“Caden saw she was about speak and stopped her by placing a bandaged finger to her lips. “Do you love me, Dakota?” he asked, needing to hear only that from her lips.
Closing her eyes, she responded by nodding. “I never s-stopped, even after I thought—”
“No,” Caden stopped her again. That was all he had needed or wanted to hear for tonight. “I don’t want to talk tonight. We have both dealt with enough for today. I want to be with you. If you are strong enough, I want to make love to you. I need to be in your body. I need to reconnect with you on the most basic level, for my sanity and my soul.”
She knew he was struggling as deeply as she was. They had lost so much, hurt so deeply. Was this a gift she could give to him, to both of them? Physically, she was not the same woman he remembered, and she was feeling self-conscious. Her body was no longer strong. Dakota hadn’t shaved her legs or under her arms in months. She was convinced she was half monkey.
Caden saw a look of disgust cross her face. “If you don’t want to make love yet, I get it. We’ll get there. We don’t have to rush. Just let me hold you tonight.”
Dakota saw the look of rejection on his face. He had misinterpreted her reaction. She wanted it so badly. It was her modesty that was the problem.
“I want to … I j-just wish I felt more like myself. My body doesn’t w-work the same way it used to. I’ll be aw-awkward and won’t feel like a w-woman.” Her face was red with embarrassment.
Caden was confused. He had no doubt he could make her feel like a whole woman.
He tipped her head up. “We are starting fresh. No more keeping things to ourselves. We are open and honest about everything. Do you understand there isn’t anything we can’t talk about? Please tell me.”
She knew he was right. They had to move forward. The only way for it to work was with total honesty, even if it was embarrassing as hell.”
“I want you to look at me like you used to. My body hasn’t fully recovered, and I haven’t shaved in “months.”
Caden lowered his forehead to hers and cupped her jaw in both hands, shuttering in relief as he breathed out. “Aw, baby girl, you are the sexiest woman alive. It’s very important to me how you feel about yourself. I’m going to help you. Let’s go.”
Her eyes widened as she tried to dig her feet in. “No, please. I don’t know if I can. I only recently got some of my dignity back. It was awful having to rely on nurses to bathe me, put on my deodorant, or even wipe my butt. I couldn’t do anything about it before, but …”
Giving her shoulders a gentle shake, he said, “Hold on, Dakota. I know you’ve gone to hell and back. Just to remind you, I am a professional and deal discreetly with people’s bodies every day. I understand your need for discretion. Trust me, baby; I’ll be respectful.”