Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
She looked like she was close to tears and he wasn’t sure what was happening until he saw a patch of blood on the light-colored sofa.
“You’re bleeding! Fuck, where are you bleeding? Fox! Fox!” Brody jumped up in a panic, hovering over her slight form. “Where are you injured? Fox?”
“What is it?” The Fox ran into the room, gun at the ready, making Autumn squeak in shock. “Is someone here? Where’s the risk?” He moved in front of the two of them, staring around the room.
“Does he really think there’s someone in here?” she whispered to Brody.
“I don’t know.”
“Brody!” the Fox snapped.
Uh-oh. Right. “There’s no danger.”
“I gathered that,” the Fox said dryly. He put his gun in the back of his jeans. “Next time, lead with that.”
“Sorry.”
“I’ve got . . . I’ve got to go.” Turning, Autumn raced off.
The Fox stared after her. “Why is she moving funny? Is she . . . is she bleeding?”
“Yes! That’s why I called you in. I thought she might be injured. She was making pained noises, and then when she got up, she . . . oh fuck . . . I’m an idiot.”
“What are you talking about? She’s injured? How the fuck could she get injured?”
Oh, shit.
He held his hands up as the Fox looked at him like he was about to explode.
“She’s not injured. I thought she was, but she’s fine.”
“She’s fucking bleeding.”
“Because she has her period.” And he should have realized that immediately.
The Fox blinked. “Oh.”
Yeah. Oh.
“Does she need, uh, stuff?” the Fox asked.
“Yes, likely.”
The Fox nodded. “I’ll order something.”
“She’ll need something right now . . . I don’t suppose you thought of that possibility?”
“I don’t suppose I did,” the Fox drawled. “Do women not carry that stuff around?”
“There might be some in her handbag.” They’d brought that with them.
“I’ll get it.”
“Actually, why don’t I get it and you go help her,” Brody suggested.
The Fox’s eyes widened. “Help her? With what? I don’t have a vagina.”
“Why would you need one?”
“Well, if I have to explain that we might be in trouble here,” the Fox replied. “Didn’t you get taught sex ed?”
Brody grumbled under his breath. “You don’t need to have first-hand knowledge of having a period to help her. Just go . . . comfort her.”
“I know how to do that?”
“You must have some idea? Instinct?”
“My instinct tells me that the blood is going to stain unless it’s wiped up.”
“Do you really care? Do you care more about that than Autumn?”
Because if he did, then Brody had completely misread him.
“Course I don’t,” the Fox snapped. “Why would I care about a sofa? She can destroy the damn thing if she wants.”
“She doesn’t. But what she likely wants is someone to look after her. Maybe pamper her.”
“Pamper her,” the Fox said slowly.
“She’s in pain and probably embarrassed.”
“Why would she be embarrassed?”
“I don’t know. Society can make women feel embarrassed about, uh, this.” Jeez, why was he getting all tongue-tied now? “This is a way for you to show her that you have a softer side.”
“I don’t think that’s been established yet. But I suppose I could try.”
“That’s the spirit!”
The Fox gave him a look like he was crazy. Maybe he was, considering he’d just fist-pumped the air like an overexcited teenage cheerleader.
Chill, man. Be cool.
He didn’t know how, but maybe he should try.
“Just go check on her. And try to remember that there is this thing called personal boundaries!”
Autumn tried to clean herself up as best as she could, but it was a lost cause.
God. How had this happened?
Was she even due for her period? Wait. How long had it been since she’d had one? Her periods had been erratic since her kidnapping due to stress and weight loss. She’d had a couple but they’d been light.
This was ridiculously heavy. A disaster.
Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly. “Not a complete disaster. It was just a bit of blood. Nothing to worry about.”
A sniffle left her.
“Then why are you crying?”
She screamed, almost jumping off the toilet seat as she glanced up to see the Fox staring down at her. “What are you doing? I’m on the toilet!”
“I can see that.”
“I can’t . . . you can’t see me like this.”
This was it. Now she had a real reason to cry. Because she was completely and utterly embarrassed.
“I can’t? Why not?”
“Because I’m on the toilet.”
“Well, yes, that is obvious.”
“What am I even doing here?” she whispered.
“Because it’s not safe for you to be on your own. You or Brody. You have to be here for your protection.”
Right. Not because he wanted her here.
“Oh, I’m meant to pamper you. What would you like while you have your period?” he asked.
“P-pamper me?”
“Yes, I know, it’s a foreign concept to me as well. But you must have some idea of what you’d like? Let’s see, pain and blood . . . you know it’s something I’m well versed with but not when it’s not something I haven’t inflicted myself. And then I don’t care what pain someone is going through . . .”