I sneezed and sat up. The cat looked annoyed, until I scratched him under the chin. He started to purr, not hungry, just seeking attention. Sebastian must have fed him already.
I’d fallen asleep in Sebastian’s bed, with its luxurious foam mattress that could put to sleep the worst of insomniacs. The shower ran, and the scent of tomato sauce drifted from the kitchen.
I lay back, stroking the kitten. “How did you sleep, mate? Not as well as me, I’ll bet.”
I couldn’t stop grinning. Sebastian and I were back together, and he’d told me he loved me. Life couldn’t get any better.
I grabbed one of his oversized T-shirts, pulled it over my head, and headed to the bathroom. I opened the door slowly, admiring Sebastian’s wet body. His muscles rippled as he washed his hair in that brisk, no-nonsense way men do. Foam and water slid down his back, over his perfect ass, along his toned legs.
Robin rubbed against my feet. I bent down to pick him up, and he clung to me like a baby chimp.
Sebastian noticed me and turned. The steamy air got steamier as our gazes met. Water ran down his chest, beautifully divided into two perfect pecs, dusted with hair that trailed down his six-pack. He had the sexiest belly button I’d ever seen. I loved dipping the tip of my tongue into it, then sliding it down to his—
“Morning.” He smiled, as though reading my mind.
I dragged my eyes from his crotch to his face. “Morning. Something smells nice.”
“I’m making breakfast before work. I texted Jan to take Robin to the vet for shots, parasite check, whatever cats need. Her friend’s lending her a carrier.”
I swallowed hard. I’d made progress with Janine at my exhibit, but I doubted she felt friendly after I’d broken up with her baby brother.
I kept my tone casual. “Janine’s coming over later?”
“She’s coming over now.”
“I have to go.”
I turned to flee when the shower head fell off. It thunked onto Sebastian’s head before clattering to the floor.
“Son of a bitch!” Sebastian cursed, rubbing his scalp.
Water sprayed everywhere.
Sebastian yelped and tried to shield himself. Robin chose that moment to get curious. He launched himself from my arms into the spray, probably thinking this was a game. But the second his paws touched the wet floor, he freaked out. His fur puffed up like a dandelion. He hissed and leaped backward, all four paws flailing.
Sebastian, hair dripping, turned off the water. “What just happened?” He held up the detached shower head. “The damn thing broke.”
Laughing, I checked his head. “Are you okay? That hit pretty hard.”
I spread his wet hair to look. He winced, but the scalp wasn’t broken. I kissed the top of his head.
“I’m no doctor, but this looks fine. Let me know if you feel dizzy, okay?”
He reached for a towel. “I’m fine. Where’s Robin?”
“Probably under the bed.”
I was wet now too, so I stepped into the shower without removing my shirt. The shower head wasn’t broken, just loose. Maybe I was terrible, but I was happy to have something to do to repay Sebastian for everything, including his magnificent meals.
I stood on my tiptoes to check the shower arm. New York water had crusted the threads with sludge.
“I need toothpicks and Teflon tape,” I said.
“I have toothpicks, but Teflon? Isn’t that for pans? What the hell is Teflon tape?”
I chuckled. “I left some in the kitchen drawer after fixing the faucet. It’s thin, malleable tape that helps secure things that need to be screwed and stay wet.”
“Really?”
