The Crystal Bracelet

Much More Pain Today

Lily woke up after sleeping for several hours. Her hair was a mess and she felt like she just needed to soak in the bathtub for a while. She heard banging around in the kitchen and didn't want to let Fin know she was getting out of bed so she quietly tiptoed to her bathroom.

Once the tub had filled with hot water she poured some bath milk in the water and put a little Epsom salt in. After she undressed she stopped when she caught her reflection in the mirror. The bruise on her side was huge. She ran her fingers over it and winced. Even the softest of touch was too painful. She stepped into the tub and sunk all the way down until just her head and her knees were visible above the water line. She didn't know how long she was in the tub because she had dozed off a little but the water had cooled down considerably and she was actually a little cold. She slowly eased her way out of the water and found that it was almost too hard for her to push herself out. She tried pulling herself up with her arms but the pain in her side was unbearable. She bit her lip and tried to figure out how she was going to do this. Her footing slipped every time she tried to push up with her legs.

Lily took a deep breath and decided to just push through the pain and force herself out of the bath. As she pulled herself up to a standing position she cried out in pain. She couldn't help it. The cry just slipped out. She heard footsteps running from the living room and she panicked.

"DO NOT come in here!" She yelled. That was the last thing she needed was for Fin to see her standing there naked.

"I am indecent." She called out again to explain.

Fin didn't answer her so she walked over to her robe and put it on. She was still dripping wet and stepped onto the tile floor almost falling again. She caught herself on the counter and again cried out in pain. This time the door to the bathroom flew open before she had a chance to tell Fin not to come in.

When Lily looked up the shock on her face was as though she had seen a ghost. It wasn't Fin standing there in her bathroom. It was Gavin. Lily's face turned such a bright shade of red she immediately looked down and yelled for him to get out.

"GET OUT!" She screamed.

Gavin stood there frozen. Her bath robe was short and her beautiful legs had water dripping down them. He was so attracted to her he took a step toward her. When Lily looked back up the hunger written on Gavin's face was frightening to her.

"I SAID GET OUT!" She screamed again.

Gavin shook his head and removed all thought of her body from his mind and focused solely on helping her.

He didn't say anything but quickly walked to her and scooped her up into his arms and walked directly to her bed.

Lily was so stunned she didn't have time to react. Gavin gently set her down on the edge of her bed and grabbed a towel for her. He started drying her legs and reached toward her to wrap the towel around her hair. Lily didn't feel that his motives were sexual in nature and she relaxed a little. She was completely embarrassed that this business tycoon was gently caring for her.

"Please. You don't need to do this. I can dry my own hair." Lily's words were soft and barely above a whisper. Gavin looked down into her eyes and her heart clenched. Lily felt like he was looking into her soul at that moment. He bent down and lightly kissed her forehead again. Lily closed her eyes and reached her hand to touch his chest. She wanted to push him away but she also wanted to feel his presence. Her mind and her heart were confused.

"I will get your clothes. Where are they?" Gavin's voice was soft and caring.

"I just need a sundress from the closet. Please don't worry about my undergarments, I will get them myself. I really do not want you looking in my drawers." Lily felt quite embarrassed and her cheeks blushed.

Gavin nodded his head and walked to her closet. He picked out the white sundress with the embroidered flowers that Lily had almost worn to their "meeting" before. Lily tilted her head in surprise over his choice.

"Do you need help getting off the bed?"

"No I can manage. Thank you." Lily whispered. Her heart was pounding. She had a strong urge to kiss him. But she didn't dare look up at him, she didn't want Gavin to see her face because she was afraid he would read the desire in her eyes.

Gavin turned then left her room quietly and pulled the door shut. He stood on the other side of the door with his heart racing and his mind running from the image of her wet sexy legs to her hand on his chest. He reached to where she touched him and he held his hand on the spot as if her hand was still there. Gavin took a deep breath and went toward the kitchen to finish putting lunch on the table for her.

Lily sat on the bed motionless for a few moments wondering what just happened. She didn't expect Gavin to be there but she was grateful it was him and not Fin that rushed into the bathroom. Lily slowly slid off the bed and winced a little but she held her breath to keep from calling out again. She was in much more pain today, so much so that she was surprised by how much she was hurting. She took her time getting dressed and moved in slow tender motions trying to keep from pulling her side in anyway. When she was completely dressed she walked to her bedroom door and stopped for a moment with her hand on the door knob. Lily took a deep breath and calmed her heart then opened the door.