Page 86 of I Never Stopped Loving You

“Nothing. Just…thanks for the shower and for taking care of me last night.”

“Of course. Now get in there. I have a large tank, but it will eventually run out.”

I cup her face and tilt it so I can look into those eyes. I swear every other color in the world is dull and lifeless compared to those lush, forest green eyes of hers.

When she bites her lip, I can’t help myself. I lean down and kiss her deeply. My tongue licks against her lips, begging for her to open up to me. She does. She kisses me back just as hungrily. Her fingers grip onto my shirt, dragging me further into her depths. I want to drown in her. Live in this moment forever. Fuck the world. Fuck work. Fuck every other thing…

I only need her.

CHAPTER 39

WILLOW

Iwanted to drag him into the shower with me, but as I reached for him, he pulled away from the kiss and rested his forehead against mine. I could tell he was fighting the same urge I was.

He kissed my forehead before turning my body and nudging me toward the shower, then walked out and closed the door, leaving me longing for more of his intoxicating kiss.

I quickly undressed and dropped my clothes outside the bathroom door as he asked, then stepped into the shower and shut the glass door. The second I did, the room began to fill with steam. I think that was maybe ten minutes ago.

His scent is all around me, and I feel lost in it. Lost in him. Being around him feels so easy. It’s almost unnerving how calm my body is around him, especially for only knowing him for a couple of days. But as Jenna would say, if ya know ya know.

*Knock* *Knock*

“Willow?”

“Yeah?”

“I put some clothes on the bed, and I’m going to put your stuff in the washer. Do you need anything?”

Yes, you.

That’s what I want to say, but I don’t have the fucking guts to say that.

“No, I’m all right. I’ll be done in a minute.”

“Take your time. I’ll be downstairs.”

I hear the bedroom door shut, and then the silence surrounds me again. Only the slight hiss from the steam function can be heard, apart from the sound of the water. It’s so peaceful, I could see myself living here.

Wait…What the hell? Willow, you do not think like this. You are not the impulsive one; Jenna is. You are the one who plans everything out. You are the logical one. You need to breathe and take a step back. You’ve only just met him two fucking days ago.

But then why do I feel like I’ve known him for so much longer than that?

Why does he make my skin tingle from his touch and burn beneath his lips? Why does my body seem to ignite when he’s around and then dulled to a low flame when he’s gone? I crave him like a fire craves oxygen just to keep burning.

I reluctantly shut off the water, wrap the large, fluffy, black towel around my body, and use the smaller one to wrap up my hair. My body smells like his body wash, and I love it. It’s smoky and mysterious. I never knew something could smell fucking mysterious, but that’s the only word I can think of to describe it as I finish drying off.

I poke my head out of the bathroom door to double-check he isn’t there, then walk out and see the assortment of men’s clothes laid out on the bed.

Basketball shorts, a pair of boxers, a T-shirt, a long flannel shirt, a pair of black sweatpants, and a large black hoodie. There’s also a pair of socks and a toothbrush, brand new in the package.

Who the fuck is this guy?

I try on the pants and shorts first, but they are way too loose or too long to even fit me a little. I end up putting on the boxers and the large black hoodie. It’s so big that it swallows me, but I fucking love it. I feel comfortable.

I quickly brush my teeth, then drag my fingers through my damp hair, hopefully able to pull any tangles loose. I wipe the remaining makeup off my face and stare into my reflection. There’s a scar on my forehead from that horrible night. They said I must have hit my head on something as a kid, but my nightmares have shown me the truth. Over the years, the nightmare of that night has started to come back.

My mother, clutching me to her chest as she tried to run for the back door, only for him to grab her ankle, forcing her to fall onto the kitchen floor. My head hit the ground, but it was the back of my head that hit, not my forehead.