And then… Ice-cold water blasts out of the showerhead.
Holley shrieks, curling into me as the water turns brutally glacial.
I burst out laughing, even as I grab her and yank both of us out of the spray. “Okay, okay, that’s my bad, should have thought about the temps outside and the water heater keeping up.”
She’s laughing too, shivering and clinging to me. Still wrapped around me in the best way. “Oh my god, that was?—”
“Dramatic much?” I offer.
“Traumatizing,” she corrects, teeth chattering as I set her on her feet.
I wrap her in a towel, pulling her against my chest. “Then we’d better warm you up again, huh?”
Her eyes soften, heat returning even as she shivers. “Yeah,” she breathes. “We better.”
I lean down picking her up again and carry her out of the bathroom—dripping, laughing, wrapped up in me—and every step feels like crossing into something new. Her bare legs wrap instinctively around my hips, her skin warm against mine despite the cold shower mishap. Every breath she takes brushes against my throat, shaky, wanting.
“Tony…” she whispers, and the sound alone is enough to unravel every ounce of restraint I thought I had left.
“Yeah, baby,” I murmur into her hair. “I’ve got you.”
The bed space is dim, lit only by the soft glow spilling in from the hallway. The storm outside pushes pale light across the wood floor, shadows dancing like they know what’s coming.
I lower her onto the bed, slow, deliberate, giving her every chance to pull back.
She doesn’t.
Her hands slide up my arms, lingering on my shoulders before drifting down my chest, fingers tracing the lines of muscle like she’s memorizing them. Her touch is hesitant but hungry, a mix of need and disbelief.
“You sure?” I ask, hovering above her, brushing my thumb along her cheekbone.
Her eyes lock with mine—warm, open, trusting in a way that hits me deeper than the hunger already burning low and hard.
“Yes,” she whispers. “I want this. I want you.”
Those words wreck me. I dip down, kissing her again—slow at first, lips molding to hers, coaxing out every soft sound she tries to swallow. Her hands slide into my damp short hair, tugging me closer, pulling a gravelly groan from my throat. I’ve never cared to have longer hair until now as I imagine the feel of her tugging the roots tight.
She arches under me, the towel slipping enough that I can feel her warmth, her softness. I trail my mouth down her neck, tasting her skin, lingering on the spot that makes her gasp and tilt her head back.
Her pulse flutters against my lips.
“Holley…” I breathe, savoring her reaction. “You’re killing me in the best damn way.”
She laughs, but it melts into a shudder when my hand traces the curve of her waist, slow, reverent, learning her shape like it’s something I’ve been starved for.
Because I have been.
She draws me down, her breath warm against my ear. “I want to feel you.”
The way she says it—soft, pleading—makes heat crawl down my spine. I settle over her more fully, our bodies fitting together like the universe planned it. The tension between us tightens, electric, pulling us closer until breathing feels optional.
Her lips brush mine again. “Don’t hold back.”
I smile against her mouth. “Baby, be careful what you wish for.”
Her answering breath trembles, and I kiss her again—deeper this time, slower but filled with promise as my hands slide along her curves, mapping every inch she lets me have.
She opens beneath me, trusting, warm, wanting, and the moment feels bigger than just heat—it feels like turning a page we can’t ever turn back from.
