“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking! Humans must look so weird to you. Let me just rinse off and I’ll be right back out to help you clean up.” I ditch the rest of my clothing and close the glass door behind me. Letting the stream of hot water over my face cool my thrumming embarrassment, I grab some soap and wash any lingering ickiness off my chest.
I hear a squeak in the floorboards, and I turn and see Andri ducking his head under the door frame, his left horn scratching it as he does, to the bathroom. His wide eyes are hooded and dark, and I’m frozen in shock that he’s followed me into the bathroom. He runs his gaze up my body slowly.
“For the record, and what it’s worth, I don’t think you look weird. I very much like looking at you.” When his eyes meet my own, he says, “And I’ll stop looking if you want me to.”
Heat floods my core and leaves me clenching over nothing. Do I want him to see me like this? My soapy hands are frozen on my chest. Andri’s lips part, and I swear I can hear him breathing over the flow of the water. There’s a grunt from the floor.
Gerald shifts, but doesn’t wake.
I look back at the snowman, then to my fiance, and back to the intense blue face in the doorway. I know what I want, but—
“I’m engaged.”
The light behind his eyes dulls, like a metal shutter’s been pulled over something carnal inside him.
“Of course.” He immediately drops his gaze to his huge feet. “I’ll clean up the living room—you enjoy that shower, and I’ll see you in the morning.” He closes the door and leaves me to washmyself. I do it quickly, avoiding any part of my body that might be sensitive.
I even turn off the hot water entirely and try to knock some cold sense into my system.
I’m engaged, taken, and that’s it for me, right?
Chapter six
Andri
I’mastupidfuck.What in the hell was I thinking following her into the bathroom like some old crusty pervert?Of course she doesn’t want you to look at her naked body, Andri, she’s engaged to be married.Sure, the groom is a piece of shit, but she’s made her choice. That and you barely know her.
But that doesn’t explain this need in my chest, or why I thought my heart might explode when she took off her top. It’s not the first time I’ve seen breasts. Hell, I’m no virgin, monster or human female. But something inside my psyche snapped for her. Her smell, that citrus and cinnamon scent, I pick it up everywhere. In the lodge, on the slopes, even as I run her vomit-covered clothing through the wash, it’s still the strongest note.
The way, when I saw her in the shower and she hesitated before she turned me down, I thought she might want me too. I feel like I’m going crazy, and I don’t know what to do about it. How on earth will I regain any kind of normalcy about Daphne before our lesson tomorrow? I mean, at this rate, will she evenshow up? I’ll be lucky if she doesn’t call the sheriff on me as her Peeping Tom.
God, I’ve fucked this up.
I slam my fist onto the industrial-strength washer and leave a dent on the stainless steel top.
“Whoa, buddy,” a familiar voice behind me yelps.
I snap my head around to see Lerana staring at me with mouth agape.
“What in the hell did the Speed Queen washer do to you?” She comes over and strokes one of her delicate hands over the damage I’ve left.
“It’s nothing, a guest got sick and I offered to wash their clothes,” I mutter.
“Something is wrong, Andri! You’re not one to freak out on anything, let alone this old reliable gal.” The faun mocks my affection for our workhorse of a washer.
“I’ll get over it, it’s not important. Besides, why are you here on a non-turnover day?” I look at my watch and realize then how much of the night has slipped away to my self-loathing.
“I left my bag with my good pens up here, and I can’t take another day of using Ted’s dried up ballpoints when I take orders at the diner. But now I’m glad I did because something strange is going on with you.” She narrows her eyes.
“Nothing, I’ve gotta go get ready for lessons.”
“Lessons? You haven’t taught in years! Now I know something strange is going on.” She steps in front of me, arms crossed, wanting more information.
With one finger on her shoulder, I push her aside.
“Just season opening fatigue, I’ll live,” I grumble, and open the dryer right as it dings. I grab the coats and shirts, throw them into a basket, and stomp to the side door.
“We’ll be talking about this later,” Lerana sighs behind me as she grabs a tote bag from her hook in the back office.
