Eyes still on me in the reflection, he removes his clothes. The scratching of his jacket when it clears his shirt, the thud of his pants as they hit the floor echoes in the silence. His eyes never leave mine.
Running his hands along my lower back, bringing them around he gently runs his fingers to the edge of my underwear, slowly pulling them down my legs. My body shivers from his light touch.
Gripping my hand, he leads me into the shower. Pulling back the curtain, he steps in, using my hand he guides me in. Placing me in front of him.
No words are spoken. The air is filled with remorse and kindness. Regret for the act that led us to where I have been wanting to be for months but not the way we got here.
With my back to him, he wets my hair. Applying shampoo, he washes away all the styling products when he rinses out the shampoo.
Gripping the loofah, he pours on body wash, squeezing it until it lathers. The smell of cherry blossoms filling the room. Slowly, he moves it up my arms and over my shoulders. Down through the valley of my breasts, across my stomach, pulling toward the back to run along the seam of my butt and down my legs. Washing away every trace of Chase’s touch leaving his kind touch along my skin instead.
With each pass of the sponge, his breathing accelerates. I want to turn, to see if there’s heat in his eyes. To see if I’m affecting him as much as he’s affecting me. I will not let Chase Masters take anything else away from me, I will not let what happen taint this moment any longer.
My pulse is pounding in my veins. Blood pooling in my clit. The feel of his hands, the heat of his body behind mine has the hairs rising along my skin despite the heat of the water.
Once he has rinsed me clean, he wraps his arms around my waist, sealing his front to my back. His erection sliding easily into the crease of my ass, answering my questions. His arms tremble while he holds me tight to his body.
Placing his chin in the nook where my neck meets my shoulders he releases a shaky breath.
“I’m sorry, Ten. I so very sorry,” his voice cracks full of emotion. “I should have been there; I should have gone with you, I’m sorry my body is reacting this way when you have been traumatized,” he croaks reaching forward, turning off the water.
The words to explain to him what his body is doing to mine are caught in my throat.
Stepping out he wraps a towel around his waist. Seeing my stare, he slowly closes the towel giving me my first chance to study his body. A canvas of ink runs from his wrist up over his shoulder, ending on his right peck. He’s all sleek lines and formed ridges closing in at his trim waist, flaring again over his strong thighs. Patches of dark hair cover his pecks, sprinkling across his stomach forming a trail down between his sex lines. Those glorious divots that point like an arrow to the thick, swollen erection pointing up, laying heavy against his stomach. Grabbing another towel, he runs it quickly over his hair, tossing it to the side.
Moving to my purse he pulls out my glasses, setting them gently on my wet face.
Offering me his hand, I step out of the shower, he takes a towel to my soaked hair, squeezing out the water moving to wipe away the wetness from my body. Running it over my breasts and down between my legs. His eyes lustful and needing gaze into mine, his pupils expanded to leave only a small ring of electric blue.
Both our bodies dry; he leads me into the bedroom. The only light is from the moon shining through the windows. Searching drawers, he finds a t-shirt for me to wear. When he starts to place it over my head I stop his hands.
“No,” I say, tossing the shirt off to the side. Reaching out a shaking hand, I remove the towel draped over his hips, dropping it to the floor. This night is about us; I will not let Chase Master’s ruin another second of my life. Kohl was my savior tonight if he hadn’t been there I don’t want to think of the things Chase would have done. He took away my choice when he sent that photo around, he tried to take it away again tonight but I’m done being the victim I have waited for weeks hoping Kohl wanted me the way I want him and he does, right here, right now and I’m not going to let this moment pass. Carpe diem, seize the day.
Chapter Twenty
“Be creative, be adventurous, be original.”
—Wonder Woman
Kohl
I FAILED HER.
I broke my promise to protect her, to keep her safe.
What the hell was Chase thinking?
She’s so silent while I care for her. Her silence is deafening.
Does she blame me? Please God, don’t let her blame me.
Trying to cover her, to care for her. She’s a broken doll standing before me. I want to get her secure in bed. To wrap my arms around her, holding her close, where I know she’s safe. I would be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t turned on right now but that’s not what this is about. Right now, this moment is about showing her she’s out of harm’s way and proving to her, in my arms is where she belongs.
Reaching to cover her in a shirt I found in one of the drawers, she grips my hands telling me, “No.”
I don’t understand why she stopped, her shaking hand reaches for me. Running her finger along my lower stomach, right at the top of the towel she reaches the overlap and releases it.
