Malachi leans down and kisses the top of my head, thenstands and heads outside. The simple gesture makes my heart do a little flip-flop.
Cade stretches his arms above his head, yawning as he gets to his feet. “I need a shower and more coffee.” He refills his mug and disappears down the hall.
“Hey, all things considered, I’d say that went pretty well,” Aurora says, plopping down in the chair next to me with a satisfied grin.
“I need a shower,” Malachi announces as he comes back in with our bag slung over his shoulder.
“Down the hall to your left. You can use my room,” Aurora offers casually.
His brows pinch slightly, eyes locked on mine with something between warning and desire. Then he turns and walks down the hall, leaving my pulse thrumming in the quiet.
“Go on. You know you want to,” Aurora says with an amused expression, tilting her head toward the hall.
“Thank you for cleaning up,” I say, already standing and trying not to look too eager as I hurry down the hall and slip into her room.
I can hear the shower running, steam already beginning to seep out from under the bathroom door.
I didn’t tell the others about contacting the girl in the photograph last night. I’m not sure why, but it feels like something I ought to keep to myself until I find out more. There’s something about that connection I have to figure out.
I rummage through the duffel bag, looking for clean clothes to change into after the shower, and bring them into the bathroom with me. The mirror and glass shower door are completely fogged with steam. The sound of water cascading fills the space, and I don’t think Malachi hears me come in over the noise.
I silently slip out of Aurora’s borrowed pajamas, leavingthem in a neat pile on the counter. The steam kisses my skin as I quietly open the glass door and step into the shower behind him.
He turns immediately, and his hard expression makes me pause for a heartbeat. But then he lifts his hand to gently caress my cheek, water droplets sliding down his arm.
“I love you too,” he says, his voice rough. “God, Kat, I love you so much it physically hurts. And it terrifies me that the woman I can’t live without wants to throw herself into danger.”
I place my hand over his, letting a smile spread across my face as warmth blooms in my chest.
He goes on. “I know you were upset out there, caught off guard by everything. So if you didn’t mean what you said, if it was the heat of the moment?—”
“Stop,” I cut him off, stepping closer. “I meant every single word, Malachi. I am completely, desperately, madly in love with you. And I’m done pretending otherwise, done fighting what I feel.”
His eyes darken with something that makes my knees weak. “You have no idea what you do to me when you say things like that.” He pulls me against him, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Come here, my brave, beautiful, infuriating woman. Let me love you properly.”
I wrap my arms around him as his fingers tangle in my hair, tilting my head back so he can kiss up and down my neck and explore my mouth with his tongue.
The hot water pours over us in a steady stream, like warm rain washing everything else away. I kiss him back, greedy for more, teasing his bottom lip with my teeth before slipping my tongue past his. He tastes like heat and sin, and I want to drown in it.
His body presses against mine, all hard muscle and desire,his length stiff and pulsing between us. I slide a hand down and wrap my fingers around him, and the sound he makes isn’t quite a moan, more a low growl of approval that vibrates through me as he deepens the kiss. His other hand glides down my body, stopping to cup my breast. I arch into him, gasping against his lips, my fingers tightening around his thick cock in response.
He lifts me with ease, my legs wrapping around his waist as my back presses into the cool, slick tiles. The contrast of hot water on my skin and cold wall at my spine makes me shiver. His tip presses into me, and he starts to lower me onto him fully.
I clutch his biceps, muscles flexing beneath my grip as he fills me completely and stills. The stretch makes my breath catch. He brings a hand to my chin, tipping my face until our eyes meet.
“No one’s ever made me feel like this,” he says. His thumb brushes water from my cheek, his gaze burning into mine. Those dark-brown eyes, framed by golden starbursts, hold nothing back.
“Don’t ever stop looking at me like that… like you see all of me and still want more,” I whisper, peeking up at him through my lashes, my fingers tangled in the damp strands of his hair.
“Then give me more.” He presses his forehead to mine, eyes covering me.
Then he starts to move again, his hips rolling in slow, intoxicating rhythm. There’s nothing rushed about it, him making love to me. Like he wants to savor every second of it. My body trembles around him, pleasure building in waves, curling my toes and making it harder to breathe.
When it finally crashes over me, I bury my face in his neck, biting down softly as my orgasm takes me away, and he holdsme like he never intends to let me go, and I find myself wishing it could stay like this forever, but right now, I can’t let myself hope for forever when every day feels like it could be our last.
ChapterTwelve
LOG TWELVE – ESCALATING SENTIENCE NOTED: SHE DOESN’T ASK WHERE SHE IS. SHE ASKS WHY WE THINK WE’RE SAFE.
