“No.” I hugged the towel tighter around my body. “I never said you could come in.”
He hummed low and stalked toward me. “Then tell me to go.”
I should do that. Tell him to get the hell out of the bathroom, out of my apartment.
Out of my life.
But my lips stayed glued shut as the man took a few more steps, until he was right in front of me. Those eyes lingered on mine for a couple of heart-stopping moments before his gaze slowly raked over my body.
My breathing picked up. A direct result of the wild thrashing of my heart. It slammed against my ribs, fast and furious. So damn loud too, I was certain he could hear it.
I swallowed hard. “Tristan?”
“Are you real?” Our gazes locked once again. “Pretty sure I just had a dream where you were half-naked and dripping wet.”
That mouth.
If I wasn’t wet before, I sure was now.
“H-how’s your head?” My attempt at changing the subject was so freaking weak.
He gave me a knowing grin, that infuriating half smirk that made smart women dumb. “Much better than it should be. Thanks for that.”
I’d left water and aspirin on the bedside table after I’d slipped out the previous night. “Welcome.”
“You left me.” The confusion that took over at the abrupt change in topic must’ve shown on my face because he added, “Last night. I asked you to stay and you left.”
“Actually,” I licked my lips. “Iaskedyouto stay andyouleft.”
He winced. “I know. I’m sorry.” The smirk returned in full force. “But I came back.”
“Drunk,” I said. “You showed up at my door at stupid o’clock, smelling of alcohol, and waffling on about some other woman.”
I hadn’t meant for the words to sound so…bitchy or jealous. Even if that’s exactly how I felt.
“I didn’t touch her, Kate.”
“Yeah, so you said.”
I turned around but before my rotation was complete, Tristan grabbed my arm and spun me to face him.
“I haven’t so much as looked at another woman since you brought those contracts to my apartment. It’s been you. Only fucking you. I go to sleep; I dream about you. I wake up, I think about you. No.” He shook his head. “I fantasize about you.”
“You…what?”
He stepped closer. “Every minute of every day. I dream about those eyes. Those lips. That unforgettable kiss. You’ve branded me like this ink embedded in my skin.”
I didn’t know what to say to that so I said nothing at all.
“And last night,” he went on, planting a hand on the sink next to my hip. “Last night, all I could think about was the feel of your skin against my palm. The taste of your nipple in my mouth.” Dipping his head, he ran his nose along my ear. “And the sweet, sweet sounds you made.”
There my poor heart went again, thumping away to a wild rhythm with no signs of slowing down.
“Hmm,” he grunted. “Maybe it’s a good thing you didn’t stay.”
“Why’s that?” The breathy question was out before I could stop it.
Lips grazing my skin, he sent a bone-rattling shiver down my spine. “I wouldn’t have been able to keep my hands to myself.” Using his free hand, he trailed his fingers up my throat. “The moment I saw you, I wanted to yank down those tiny purple shorts and bury my face between your legs. I wanted to lick you slow, fuck you deep with my tongue. Torture you like you’ve been torturing me for weeks.”
