Instead of answering, I bite down gently on her shoulder, the salt of her skin immediate on my tongue while that understated vanilla notes of her body wash lingers in the air between us.“Behave,” I tell her sleepily, wrapping my arms even tighter around her.
“I’m not a pillow, Wilder.”
That’s when she goes completely still, and I know she’s felt it—the very obvious evidence of exactly what waking up with her pressed against me does to my body.
“I’m aware,” I murmur against her shoulder.“So stay still.”
She makes a sound of protest, but she’s still tired enough that exhaustion wins out.I feel her body relax against mine, her breathing evening out as she drifts back to sleep.
When I wake up again, the apartment is quiet except for the sound of running water.The shower.Eve’s side of the bed is empty and cooling, and I can smell coffee brewing from the kitchen.
I stretch, working out the kinks in my neck, and pad out to find her.She’s standing at the counter in an oversized t-shirt that hits mid-thigh, staring at her phone with a frown.
“Late again?”I ask, and she jumps.
“Jesus, you’re quiet.”She turns back to her phone.“Iris says we can come in at twelve.Thank god.Coffee’s ready if you want some.”
“Thanks.”I move to pour myself a cup, deliberately brushing against her as I reach for a mug.She doesn’t move away.
“I should get back to bed for a couple of hours,” she says, pushing off from the counter.“And you should get out.”
“After I shower.”
“Caleb—”
I cut her off.“Five minutes.”
She glares at me.“Fine.Five minutes.Then gone.”
She disappears back into the bedroom, and I hear the springs creak as she climbs back under the covers.I finish my coffee, check a few emails on my phone, then decide to take that shower.
The hot water feels incredible after such a hectic day yesterday.I take my time, letting the steam work out the last of the tension in my shoulders.When I finally turn off the water and grab a towel, I realize I left my clothes in the bedroom.
Fuck it.It’s just a towel.
I wrap it around my waist and head back toward the bedroom to grab my shirt.The door’s open, and Eve’s curled up on her side, facing away from me.I’m quiet as I move toward where I dropped my clothes, but she must sense the movement because she rolls over.
And freezes.
Her eyes go wide, traveling from my face down to the towel and back up again.For a moment, neither of us move.
I grin when her eyes widen, trailing slowly down my chest to where the towel hangs low on my hips.“Like what you see, Lopez?”
Her cheeks flush, but her mouth curves.“Please.I’ve seen better.”
The competitive spark in me flares, sharp and instant.I stalk forward, bracing my hands on either side of her head against the mattress, leaning over until she’s caged beneath me.Her eyes flash, but she doesn’t flinch, not even an inch.God, I love that about her.
“Better?”My voice drops, rough with challenge.“Name one.”
She tilts her chin up, lips curving provocatively.“Literally anyone else who knows how to keep their ego in check.”
That does it.
I crash my mouth against hers—not gentle, not sweet.Just raw retaliation.Her gasp is all the opening I need, my tongue sliding past her lips as I claim her, tasting coffee and heat and the faintest hum of defiance she can’t quite shake.
She fists the sheets beside her head, refusing to touch me, and that only makes me kiss her harder, coaxing, demanding, daring her to give in.When she finally does—when her hand flies up to grip my jaw, nails biting into my stubble as she yanks me closer—it’s a battle and a surrender all at once.
I nip at her bottom lip, dragging it between my teeth before letting go.“Still think you’ve seen better?”
