I grinned. “Lucky for you it is.”
“Don’t you think you should cover up? I wouldn’t want you suffering from the cold and, for gods’ sake,soften,”she hissed, popping out a shoulder with attitude.
I ran the flat of my palm down my abs, challenging her to look lower. “Is there any-fucking-thing soft about me, Wychthorn?” I purred, cocking a brow. “Anything at all?”
She kept her defiant gaze locked on mine, but I saw the way her fingers stiffly clutched the lip of the vanity behind her, and I carefully hid the glee when her pupils slowly expanded.
Nelle’s mouth had gone bone-dry. I heard the rasp to her weak-assed denial as she croaked, “Gods, your over-inflated ego.”
Stepping wide, I shifted my stance as I ruffled the hair at the back of my head. “Anyway, it’s my bathroom. You’re the one who came in here.”
Nelle quickly spun away to wipe the mess of toothpaste from her mouth, some of the face masque coming away as well. She hastily cleaned the cloth under running water, fumbling as she folded it, a slight tremble to her hands, leaving me with the distinct impression she was desperate to scurry from the bathroom as soon as possible.
Well, well, well…
I sidled up and partially blocked her retreat. Her gaze whipped upward, clashing with mine in the steam-smeared mirror. Lowering my chin, I narrowed my gaze. “What the hells are you doing here, anyway?”
“It’sourbathroom, and you were taking forever.I needed to get ready for bed,” she snipped airily.
Part of me, the part that had wondrous warmth flooding my chest at her choice of words, wanted to point out the fact she’d saidourbathroom. But she would have hated it and despised herself for a moment of weakness. Instead, I replied, “You could have”—fucking—“knocked.”
Her gaze darkened with anger. “Highly doubtful you would have heard me knocking over the sound of youmoaningmy name.” She twisted around, deepening her voice to mimic mine as she moaned,“Nelle.”
Gods, my little bird was vicious.
My gaze sliced to that wicked, mean mouth of hers, and my cock throbbed and swelled and ached. All the blood rushed to my iron-hard erection, and I went a little lightheaded under the wicked spell she’d cast.
Hells, she was sohotwhen she was cruel.
So fucking hot.
But that girl needed to be met with fire.
I bowed my head so I was level with hers.
“Nelle,”I husked, moaning it right back at her.
She nearly exploded with fury.
And the bathroom erupted into the ridiculous sound of both of us squabbling like schoolchildren mock-moaning at one another. My little bird even jerked her fist as if she were beating off at the same time.
“Nelle—”
“Nelle—”
“Nelle—”
Butminewere deep and husky andtrue.
And something happened as I gruffly moaned her name.
A full-body shiver shuddered through Nelle’s slender figure. Her damp yellow dress rippled with delightful motion. The cruel expression faltered and slipped from her features, leaving her open and vulnerable.
And her irises spiked with a shot of black.
Perhaps to deny it, she abruptly screwed her eyes shut and lifted her hand as if to silently demand I shut up. But the movement slowed and became sluggish. I watched in confusion as she bodily wove from side to side, her weight shifting off balance as a soft, mindless hum rumbled from her throat.
Suddenly, she tipped forward, her fingers latching onto my bicep. I helped support her supple body as she melted against me. Though I knew she was going to despise her momentary weakness, I bathed in the feel of her beneath my hands and where our bodies touched as she buried her nose into my chest and greedily breathed me in.
