“’Tis necessary, this bra?” he asked cautiously.
“Nay.” Irritated by the blush she could feel climbing her cheeks, she spoke more sharply than she intended. “Look, while I’m technically not shy, I’m not an exhibitionist either. My tank top isn’t that thick and I don’t want your men to spend the rest of the night staring at my breasts.”
His blue-eyed gaze dropped to her chest, then swiftly returned to meet hers. A teasing grin stretched his lips. “I trust, however, you would not be averse to my staring at them.”
A burst of laughter escaped her, catching her by surprise. She wouldn’t have thought anything could amuse her under the circumstances. “Oh, shut up,” she said, giving him a shove that landed him on his backside.
Deep masculine laughter washed over her, warming her and easing some of her tension.
“Forgive me, Beth. I did but jest. My men are all honorable and will not behave disrespectfully toward you. If you lack sufficient clothing to make you comfortable, however, you are more than welcome to don my spare tunic. Or you may wrap yourself in any of our cloaks and blankets. They are all at your disposal.”
“Thank you, Robert.”
A smile lingering on his handsome face, he shone the light down on her pile of belongings. “Have you any soap in there? Or do you wish to use mine?” His pack lay untouched where he had dropped it a couple of feet away.
“I have soap,” she said, holding up the small bar of deodorant soap, “and shampoo.” Beth frowned down at the little bottle. “I hope this is enough to get all of the crud out of my hair.” Her tangled brown locks were matted with dirt and dried blood and reached her waist when not braided. She might have to use the soap, too, to get it clean.
“May I?” Robert asked, holding out his hand.
Beth handed him the bottle and watched him study it under the light.
“You use this to clean your hair?”
“Yes.”
Turning slightly, he played the flashlight’s beam across the riverbank until it landed upon a large semi-flat rock that jutted out above the water a few yards away. “That should do nicely.”
“For what?”
Rising, his movements ever graceful and fluid, he tucked the shampoo into his fist beside the flashlight’s handle and extended his hand to help her up. “For washing your hair. If you lie on your back with your head resting on the edge, I can—”
“Robert, I am perfectly capable of washing my own hair.”
He smiled down at her. “You have been chilled for hours, Beth. If you remain in the water long enough to wash both your body and your hair, you will be half-frozen ere you emerge. I do not wish you to become ill.”
He would have to echo her own thoughts. But she still couldn’t let him wash her hair. The two of them were all alone out there. Surrounded by darkness. And the city girl in her kept reminding her that, though he seemed like a very nice guy, she didn’t know him from Adam. “I’ll just hang my head over the water and wash it myself.”
He shook his head and pulled her along after him. “Do not be stubborn. ’Twill be easier if I do it for you.”
“You are the one who is being stubborn.”
Stopping beside the rock, he stared down at her for a long moment. “You have great difficulty trusting men, do you not?”
She shrugged. “I have met very few men who were trustworthy. Don’t forget, I spend most of my time hunting down criminals, many of whom are men. Between dealing with them and knowing the statistics on sexual assault and infidelity in our society, I can’t help but be cynical regarding your gender.”
Raising their linked hands, he used them to tip her chin up, forcing her to meet his earnest gaze. “You can trust me, Beth.” He spoke the words softly, his grave eyes almost hypnotizing.
Her treacherous heart began to pound again.
“I would never intentionally harm you,” he continued. “Nor would I allow anyone else to do so. Were it necessary, I would give my life to protect you.”
Beth stared up at him, astounded. “You mean that,” she whispered, seeing it in his eyes.
She and Josh dealt with liars all the time. Not just the bail skippers, but their family members, too. As well as friends and associates who lied to buy the criminals time and divert the search. After a while, truth became easy to identify. Which was why confusion inundated Beth every time she worried and wondered if Robert and his friends had been involved in whatever twist had taken her away from Josh and brought her to this place, wherever they were.
All of her instincts told her that Robert was exactly what he appeared to be—a really nice guy who only wanted to help her.
“I do mean it,” he confirmed. “Will you allow me to wash your hair now?”
Too tired to continue fighting her intuition, she nodded.
Robert removed his tunic and draped it over the rock.