn’t.

 

His eyes, his voice, and his body were doing too many strange things to her. She had to get her head right again. It didn’t matter how sexy-as-fuck he was. Elias didn’t need to be mixed up in the shite storm that was her life.

 

She was so focused on that thought that when she took her first step on her left ankle, she bent over in pain. Which in turned shot pain from her knee to her head and ribs. If Elias hadn’t been holding her, she would have fallen.

 

“Take your time,” he told her softly.

 

Bronwyn had gone only a few inches, and her body was covered in sweat from the agony of her injuries. She was glad she hadn’t eaten more. As it was, her stomach was rebelling.

 

Elias steered her around the end of the sofa bed but paused. “You’re going to need this,” he said as he grabbed the blanket from his chair and wrapped it around her. “It might be easier if I carry you.”

 

Nay! She was having a difficult enough time standing pressed against him. She wouldn’t be able to handle being in his arms. “I’ll be fine.”

 

“Do you want energy to walk or shower?” he asked simply. “Because I’ll be happy to stand in the shower and keep you on your feet.”

 

Bloody hell. He had a point. Still, she hesitated. “I’ll shower alone.”

 

“That’s what I thought.”

 

His voice held a smile. She didn’t look at him, even though she wanted to. The next thing she knew, he had shifted to the side and bent, placing one arm behind her back and the other under her knees. He lifted her effortlessly and with minimal pain. That allowed her to wrap the blanket around herself so only her lower legs and feet were exposed.

 

But as soon as they left the parlor, her feet chilled to the point they hurt. Elias’s strides were long, and his steps didn’t jar her too much. Soon enough, they were in the bathroom. He set her on the closed toilet lid and straightened. That was when she saw that he was barefoot.

 

“Aren’t you cold?” she asked.

 

He chuckled as he turned on the shower. “Aye, it’s chilly. How hot do you want the water?”

 

“Near to scalding.” When he shot her a look, Bronwyn shrugged. “It’s how I warm up.”

 

“Fair enough,” he murmured. It wasn’t long before steam began filling the room. Elias walked to the door and paused with his hand on the handle. “I’ll be right outside. Call if you need me. And doona overdo it. The heat might feel good, but too much isna good with your injuries.”

 

“I’ll be fine.” When he didn’t leave, she shot him a look. “I heard you.”

 

The door closed softly behind him. Bronwyn blew out a breath, then regretted it at the sharp pain that lanced her rib cage. She let the blanket fall away and used the counter to steady herself as she got to her feet. She removed the bandage and grimaced at the droplets of blood from her knee that were now on her favorite blanket. She glanced at herself in the mirror and grimaced again.

 

She looked horrible. Her face was pale, her hair was a tangled mess, and she had dried blood along her hairline. She leaned toward the mirror and inspected the cut and bandage on her forehead. That explained the headache.

 

Bronwyn unhooked her bra and let it fall from her arms. Then she pushed her panties down her hips in slow movements to prevent more pain. It felt like forever before she was beneath the water. Once there, she sighed as the spray moved over her body, easing her aches and washing away the blood and grime from the battle the night before.

 

Battle. She snorted and shook her head. It wasn’t much of a fight. Her spells on the house needed to be upgraded to prevent more than just people from entering. She didn’t want to be caught like that again. Nothing should’ve gotten through her wards. Nothing. Yet the rain had. That meant Sydney had a water dancer with him.

 

It was only because of Elias that she was alive. Oh, Sydney wouldn’t have killed her. No. He would’ve tortured her for however long it took for her to break and spill where Beth was hiding. Bronwyn was all too acquainted with the lengths Sydney would go to in order to get what he wanted. She had helped him at one time. But that was before she’d discovered just what kind of man he was.

 

Bronwyn washed her hair and body, which took twice as long with her injuries. By the time she turned off the water, she was barely able to stand. She sat on the toilet and dried off, only to realize that she hadn’t brought any clothes.

 

There was a soft knock, then Elias’s voice came through the door. “I’m sorry for digging through your stuff, but I have clothes for you. I wasn’t sure what you might want, though. I grabbed the first things I could find.”