I was just buttoning up my new shirt as Sam knocked on the door.

"Perfect timing. Come in!" I said thankfully, relieved the he didn't walk in on me.

I went into the bathroom to grab a brush and a hair tie. After weaving my freshly rinsed hair into a braid, I made sure I had gotten all the dirt off my face.

"Alright, I'm ready to head back downstairs when you-" I trailed off as I came into the bedroom again.

Sam had had taken off his suit and tie, throwing them carelessly on the bed. As I walked in, he was peeling off his unbuttoned shirt, leaving only a thin white undershirt. His arms were sculpted and defined, every movement causing my knees to go weak. Without seeing me, he peeled off that layer too, exposing a back full of rippling muscles under perfectly tanned skin.

Hearing me trail off, he turned to see what was the matter. As he did so, his chest made me clearly remember all of my physical faults. Every muscle was defined and visible. The man was a Greek god, and I merely a worm.

At this point, I realized my jaw was almost touching the ground. Sam was standing there helplessly, waiting to get into the bathroom that I was blocking. Blushing profusely, I stepped to the side. He edged past me, still holding his balled-up undershirt in his hand.

I leaned on the doorframe as he cleaned up. He splashed water on his face and shoulders, then rubbed the water up and down his arms to clear away any remaining dust or dirt. Running the sink at full volume, he bent his head close to the spout and poured water over the crown on his head with his cupped hands. When he stood upright, he shook his head like a dog to dry it, wetting me with a spray of droplets.

"Do you have any towels?" He asked, jarring me out of my reverie.

"Yes, they're right there... Shoot."

"What?"

"I put all the towels in the washing machine before you got here and forgot to move them to the drier. The only one that's not sitting downstairs soaking wet is that one." I point to the small hand towel I had used to dry my own face.

"This'll work." Sam said good-naturedly, and proceeded to dry his face and neck. "Can you get my back? I can't reach with a towel this small."

"Oh. Oh, sure," I responded as I took the towel from his hand.

"And can I use your brush? I didn't bring a comb." He asked.

"Yeah, sure." I said almost in a daze. I began rubbing the towel across his back in small circular motions as he brushed his hair.

"You're an interesting person, Grace." He said after a minute of quiet.

"Oh yes?" I ask, taken aback. "How so?"

"Typically, I can read people well." He began. "So when I first met you, I just thought you were just a girl in a bad situation."

"Well, I was." I paused. "And what made you change your mind?"

He was quiet for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts. His head was turned to the side, as if to catch a glimpse of me in the mirror. The only think that was visible was the auburn crown of my head, reaching just past his shoulder. "You are beautiful, smart, funny, and undoubtedly talented at a multitude of things. Yet you find yourself involved with people like Brad – insensitive, unmannered, idiotic bullies. Why do you think that happens?"

I had finished drying his back and now rested my hands on his warm skin. My cheeks turned pink, both at his compliments and his too accurate description of my love life.

"I... I don't know. I guess I'm lonely. I keep thinking that these guys will be better than they seem at first, but usually they end up being worse." I let out a low laugh. "Is that the answer you were looking for? That I can't pick out a good one? That I make bad choices because I'm desperate?" My words got caught in my throat. My eyes were misty. "Sorry, that came out harsher than I meant it to." I roughly wiped a tear from my eye and sniffed.

"Hey! Hey." He turned to face me, leaning back against the counter. "Don't be ashamed of your emotions. But, darling, I think it happens because... because you don't realize how exquisite you are."

He stood and stepped toward me in the small room. We stood a mere second apart, my breath coming quickly, my back against the faded blue tile. "You are the most caring, gentle, beautiful girl I've ever met. You deserve to be around people who treat you for the wonderful person you are."

"And? How do I find those people?" I ask, meeting his gaze for the first time. Tears pricked my eyes as I thought of all the people who had hurt me over the years, how many times I had had to pick up the pieces of my broken heart by myself.

"You can start with me." His soft, amber eyes were tender as they looked down at me. "I've been through a lot of things in my life. But what I've learned is that the past can haunt us. We need to make do with what we have now, and not let what has happened before weigh us down." His voice was so low that only I would have been able to catch the last words. "You are stunning, brilliant, and kind-hearted. Don't let anyone make you feel less than that." His voice cracked at the last word. He cleared his throat as tears swam in my eyes. He kissed the top of my head lightly. "Not even you."

Sam and I were still after he finished, the only movement from the tears coursing down our cheeks. Our hands were still clasped, and I could hear the blooding rushing in my ears and feel the pounding of my heart.

At last, I threw my arms around Sam's neck. "Thank you," I whispered as I buried my face in his neck. His arms encircled me; the warmth of his bare skin contrasted the chill the tile had left on my back. I could feel his heart pounding in his chest as rapidly as my heart was in mine. We stood there for an eternity, holding each other and willing the other's pain away.