“Mmm, what’s going on?”
Tor turned around as Neve rubbed two fists, grinding the sleep from her eyes.
“Nothing,” he said quickly. Not wanting to look like a Ghostbuster. “Nothing at all. Just checking the weather.” He opened the curtains. The peaks were shrouded in iron-grey clouds. A few sullen flakes swirled past the window, hit the small balcony and disappeared. “Might snow later.”
“I’m not that big of a cold-weather fan.” Her gaze focused on his chest. “I prefer it warmer. Hot even.”
It was cute how she checked him out. Her cheeks were a little flushed and her hair looked freshly fucked. They hadn’t gone that far and yet... he had the unsettling sensation of seeing her more exposed than she’d been last night, writhing and falling apart over his hungry mouth.
“Have I grown horns?” She patted the top of her head in a self-conscious gesture.
“No.” He picked up his dead cell phone and plugged it into the charger.
“That’s it,” she asked with mock incredulity. “That’s the sum total of your reaction? And here I gave you a perfect setup for ahornyjoke. Most guys would have gone for it.”
“I’m not most guys.”
She nodded. “Ain’t that the truth.” But she didn’t sound like she poked fun. No, she sounded as confused as he felt. “Tor,” she said, right as he said, “Neve.”
“Ladies first.”
“Last night...” She hiked the sheets against her chest, hiding the swell of her breasts. “I—look—do we need to talk about what happened last night?”
“You don’t sound like you want to?” He was expecting a conversation, to make a game plan to set some ground rules. Neve was the bravest, strongest woman he knew. She faced down his bullshit and called him on it every time. And here she was, wiggling into her lace bra and tiny panties and sliding past him as if she hadn’t swallowed him balls deep. As if they were strangers.
“I don’t know what to think, let alone what to say. Honestly, I’d rather get up, take a shower and go for a run.”
The room was haunted all right, by all the things going unsaid. He had two choices. Start rebuilding his walls or build a bridge to Neve.
“Want company or is this a solo mission?”
She gave him a double take. “Are you asking to share my shower?”
“The forecast is for a lighter-than-normal snowfall in the Rockies this winter. I figured I’d be proactive with water conservation.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Hey. No pressure. But if you’re on the fence, I’m an excellent back washer.” He kept his tone light even against the weight of her assessing stare. He was putting himself so far out there that the branch he was clinging to might crack and fall at any second.
“Okay,” she relented and it was all he could do not to exhale. “But I like a hot shower.”
“I like anything that involves steam and you being naked,” he said gravely.
She did a double take again and burst out laughing. “I never knew you were funny. I like it.”
“I’m being serious.” He winked. “Come on, Angel. I’ll scrub your back and then you can scrub mine.”
The tub was an old claw-foot. They were already barely dressed, so it was short work to drop the towels and step into the warm spray once it hit the proper temperature.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Neve said, tilting her head back, eyes closing as the water streamed through her dark hair. He took the opportunity to look his fill. Her areolas were small, the size of a quarter, and pale pink, like the inside of a conch shell. They rose up, puffing out from the smooth mound of each breast, as if little invitations. His mouth watered but he forced self-control, even as his cock heated, rising proud and resistant.
Her hips were narrow, the bones in each one sharp and hard. But her stomach was soft, the faintest hint of a belly, and it fascinated him. He wanted to drop to his knees and kiss her there, then travel lower, settle between her open thighs and lick her past the point of sanity.
“I know you’re staring.” She wiped her eyes and glanced down.
“I want you.” He spoke plainly, the need for her, to possess her, to make her his if only for a few stolen moments, left him without the ability to tease, flirt and banter. “But I’ll have to go to the store and grab condoms if we’re going to go further.”
“Did you fail Eagle Scouts?” Her gaze shot to his face. “I thought, like, every guy kept one in his wallet.”
