The Scumbag's Guide To Heroism novel Chapter 186

Chapter 186: 186 | The Aftercare Thing

I kissed her forehead before carefully pulling out, drawing a soft whimper from her lips. Her legs unwrapped from my waist with obvious reluctance and when her feet touched the floor she wobbled dangerously.

"Whoa." I caught her around the waist before she could fall. "Easy."

"My legs don’t work." She said it like she was accusing me of something. "You broke my legs."

"Pretty sure they’re still attached."

"Functionally useless. You’re going to have to carry me everywhere for the rest of the day."

"I could just leave you in the shower."

"You wouldn’t dare."

She was right. I wouldn’t dare.

I reached past her to turn off the water, which had definitely crossed from lukewarm into cold territory. The sudden silence was almost startling after all the noise we’d been making.

"Come on." I wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her out of the shower. "Let’s get you dried off."

The towels Sloane had brought were soft and absurdly pink, covered in a pattern of tiny cats that was completely at odds with her public image as a dangerous explosive combatant. I grabbed one and wrapped it around her shoulders, rubbing the fabric against her skin to warm her up.

"You’re good at this," she murmured. "The aftercare thing."

"I’ve had practice."

"With me."

"With you." I kissed her temple. "Only ever with you."

She smiled, a soft private expression that she only ever wore in moments like this. The sharp edges of Sloane Fitzgerald temporarily filed down to reveal the person underneath. The one who kept a stuffed bear in the back of her closet and cried at dog rescue videos and was terrified of becoming her mother despite loving her more than anyone.

"I love you," she said quietly. "You know that right? I know I don’t say it enough and I show it by threatening property damage and being aggressively jealous but I do. Love you. A lot."

Something in my chest went warm and tight.

"I know."

"Good." She poked me in the ribs. "Don’t make me repeat myself. That was already embarrassing enough."

"Wouldn’t dream of it."

I finished drying her off and then dried myself while she sat on the closed toilet lid and watched with an expression that was somehow both exhausted and evaluating.

"Your back is all scratched up."

"Wonder whose fault that is."

"Yours. For being good at sex. I had to hold onto something."

"Glad to know I’m good for something."

"You’re good for several things." She ticked them off on her fingers. "Sex. Cooking. Carrying heavy objects. Making Percy feel less awkward. Annoying me."

"That’s a pretty comprehensive skill set."

"It’s not a bad foundation." She stood up, wobbling only slightly this time, and moved toward the bathroom door. "I need to put clothes on before someone knocks and I have to explain why there’s a naked man in my shower."

"Good plan."

She paused at the door, looking back over her shoulder. The pink cat towel was wrapped around her body and her hair was dripping onto the tile floor and she still looked like the most dangerous thing in the building.

"Lukas."

"Yeah?"

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