She’s in the bathroom when I arrive, already dressed in a pair of sexy little booty shorts and a matching tank top.
Her face is clean of makeup, her hair tied in a messy bun atop her head as she brushes her teeth.
Stepping up behind her, I grasp her hips and dip low to breathe in the warm cinnamon-rose scent that clings to her skin.
I press several kisses along the curve of her neck, relishing the goosebumps that rise in my wake as I pull her back against me so she can feel how much I want her.
“I missed you today,” I murmur, brushing another light kiss across her skin and nuzzling the soft skin behind her ear.
Rather than respond with enthusiasm, Anika leans forward, bending over the sink to spit.
Taking the hint, I release her, taking my spot in front of the second sink so I can brush my teeth.
She gives her teeth a quick floss, her eyes uncommonly intent on the task at hand.
Then she silently turns and leaves, heading into the bedroom ahead of me.
Maybe my read is off, but it seems like something is troubling her.
What that might be, I can’t say.
Unless I missed something, today seemed like a perfectly pleasant day.
Then again, I know my brothers can be a lot when we’re all together. Maybe it was more than she was ready for.
I doubt she’s seen the kind of dynamic we have before, especially since she was an only child.
Finishing my bathroom routine, I follow her into the bedroom, pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it in the hamper. “Are you alright?” I ask, my eyebrows pressing into a frown as I study her.
She’s not watching me undress, and while that seems like a silly cue to pick up on, I think it’s the first time that’s happened since our wedding night.
“I’m fine,” she says stiffly. “Just tired.”
Quirking a brow, I prowl toward her crawling up the bed until I’m hovering over her. “Even too tired for sex?” I tease, leaning in to nip at her throat.
Over the past several weeks, sex seems to be the one area of our connection that has improved the most.
No matter what we might be working through in other areas of our relationship, it always seems to be our bridge back to each other.
And now that she’s not scared every time I come near her, she’s proven to havequitea sexual appetite. A fact that makes it nearly impossible to get out of bed each morning.
Anika’s lips curve into a sensual smile, her eyes igniting with anticipation as she lies back, her fingers brushing across the bare skin of my chest and abs. “No, I think I’ll be able to stay awake for that,” she murmurs, her eyes dilating.
A low snarl of appreciation rumbles through me, and I pounce playfully, bringing my lips crushing down on hers as I get swept up in the moment.
Anika’s lips part, and I delve past them, my tongue tangling with hers in an intimate dance.
Heat races through my veins as she lets out one of those soft moans that drive me crazy.
Whatever was on her mind earlier seems to be gone now as the air between us electrifies, and a bold desire to possess her makes my heart pound.
Whatever else might happen, Anika ismywoman.
I own every gasp of pleasure, every addicting orgasm she has to give, and like a druggy who’s gone too long without a fix, I’m itching for the sweet relief that only she can give.
24
ANIKA
