Fifty Shades Darker (book 5) novel Chapter 70

“Yes,” she says feverishly against my mouth.

I switch off the water and lead her out of the shower. I wrap her in her bathrobe and secure a towel around my waist. Taking a smaller one, I begin to dry her hair.

This is what I love. Taking care of her.

And what’s more, for a change, she’s letting me.

She stands patiently while I squeeze the water from her hair and rub her head. When I look up she’s watching me in the mirror above the sink. Our eyes meet and I’m lost in her loving look.

“Can I reciprocate?” she asks.

What does she have in mind?

I nod and Ana reaches for another towel. Standing on tiptoe, she wraps it around my head and starts to rub. I lower my head, giving her easier access.

Mmm. This feels good.

She uses her nails, rubbing hard.

Oh, man.

I grin like a fool, feeling…cherished. When I raise my head to look at her she’s peeking at me through the towel, and she grins, too. “It’s a long time since anyone did this to me. A very long time,” I tell her. “In fact, I don’t think anyone’s ever dried my hair.”

“Surely Grace did? Dried your hair when you were young?”

I shake my head. “No. She respected my boundaries from day one, even though it was painful for her. I was very self-sufficient as a child.”

Ana stills for a moment and I wonder what she’s thinking. “Well, I’m honored,” she says.

“That you are, Miss Steele. Or maybe it is I who am honored.”

“That goes without saying, Mr. Grey.”

She tosses the damp towel onto the vanity unit in front of us and reaches for a new one. As she stands behind me our eyes meet once more in the large mirror.

“Can I try something?” she asks.

We’re doing this your way, baby.

I nod, giving her permission, and she runs the towel down my left arm, removing all the drops of water that cling to my skin. She looks up, watching me intently, and leans forward, and kisses my biceps.

My breathing stalls.

She dries my other arm and leaves a trail of feather-light kisses over my right biceps. Dodging behind me so I can no longer see what she’s doing. She wipes my back, respecting the lipstick lines.