“Arms up, angel.” He taps a finger against my thigh twice and I eye him suspiciously.
“What are you doing?”
He tilts his head with a knowing smirk. “What’s it look like I’m doing? I’m taking care of my wife and making sure she doesn’t catch the flu.”
“You don’t have to-”
“I want to,” he says, cutting me off.
That earlier doubt creeps back in at the vulnerability in his eyes as he grips the skirt of my dress and slowly begins to lift.
“Killian,” I whisper. “We still need to talk.”
“I know, baby. Just let me take care of you tonight. We can talk tomorrow.”
I should stop him. I should insist that we talk now and not jump straight into bed with each other again while so much still hangs in the balance between us, but when his fingertips trail up my thigh and along my hip, travelling higher and higher, all rational thought leaves me, quickly replaced with longing.
I finally lift my arms, allowing Killian to pull my dress over my head. He tosses it aside, his gaze heating every inch of exposed skin as he observes me hungrily.
He starts at my face, trailing down to my neck, then my chest, lingering slightly on my pierced nipples and causing them to harden further. With every inch his eyes grow darker until they come to rest on my lower stomach. Any arousal that was there is quickly replaced with realisation and then… devastation.
I remain motionless, the only sound in the bathroom our respective breathing and the running of the shower as I let Killian feel every emotion he needs to.
It’s not the first time I’ve been naked in front of Killian since I came home, obviously, but it is the first time he’s really taken the time tolookat me.
The first time, we practically tore at each other, starved of affection and the intimate touch of another person. My scar has faded over the years, so what was once raised and an ugly shade of purple, is now a thin white line, barely visible along the top of my pubic bone. Killian didn’t know I’d had surgery before, so why would he look for any signs of one. It was easy for him to miss.
This time, however, everything is out in the open. He knows everything, and for the first time, he’s seeing my reality.
His fingers are gentle as he runs them along the scar. The sensation is strange and causes my stomach to clench. His eyes dart up to mine, full of concern. “Does it hurt?”
I shake my head. “No. Just feels weird.”
He nods, his eyes closing as he lowers to his knees and rests his head against me. “I’m so sorry, Dais.”
The slight hitch in his voice combined with the delicate touches and the sheer intimacy of the moment causes my chin to tremble and tears to pool in my eyes.
Killian plants soft kisses along the scar before pulling back and hooking his fingers in my underwear, continuing his task of undressing me.
I use his shoulders for balance as I step out of my thong. He tosses them to the side and stands, quickly stripping out of his own clothes before taking my hand and helping me into the shower.
The warm water is welcoming against my rain-soaked skin and when Killian steps up behind me, the temperature seems to rise ten degrees.
I keep my eyes on the ring hanging from the chain around his neck as he reaches around me for a loofa. He lathers it up with soap, bringing it to my chest and begins washing me carefully.
Killian takes his time, moving down my sternum to my bellybutton, across my stomach, my thighs and lower to my ankles before moving all the way back up the other side, avoiding all the parts that crave his attention most.
“Killian.” His name falls from my lips like a plea.
“Hmm?” he mumbles, his focus entirely on his hands as they move over me.
“Touch me,” I whisper.
His breath fans across my cheek when he tilts my chin up and leans in. “You want me to touch you, Angel?”
I nod as his lips meet my ear. “Show me where.”
Lifting a shaky hand, I cup my breasts, using my thumbs to circle my nipples. Killian watches with rapt attention, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as he devours me with his eyes.
