Looking After Lindy

by Pepper North

  “Princess,” he said, softly tugging her across the padded seat so he could wrap his arms around her. “It’s okay. If you want to share a room with an old guy who probably smells by this point in the day, I’ll try to get a room with two beds. If I can’t, we’ll figure something out so neither of us have to sleep on the dirty carpet.”

  She laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m usually pretty brave.” She stopped to sniffle, trying to prevent her nose from running. His warm, masculine scent filled her nostrils. “You smell good,” she whispered.

  “You get to take the first bath,” he joked, trying to lighten the conversation. He had immediately hardened when she’d sniffed him. Some remnant from his caveman ancestors liked having his scent on her. “You want to go in with me?”

  She immediately shook her head, echoing the gesture, “No.”

  Josiah returned in just a few minutes. “We’re in number seven,” he told her as he slid back into the SUV. “I called in an order for a pizza from the local Italian restaurant for dinner. Let’s go pick it up before heading to our room. It’s not the most nutritious food, but we need to get something inside you.” Almost immediately, her stomach growled. “I’ll take that as a positive sign that you like pizza.” He pulled out of the parking lot and drove into the small town.

  Running into the small restaurant alone, Josiah returned as fast as possible. As he walked out of the restaurant, he could see the cab of the SUV was empty. He ran to the vehicle, jerking open the driver’s door. The passenger seat was empty. Dropping the pizza into the seat of the SUV, he called, “Lindy!” Josiah whirled to scan the area, looking for any sign of trouble.

  There was a faint rustle of clothing from the back seat. “I’m here, Josiah. I got scared when car lights pulled into the parking lot. It was an old couple, but I decided to stay here until you returned. Sorry,” she apologized as she uncurled herself from her hiding spot on the floorboard behind the passenger seat.

  Josiah leaned against the door frame of the driver’s seat bracing his forearms against the roof. “Princess, you just took a few years off my life. We’re going to talk about this when you’re feeling safe.”

  Dropping her chin, she nodded.

  “Want to climb back over the seat or should I open the door?” he asked wryly. He was amazed how easily she scaled over the seat. Feeling his age, Josiah picked up the pizza and handed it to her. He slowly drove back to the motel and parked in front of room seven. He slung her backpack over his shoulder and grabbed his own duffle. Rounding the back of the SUV, he noted Lindy swiveled in her seat to keep him in sight. He ushered her to the scuffed door emblazoned with the number 7.

  Josiah noted that Lindy was still moving very sluggishly. Her mind was operating at an acceptable rate, but he didn’t know if this was normal for her. He suspected she was actually more quick-witted. He was surprised to find himself planning to discover if that idea was correct.

  “Sit down on the bed with the pizza. They only had one double bedroom available. My guess is that’s all they have. We’ll deal with it. I promise you are safe with me,” he swore, capturing those blue eyes. He locked and bolted the door automatically.

  “I know,” she replied, nodding easily. Lindy dropped to the bed in exhaustion. The pizza smelled so good, she immediately set it next to her and opened the box. “Everything on it! My favorite!” she declared, pulling out a big piece and taking a bite.

  Handing her a bottle of water, Josiah reached in the box and pulled out a piece. He groaned as he took a bite of the still-warm pizza. He sat down on the other side of the bed and kicked off his shoes. “That is the best pizza that I’ve ever eaten, or I’m unbelievably hungry.” He took another large bite and chewed happily.

  “Josiah…” Lindy began, then fell silent as she seemed to chicken out of whatever she was going to say.

  “Just ask, princess. If I don’t want to tell you, I won’t.”

  “I don’t want to pull you into my drama. Would you like me to go my own way tomorrow? I’ll be okay. You don’t need to take care of me,” she told him bravely.

  He could see the tears gathering in her eyes at the thought of being out there all alone. She was brave, this Little girl. He was suddenly very proud of this young woman whom he really didn’t know.

  “I don’t think I’m ready to be on my own tomorrow. How about if we stick together for a while? You haven’t told me what’s going on with you.” He held up his hand to stop her. “You’re exhausted and dirty. Tonight’s not the night to worry with explanations. I know you’re in trouble, and some bad guys are after you.”

  “I don’t want you to be in danger,” she stated quickly before wiping a tear from her filthy face.

  Somehow that smear of clean flesh under the layers of dirt she had accumulated on her walk made her seem even more vulnerable. Josiah reached in and grabbed another piece of pizza from the box. “How about if you just let me worry about protecting myself?”

  Helping herself to another slice, she said softly, “Thank you, Josiah.”

  “You’re welcome, princess.”

  Chapter 5

  Lindy was almost asleep before she finished her second piece of pizza. Josiah considered the options: put her to sleep dirty or take her into the shower with him. She’d never stay awake long enough to shower by herself. He sniffed deeply. The sweat of her panicked flight, the long days in the sun, and her walk combined to make him decide that she would sleep better clean.

  “Lindy, girl? You need a shower, and I don’t think you’ve recovered enough to take care of this by yourself. Will you let me help you?”

  “Please,” she looked at him with drained blue eyes.

  Without another word, Josiah stood and went to the bathroom to turn on the shower. He’d keep the water cool, so she’d stay awake. He gathered small bottles of shampoo and conditioner and unwrapped the small bar of soap to equip the bathtub. It would be close quarters. He raised his eyes to the ceiling as he talked himself into dispassionate police officer mode.

  Returning to the main room, he took the crust from her hand and threw it into the pizza box. Josiah lifted her to stand in front of him, and he pulled her dusty t-shirt over her head. He tried not to notice the lacy light pink bra that cupped her small breasts. After unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans, he pushed both her pants and matching lacy pink panties to her ankles before kneeling at her feet to untie her filthy sneakers.

  “Princess, put your hands on my shoulders to steady yourself. Now, lift your left foot and then your right. Good girl.” He kept his eyes on her feet. Forcing himself not to notice that the curly hair between her legs was untrimmed, he mentally swore, realizing he’d already looked.

  As he stood back up, she reached behind her back and unfastened her pink bra to drop it on the pile at her feet. “I’m sorry,” she said as she swayed unsteadily.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for, Little girl. Come on, let me put you in the shower to rinse off while I take my clothes off.” Josiah lifted the exhausted girl into his arms and carried her to the bathroom. She weighed nothing. He set her feet down on the mat and steadied her against the tile. “Just stand there and let the water rinse the road dirt off,” he advised.

  Returning to the bed, he pulled back the covers on the side away from the door. Josiah shucked off his clothes and shoes down to his boxer briefs. Quickly, he returned to the shower. He stepped in to pull her away from the tile and into the main flow of the shower. “Hair first, princess,” he instructed, tilting her head back into the spray to wet her hair. She groaned with delight as he massaged the soap through her hair. Brown suds cascaded to the shower floor as the dust was washed from her long hair.

  He rinsed her hair and slathered it with conditioner. He’d learned how females washed their hair from his now deceased wife. She’d been gone for several years now, but he remembered that she always left the conditioner on for as long as possible to make her hair soft. He’d leave it in Lindy’s hair while he
washed her body.

  Trying to be as clinical as possible, Josiah began to smooth the soap over her skin. The skin that had been exposed to the sun and breeze was rough. He’d make sure she got the small bottle of lotion from the counter to take with her tomorrow. Josiah tried to plot their path for the next day to keep his mind off the small, rose-tipped breasts he was spreading the slick soap over. Damn, cut it out! He could feel his penis lengthening inside his snug, wet briefs.

  “Close your eyes, princess,” he instructed. Obediently, her long lashes spread over her cheeks. His shaft extended to full-length, tenting his briefs massively when she reacted automatically to his commands. Lindy is obviously a natural sub. Josiah didn’t have a type. Well, other than submissive. His wife had been tall and rounded. He had loved her curves and how she filled his hands with her generous flesh. Lindy was a direct opposite. Willowy with lean muscle, she was petite all over—and just as beautiful in his eyes!

  Josiah turned her around to wash her back. He tried to keep his hips away from her body, but the exertion of standing in the shower had zapped the last of her strength. Lindy began to sway back and forth. He wrapped an arm around her waist before he quickly washed between her small buttocks and between her toned thighs. He turned her one last time to rinse the conditioner from her hair. She naturally leaned against him as she arched back to duck her head under the spray.

  Chapter 6

  She loved this. The feel of his hands on her body was amazing. His fingers were rough and callused. She relaxed against his hard body, enjoying the press of his flesh on hers. It felt so good to be clean. Lindy knew this wasn’t the first time he had showered with a woman. She briefly allowed herself to feel territorial about him before reining in her emotions. He wasn’t interested in her.

  Lindy had reached the end of her strength. Wobbling as she tried to stand, she leaned against his hard body. She froze as she felt his penis press against her through his wet briefs. Not trusting her body’s reaction, Lindy reached instinctively to cup the front of his briefs. She immediately confirmed what her body had already sensed. He was huge! Her fingers automatically tightened around his shaft, drawing a low groan from his mouth above her.

  Blushing as he removed her fingers from his body, Lindy tried to apologize, but Josiah spoke over her.

  “You are too tired to play, Little girl. When you are feeling better, I will welcome your touch,” he advised her as he turned off the shower spray. After wrapping her hair in a towel, Josiah dried her skin gently. He wrapped a towel around his waist before lifting her into his arms. He carried her to the bed and covered her with the soft sheets that had been washed many times. Opening the towel wrapped around her head, he stretched it across her pillow to allow her hair to dry naturally.

  She is entrancing. Unable to prevent himself from touching her, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her chapped lips. “When you are feeling better, hopefully you will welcome my touch,” he told her before turning to finish his own shower.

  Lindy wasn’t used to sleeping in the nude, but it felt so good to be clean. She welcomed the feel of the soft sheets on her bare skin. Her eyes drifted closed as she listened to the sound of the water restart. She had almost fallen asleep when she heard a deep moan of pleasure from the bathroom. Smiling, she gave in to the exhaustion looming over her.

  Not waking as he slid in between the sheets on the opposite side of the bed, Lindy’s dreams featured a handsome, muscular man on a hot sandy beach. She slept better than she had since her brother’s murder.

  Chapter 7

  Josiah was determined to sleep on top of the covers. He stripped off his boxers after putting Lindy to bed. His hands immediately began stroking his erection as he stepped back under the water. It didn’t take long. He simply replayed the view of her body shining with water droplets. From her beautiful ice-blue eyes over her petite, uplifted breasts and down to her flat tummy and lean hips, Josiah closed his eyes to imagine her back in the shower with him. His large fist wrapped around his shaft to pull roughly on the wet skin. He muffled the sound of his orgasm as much as possible. Then, he washed his hair and body quickly so he could return to her.

  Seeing her pile of dirty clothes by the bed, Josiah snagged the bra and underwear. They were both wisps of fabric that would dry quickly. He didn’t know if she had any other clothing. He took five minutes to wash out her intimate apparel and wring them out in a towel before draping the damp underwear over the rod in the shower. Hopefully, they’d be dry in the morning.

  Reentering the main room, he could hear Lindy snoring softly. She is so deeply asleep. I won’t disturb her if I get into bed. His need to be close to her won. Josiah climbed into bed and stretched out on his back. He’d expected to have trouble sleeping, but he was out almost immediately.

  A few hours later, Lindy’s movement woke him. He froze as she rolled onto her side before curling her trim body against his. Her small wiggling movement brought a sleepy smile to his lips. She moved instinctively toward his warmth. Finally making herself comfortable with her head resting on his shoulder, Josiah shifted slightly to slide his arm under her shoulders to pull her against his chest. Lindy sighed contentedly and wiggled a little closer.

  Staring at the ceiling, Josiah replayed the day. What if I hadn’t stopped to investigate? I could have missed her in the brush if that backpack hadn’t landed on the shoulder. He forced his mind to stop the what ifs. She was here. He was going to take care of her. That was all he needed to think about for now. He deliberately relaxed his muscles and closed his eyes. Inhaling her sweet scent, he smiled, hugging her slightly to his side.

  “Mmmm, Josiah,” she whispered, still soundly asleep. Her tone revealed her attraction and that she was dreaming of him.

  His smile glowed in the darkened hotel room. My princess.

  Chapter 8

  Lindy woke in the dark of the early morning. She squinted at the clock. Ugghh! No way am I getting up now! As her brain started working, she realized she was wrapped in warmth. Josiah. His muscular body spooned around her. One large hand spanned across her stomach and lower ribs, pulling her body against him. Wiggling slightly, she realized he was nude and fully erect behind her.

  Unable to help herself, Lindy rolled in his arms to face the handsome man who had rescued her. She leaned forward slightly and inhaled his clean, masculine scent. “Mmmmm,” she hummed as she gave in to the temptation and pressed her lips against his throat. When his breath didn’t change, Lindy darted her tongue out to taste his skin. “Mmmmm,” that hum of delight tingled as her lips explored his collarbone.

  “Little girl, you’re playing with fire,” a deep voice rumbled above her.

  Hesitating for a couple of seconds, she forced herself to be brave. “Maybe I like fire,” she whispered, allowing the tip of her tongue to trail down his corded shoulder as her hands explored the muscles of his torso.

  Josiah did not hesitate. He rolled her to lie on her back and pressed her down with his body weight. “Are you sure about this, princess? I’m much older than you are. Be sure that our age difference won’t be a problem for you.”

  She lifted her head to press her lips against his. “I’m twenty-three. Your age doesn’t bother me.” She pressed her pelvis even tighter against him, enjoying the press of his thick erection against her body.

  Gritting his teeth, Josiah forced himself to finish the conversation. “There’s no going back after this. You’re mine, or you’re not. There is no middle ground for me.”

  Her hesitation about killed him. “You want me?” she asked shyly.

  “I want all of you, princess,” his reply was instantaneous as he ran his hand over the slight curves of her back to cup her bottom.

  “Please,” she begged. “Touch me!”

  Without another word, Josiah’s mouth captured hers. This was not a kiss. At least not a kiss like she’d ever had before. He controlled the kiss, seducing her with his skill and firm lips. When she gasped against him, his tongue slid int
o her mouth. As he tasted her deeply, Lindy clung to his shoulders, unable to think of anything but the sensations he was forcing through her body.

  His knee slid between her legs, pressing against the small mound of flesh at the apex of her thighs. Without thought, Lindy lifted her hips to rub against his hard, muscled thigh. She could feel herself getting wet as her body pressed against the wiry hair sprinkled on his leg. She moaned deep in her throat as his mouth rose to press two light kisses to her lips before trailing nips and searing tastes of her skin over her jaw to the hollow of her slender neck.

  Lindy trailed her fingers through his thick hair. Her fingers cupped the back of his head, holding him close to her body as his lips traveled further down her body. With a passion-filled cry, Lindy lifted her chest toward his lips. Her brief, flashing worry that he would find her scant curves lacking were banished as his lips captured her small, pink nipple. She arched further as he rolled the beaded tip between his white teeth, skirting the narrow line between pleasure and pain.

  “So beautiful!” he breathed heavily against her skin. “Princess…”

  As his voice trailed off, his lips captured her other nipple while his large hand wrapped around her delicate breast. His fingers teased and caressed as he tasted her. With a final nip to her breast, Josiah’s mouth continued its journey down her body. He shifted lower in the bed, removing the thigh she had been rubbing on. Josiah was pleased to feel the wetness that had transferred from her body to his.

  “Oh!” she protested with a small cry.

  “Shh, Little one. Daddy will make it better,” he promised as his fingers trailed down her body to trace the delicate flesh between her thighs. He ran the tip of his tongue around her navel, eliciting a shiver through her sweet body.

  Josiah lifted one slim thigh and draped her leg over his shoulder as his lips approached her core. Josiah breathed her sweet fragrance in deeply. He lowered his mouth to her rounded mound to tug gently on her pubic hair. He could feel her shiver in response. His finger lightly traced around the wet opening to her vagina. He pressed one finger deep inside her. Withdrawing his finger, Josiah met her eyes before running the point of his tongue along the digit. “So sweet,” he praised as he lowered his head to allow his tongue to explore her intimately.