Free Passion's Fury (The Doms of Passion Lake Book 2) by Julie Shelton Page A

should have made her uncomfortable, even embarrassed.  But it didn’t.  Instead, it made her feel something she’d never felt before in her life.  Attractive.  Even…giddy.
    “Okay,” Caleb said.  “There are two towels hangin’ above your head.  All you have to do is reach up.  You sure you don’t need some help washin’ your hair?  Or…other parts?”
    He looked so hopeful, she had to laugh.
    He grinned and slid the glass door nearly shut.  “Call us when you’re ready to get dressed.”
    She gave him a mock salute and waited until they left the bathroom before shimmying her track pants and panties off her hips and down her legs, tossing them on the bathroom floor.  Next her top and bra joined the pile.  She turned on the water, adjusting the temperature to her satisfaction.  Then, holding the shower head above her own head, she pushed the valve open, groaning with pleasure as hot water sprayed down over her.  Omigod, that feels so wonderful!  She didn’t recall any shower ever feeling so wonderful before.
    She made short work of lathering and rinsing her hair, but it took her a little longer to wash and rinse herself, since she was sitting on parts that needed to be washed.  But she managed, finally turning off the water and pulling down one of the towels.  She wound up using both of them to dry off, because she not only had to dry herself, but also the bench she was sitting on.  After she covered as much of herself as possible with the towels, she called Simon.
    He came in so fast, followed immediately by Caleb and Ash, she knew they’d been waiting just outside the door.  Caleb was carrying a small, square plastic table with a bra, panties, a pair of khaki shorts, and a purple knit tee top.  He set it down in front of the bench.  “Hope this is all right with you,” he said with a chuckle, “didn’t have a whole lot to choose from.”
    “Tell me about it.  Unfortunately, it was all I could afford.  Looks like I’m going to be doing laundry every other day or so.”
    “Don’t worry about it, baby, we’ll buy you some clothes,” Ash ventured.  “We would love to shower you with beautiful things.  And not from Walmart, either.”
    Compressing her lips together, she shook her head.  “No, guys, I can’t let you do that.  It’s bad enough that I’m forced to depend on you for my food and to get around for the next four or five days.  I will not let you spend your money on buying me clothes.  Now, shoo, so I can get dressed.”
    But then a wave of remorse hit her.  She looked up at them, stricken.  “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful.  I’m more grateful than I can ever say.  I’ll never be able to repay you for your kindness and generosity.”  Once again the enormity of her plight hit her and to her horror, she began to cry.  “Oh, fuck, not this again!  God damn it, I’m stronger than this?  Why can’t I stop crying?”
    “Cryin’ is not a sign of weakness,” Caleb said, bending down and cupping her cheek in his palm.  “It’s a coping mechanism to help you deal with things that are overwhelmin’ you.  And right now, you’ve got a whole shit-load of stuff overwhelmin’ you.”
    “It’s so embarrassing,” she sniffled, trying to control her sobs, with little success.  “I’m not a wuss, I’m a grown woman.  I never cry like this!”
    “You’re a grown woman whose boss was murdered, who is a target of Mafia hit men, who found her boyfriend in bed with another woman, whose house was bombed, who walked over broken glass to escape being burned alive, and whose car blew up as she was trying to escape.  I think that’s earned a tear or two.”
    She sniffled again.  “You know, when you put it that way, it’s actually a kind of miracle I’m not having a screaming, hysterical fit.”
    Caleb smiled.  “Exactly.”  He leaned forward and placed his lips against her forehead.  “Do you need to use the toilet?”
    She shook