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“We deleted everything. It’s safe.”
As Lake gazes at me, her expression seems to convey a sense of pity, as if to say, “You poor clueless man.”
And I obviously don’t understand why she’s so upset about losing her phone. Before I can ask, she begins to shrug out of her clothes. She takes off the hair tie she wears, allowing her luscious dark curls to cascade down her shoulders. However, some locks are caked with dried blood.
“I’m guessing your dad was seriously involved withthem,” she whispers the last word.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to drag you into this with me.”
Her eyes pierce through me with an intense glare, and with one forceful push, the tattered remains of her clothing fall to the ground. Standing before me, she appears stunningly bare, an image I never thought I’d ever have the chance to witness.
I never entertained the fantasy where we became more than friends, let alone shared a bath. Suppressing my feelings for so long has become unbearable, and now they’re bubbling up inside me, threatening to overflow at any moment. As I gaze at her in this vulnerable state, I realize how much I love her, how my heart aches with longing to hold her close and confess everything I’ve denied myself.
But I keep my mouth shut. This isn’t the place or the moment. I have to figure out how to keep us safe while finding out who killed my father.
“Can we discuss what happened?” I insist.
Without hesitation or another word, Lake strides into the shower, shutting her eyes as the water cascades down her body, tracing every soft curve and contour until it meets the drain. She stands beneath the warm stream, washing away the horrors of what almost happened to us.
The water runs red with the blood that has stained her hair and skin, a stark reminder of the scariest moment of my life. My heart aches with the intensity of my emotions, feeling every bit of her pain as if it were my own. As the water continues to flow, I am struck by the depth of my feelings for her, and this fierce desire to protect her at any cost.
“You didn’t trust me,” she says, her eyes remaining closed.
“I couldn’t just let him…” I pause, not knowing how to finish the sentence. I’ve guarded my secret for years, and I should continue doing so, but I almost lost her. “I can’t lose you, Lake.”
She moves slightly away from the cascading water, runs a hand down her face, and finally opens her eyes.
“Lose me?” She furrows her brow in frustration, her eyes narrowing as she stares at me. “Do you not have any faith in my abilities? I am a trained agent, capable of defending myself in any situation. You didn’t trust me to be capable.” Her words reverberate throughout the bathroom, echoing off the walls with a fierce intensity that leaves no doubt as to the strength of her conviction. Her anger simmers just beneath the surface. I feel as if I failed her in some way or another.
“I just wanted to make sure you were safe,” I reply, my voice strained with emotion. I take a deep breath, trying to calm the rising tension between us. “In that moment, you weren’t Agent Zimmerman. You were Lake.My Lake.The love of my life.”
She gawks at me. “Excuse me?”
I clear my throat. “I know. This isn’t the time or the place to tell you that I’m madly in love with you and that those seconds took years away from me. I feared I would lose you—and I couldn’t let him take you away from me.”
Her gaze softens. “Cal…”
I join her in the shower. The hot steam swirls around us, and the sound of the water cascading down our bodies in a steady rhythm that’s almost hypnotic. I step in front of her, and take her in my arms, feeling the warmth of her body.
“We…” she trails her voice but not her gaze. We look into each other’s eyes, and I see it, the fear that she had hidden all too well until now.
I caress her wet hair, and she laughs, though the humor doesn’t reach her eyes. “Aren’t you going to undress?”
I smirk. “Is that an invitation?”
“Make me forget,” she says. “Can you… I need a moment to stop the madness inside my head. Could you do this for me?”
I quickly undress and toss my soaking clothes outside the shower before pulling her deeper into my embrace. Lake’s lips part in an invitation, and I eagerly accept. The moment our mouths touch, we ignite with a passionate hunger that consumes us.
I’m lost in the moment.
Our kiss deepens, exploring each other fervently with a desperation that races shivers up my spine. Every nerve in my body is electrified as I savor this searing kiss, that I never want to end. Our bodies move together in perfect harmony.
The heat and the steam and her body all conspire to send me spinning into a state of passion. I move my hands over her curves, her skin like silk beneath my fingertips. I want to touch her everywhere, feel her softness against mine.
As we explore each other’s bodies, I try to push away the thoughts of everything that happened and focus on this moment, but it’s almost impossible.
“Cal,” Lake stops me in my tracks. “Stay with me. You’re supposed to make me forget, not remind me of what we went through tonight.”
