The Forbidden Throb (Emma and Daniel) novel Chapter 148

Chapter 148

Emma’s POV:

I stared at him, at the calm certainty in his face, and felt something close to despair wash over me.

Years of celibacy. One night wouldn’t be enough.

“I should…” I gestured vaguely toward the bathroom. “Shower. Get dressed.”

“I already took care of that.” His voice was gentle, matter-of-fact. “Last night. You fell asleep in the bath, so I cleaned you up and got you into something comfortable.”

The words took a moment to register. Then heat flooded my face as I suddenly became hyperaware of what I was wearing

The shirt was enormous, the fabric soft and worn, the sleeves hanging past my fingertips. His shirt. And underneath…

I shifted slightly, felt the smooth slide of fabric against skin. Clean. Dry. No trace of last night’s… aftermath.

Oh God.

“You…” My voice came out strangled. “You bathed me?”

“You were exhausted but insisted on taking a shower.” He said it so simply, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“The shirt’s mine,” he continued, as if discussing the weather. “It might be a bit large, but your dress needed… attention.”

“Attention?”

“I sent it to the hotel laundry.” A pause. “Though there’s some damage.”

The memory crashed over me-his hands fisting in delicate fabric, the sound of something tearing, his mouth hot against my collarbone as he pulled the dress down my shoulders with more urgency than care.

Structural damage. Of course.

My hands flew up to cover his mouth before he could say anything else. “Stop. Please. I don’t need the detailed inventory.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners, warm with amusement. I felt his lips curve against my palms-that smile, the one that made my stomach flip.

“I’ll buy you a new one,” he said, his voice muffled but still perfectly clear. “Something even nicer.”

“It’s fine,” I said quickly, lowering my hands.

“I’m just a fragile, conservative girl who really, really doesn’t need you reminding her of every mortifying detail from last night.”

Daniel’s expression softened. Low, quiet, the sound rumbling from his chest as he reached up to adjust the duvet around me.

9:03 am pppp.

Chapter 148

he murmured.

But as he pulled the covers hig

*** lifted

gaped upesi, one sleess slipped deren my shundar, and for a bied verred, i tale und me afpond

Daniel went very still

I looked down and saw what he was seeing a narre strip of skin exposed between the skirts bem and where the dovet had tale waist, pale in the morning light. And marke faint but visible, scattered across the w

His mouth. His teeth.

I yanked the shirt down, pulled the duvet up, my face burning

“It doesn’t hurt,” I managed. ‘I just bruise easily. Always have

‘I noticed,’ His voice had gone rough, low. Something flickered in his expression-reget, maybe, a concern. ‘I’ll remember that.”

“Let me get you something to eat,” he said abruptly, standing,

He moved toward the desk, his shoulders tense, and I was left sitting there in his oversized shirt, surrounded by his scent on the pillows, marked by his hands beneath the covers.

Then he was back, carrying a tray that looked like something from a restaurant.

He set it carefully on the bed, transforming the duvet into an impromptu table. “You need proper nutrition.”

He lifted the lid off a ceramic bowl, and the smell that hit me was incredible. Rich, savory, with hints of pepper and something herbal. My stomach growled again, louder this time.

I didn’t wait for the explanation. I grabbed the spoon and dove in. The first taste-oh God. Creamy, perfectly seasoned, the beef was tender enough to fall apart at the slightest pressure.

Each spoonful soothed my throat, warmed me from the inside out.

“Good?” Daniel asked, though his slight smile suggested he already knew.

“Mmph, I managed around another mouthful. “Amazing. Thank you.”

He just watched me eat, that fond expression on his face the one that made me feel simultaneously cherished and self conscious. Like I was doing something extraordinary by simply enjoying breakfast.

The Forbidden Throb