I can’t help but believe that he’s telling the truth.
When the tray is empty, he takes my hand, his thumb grazing my knuckles. “Come on.”
“Are we going somewhere?” I ask as he pulls me into the bathroom.
“I was thinking we could take a shower.”
Even after all the intimacy we’ve shared, my stomach still flips as nerves and anticipation tangle together until it’s impossible to tell them apart.
The tile is cool beneath my feet as he reaches past me to turn the handles. The water begins to run, and it doesn’t take long for the steam to rise, fogging up the mirror until the rest of the world turns hazy and distant.
His gaze stays locked on mine as he strips off the gray sweatpants and steps closer. A slow smile tugs at his mouth before his fingers settle beneath my chin, tipping my head up as he brushes his lips across mine.
“I just want you to know that I really enjoyed last night, and if it were possible to keep you naked and in my bed for the rest of my life, that’s exactly what I’d do.”
My eyes widen, and before I can wrap my mind around a coherent response, Laiken guides me beneath the spray. He stands behind me, his hands gentle as he wets my hair. The warmth of the water seeps into my skin, and it doesn’t take long for my muscles to loosen.
After picking up a bottle of shampoo, he squirts a dollop onto his palm before rubbing his hands together and lifting them to my hair. His fingers gently massage my scalp, as if washing me is something to be savored instead of an item to be ticked off a list. It doesn’t take long for my eyelids to droop as I melt into the steady rhythm of his touch. I don’t think anything has ever felt so amazing.
All right… maybe that’s not altogether true. Last night was pretty fantastic.
“Have I mentioned how much I love your hair? The color reminds me of honey poured straight from the jar,” he murmurs from behind me, close enough for his breath to drift across my temple. “I’ve fantasized about what it would look like draped across my body.”
The image he paints rolls languidly through my head before taking root, and I can’t help but want it too.
He takes a step back and rinses me with the same tenderness, one hand loosely wrapped around my throat as he tilts my chin so the water can stream down my back.
Once he’s done, he moves closer again. Every touch feels deliberate as his mouth presses against my shoulder, ghosting over the column of my throat, before finding mine. As soon as his tongue sweeps across my lips, I open, greedy for the taste of him. He deepens the kiss as his other hand rises to my breast, squeezing and toying with the nipple.
It’s only after nibbling at my lower lip, driving me completely crazy, that he finally pulls away. The heat in his eyes is enough to incinerate me. Laiken adds liquid soap to his hands, lathering them up and massaging my breasts with a light touch.
No one has ever taken this much time to turn me on.
I lean against the solid wall of muscle at my back. He makes me feel secure, even while in such a vulnerable state. By the time he turns off the water, there is so much need throbbing through me, it’s impossible to focus on anything else.
Laiken dries my body with care, pulling me against his chest and holding me like I’m something precious.
“Are you still okay with what happened between us?” he asks, his gaze searching mine, looking for signs of doubt. “Any second thoughts?”
“No,” I say, the certainty in my voice surprising even me. “Absolutely none.”
“Good.” He presses his lips to mine. “Just so you know, we’ve got a couple of hours before Elody gets dropped off.”
I lift a brow. “Oh? Did you have something in mind?”
One side of his mouth curves. “Maybe.”
I rise onto my tiptoes and kiss him. “Like a nap?”
His hands slide to my hips, pulling me flush against him until his thick erection presses into my tummy.
His voice drops. “Definitely not a nap.”
I let out an exaggerated yawn. “Mmm. No, thanks.”
His grip tightens slightly, amusement flashing in his eyes. “Careful, or you’ll end up with me bending you over my knee and spanking that very pretty ass.”
My pulse stutters at the threat. It shouldn’t send heat pooling low in my core, but that’s exactly what it does.
