“I can walk.”
Wrath ignored that and turned his head to talk to Shadow instead. “Could you please bring her food? Her stomach is growling.”
“Of course. I’ll send out someone to get her something good to eat. It shouldn’t take long and I’ll knock to let you know it’s outside the door.”
“Thank you.” Wrath stepped into the elevator when the doors opened. “I’ll put her clothes in the hallway. Will you dispose of them for me?”
“My clothes?” Lauren’s eyes widened. Why did he want her clothes thrown out? They needed to be washed but they weren’t torn or stained that she could see.
“I will,” Shadow agreed, pushed a button on the panel and spoke to Lauren. “He never again wants to see what you’re wearing. It will only remind him of how close he came to losing you.”
Shadow followed them all the way to Wrath’s room and opened the door for his friend since Wrath was determined to carry her everywhere. Lauren watched him close the door firmly behind him. She glanced at Wrath. They were finally alone.
He avoided her gaze, carried her into the bathroom and lowered his body enough to set her on her feet. The room wasn’t very big, Wrath was, and it was cramped as he bent to turn on the shower.
“Undress,” he urged, his voice gruff, as he adjusted the temperature of the water. “Hurry.”
“I’m really okay, Wrath. You’re being so sweet but you can relax now. We’re here, together, and everything is going to be fine.”
A snarl tore from his throat. He spun around and his hands gripped her arms. It didn’t hurt but he could move fast. His size was intimidating and it shocked her when his fangs were displayed.
“Don’t be afraid of me. I’d never hurt you. I’m enraged at myself for allowing you to come to harm. You are trying to make me feel better but nothing will do that. I never should have allowed you out of my sight. I should have made certain everyone at Homeland knew that I didn’t want to come back to find you gone and I should have insisted that they bring you to me immediately. I let you down, left you vulnerable to my enemies and you could have died.”
Tears filled her eyes. It broke her heart to see him so distraught and to realize how deeply he cared about her. “It’s not your fault, Wrath. Please don’t blame yourself. Do you know who you should be mad at?”
His hold gentled. “Who?”
“The assholes who took me but I’m glad it happened.”
Rage tightened his features.
“We never would have known about those five New Species if I hadn’t been kidnapped. I was scared, hungry, and it really sucked, but let’s not forget the bottom line. Five of your people are at Homeland now because I was taken. That makes it all worth it to me.”
“Your life is more important to me.”
Her heart raced and tears filled her eyes. “You mean that.” Hope flared that he was in love with her as much as she loved him. The words rose in her throat but she didn’t have the chance to tell him how she felt.
He glanced away, let go of her arms and took a step back. His hand shot out and slammed the bathroom door, closing them inside. “We’ll talk of this later. I need his scent gone, Lauren.”
“Okay.”
He stared into her eyes. “Don’t fear me.”
“I’m not afraid.” She wasn’t.
His hands tore at the shirt. He jerked it right off her body. She didn’t protest when he dropped to his knees, frantically removed the rest of her clothes until she stood totally naked before him. He rose to his feet, gripped her hips and she grabbed his upper arms to keep her balance when he lifted her into the spray of warm water.
He paused while half in, half out of the shower stall. Material tore when he shed his clothing quickly and discarded them to the floor. Lauren appreciated every beautiful inch of perfect skin he bared and her heart raced faster when he finally stepped completely into the small space with her. No guy had ever been in such a rush to get buck naked in a shower with her before and it left her a little breathless.
Wrath was sporting a major erection as her gaze lovingly examined him. His raw masculinity made her feel even more feminine, and even tiny, compared to his size. He pressed closer, peered down at her and growled in that deep, sexy voice of his.
“I need to wash every inch of you.”
Lauren pressed her back against the tile and spread her arms and legs apart to give him total access to the front of her body. “I’m all yours, baby.”
The hot desire that flared in his dark-brown eyes nearly melted her where she stood. His hand shot out to the built-in shelf, grabbed the bottle of body wash and dumped a bunch of it into his palm. The bottle hit the floor and made her jump from the loud sound but Wrath’s hands were suddenly all over her. Big hands gripped her shoulders, slid down to cup her breasts, and kept exploring down her hips.
She had to remember to breathe as she leaned against the tile, his hands leaving soapy trails from her throat to her waist. It became harder to do when he lowered to his knees and those hands trailed down to her feet. The rough texture of his calloused fingertips turned her on.
“You weren’t kidding about getting me clean, were you?”
“No,” he growled. “Turn around.”
Wrath battled the urge to howl. He’d nearly lost Lauren, another male could have claimed her and the knowledge that she’d been touched by one lingered even after he’d washed away 140’s stench.
