I let go of her hand and shut the door. She wanders over to the bathroom counter and hops onto it, kicking her bare feet as she rests her hands on the edge.
The light bounces off her cheekbones as she scans the gray-stone bathroom, with its massive shower and double sink. Then she looks at me. “You’re not undressing.”
I blink at her. Did I leave my brains behind in the barn fire? “Sorry, what?”
A smile tugs at her lips. “You’re behaving very strangely tonight, Joel.”
“Just appreciating what I have and how lucky I am to have it,” I say softly.
She tilts her head, looking puzzled.
“Just thinking out loud,” I explain.
“Are you ever scared?” she asks as I lean into the shower cubicle to turn on the faucet so the water can heat as I strip.
“Of my job?”
She nods.
I shrug. “Sometimes, I guess. Not that often, though. I’ve been doing it a long time, so a fire would have to be out of control or involve someone I care deeply about to make me nervous.”
I’m painfully aware of her watching me, and of how much I want her to like what she sees as I pull my shirt over my head and reach for my fly. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her fingers curl on the edge of the counter, and I hear her breathing change as I step out of my pants and drop them on the floor beside my shirt. I nearly ask her to join me in the shower, but she’s ready for bed and would probably say no.
The heat of her gaze follows me as I pad barefoot to the shower, open the glass door, and step inside, shutting it behind me. I rest my palms on the mosaic-tiled wall and dip my head. Hot, steamy water soaks my hair and runs down my back. “What else did you want to know?” I ask, raising my voice to be heard over the water.
She doesn’t respond.
I start to repeat myself when the shower door snicks behind me.
My back stiffens, and it’s not the only thing that does.
“Um, I thought maybe I could join you.” Her voice is soft and hesitant, unsure of her welcome.
I don’t say a word, and I don’t turn to face her. If she’s in the shower with me, she’s naked. I can barely keep my hands off her when she’s fully clothed. Pinning her against a kitchen counter and grinding on each other is one thing. Sex is another.
And it won’t just be sex.
It will be bites and knots, and all those feel-good things have a habit of bonding an alpha and omega. Maybe she’s not ready for that with me. With Murph, it’s different. He’s her scent match, and a claiming bite is a choice, sure, but it was a foregone conclusion that he would put his mark on her, sooner rather than later.
Maybe I shouldn’t care about claiming bites at all. Maybe I should be satisfied that Rose wants me at all and that Murph hasn’t wrung my neck for touching her.
But it’s not enough.
I want more.
I want my bite on her skin, and for any alpha on the street to see it and know she’s as much mine as she is Murph’s.
Be grateful for what you have and don’t wish for more. You could just as easily wind up with less.
Hiding this erection from her is going to be impossible, but here goes. I clear my throat and straighten, stepping aside to make room for her. “You should stand in front, Rose. You’ll get cold so far from the water.”
She doesn’t move.
“Unless you've changed your mind about showering with me?” I ask, voice low. Here I was, quietly wishing for claiming bites while she was regretting stepping into this shower.
My heart slams against my chest. My palms would be sweating if they weren’t already wet, and I can’t remember ever being this nervous in my life.
“I’m not confident about my body. Watching you get undressed didn’t exactly help. I don’t think I’m a troll living under a bridge or anything, but you’re… well, you’re you, and I don’t want you to be disappointed by what you see.”
