You know, the things you forgot about until they failed and created systematic chaos until resolved.
I’d let my woes take over my life, and Dad suffered for it. Sure, I could share the responsibility with my younger sisters, but they had fulfilling lives and adorable children. Plus, they both lived in different states.
Overanalyzing things wouldn’t help my foul mood, so I sat my phone on the counter and put on some serene sounding artist before removing my robe and turning on the water. I sat on the tub’s edge and stretched my neck to relieve the day’s tension, hoping after this I could get lost in my most recent prehistoric horror read and then sleep for a solid eight hours.
Nothing like megalodon sharks and blood-borne pathogens to relax. Perhaps I should switch things up and read the LitRPG book my brother-in-law suggested last Christmas.
Freezing cold water numbed my fingers as I turned the tub spout to as hot as it would go and thought about the giant shelf of books still in boxes downstairs. The water went from icy to tepid but refused to get warmer. I rubbed the spot between my eyebrows and stood before grabbing a wrench from underneath the sink.
Would a hard tap or two on the pipes warm things up?Nope.
Somehow, with the other thousand things on my to-do list, fixing the leaky showerhead and replacing the faulty valve had fallen to the bottom of the never-ending list of things I’d yet to do. Besides, no one used this bathroom but me, and if knocking on the water supply pipe a few times made me feel better untilthe water warmed, so be it. At least until I could get around to figuring out how to fix the issue.
Perhaps taking my shitty mood out on the innocent pipe was not the best course of action, but the only thing that mattered was immersing myself in scorching hot water until I scrubbed this day away.
One tap. Two. Three. The banging echoed around the room and eventually worked to warm the water. Striking the pipe for the fourth time, I jerked my hand away with a curse and rubbed my fingers together to displace the burst of scalding water from the spout.
A steaming hot shower was exactly what I needed, as long as it didn’t burn my skin. Somehow, I doubted my boss would be sympathetic to my woes of losing several layers of my epidermis.
I adjusted the tap until the water cooled slightly and made another mental note to lower the temperature of the water heater in the garage. With all I was learning from my never-ending list of things to do around the house, I could start a nice little side hustle. Chuckling at that ridiculous thought, I stepped into the shower, sliding the frosted glass door closed behind me.
The water felt amazing, and I hummed in contentment before grabbing my orange blossom scented shampoo. Lathering the suds into my hair, I closed my eyes and sighed, washing away the remnants of the day. As the hot water cascaded down my body, so did my worries and troubles, disappearing down the drain and into nothingness. It was an old technique from back when I tried therapy in the hopes of saving my marriage. One that still worked to empty my mind.
Dr. Stanley believed in breathing exercises and validating my feelings by putting them out into the universe. The breathing worked, but acknowledging the same three feelings each session only made me angry. When she suggested watching a series ofself-help videos during our talks, I knew it was time to break ties. But one exercise she taught me had stuck.
I imagined each woe and fear, visualizing the words as they swirled along the tile and dripped down the shower wall like water. As each letter disappeared down the drain, I felt lighter—like I’d stupidly been wearing a weighted blanket like a cape and finally had the common sense to remove it.
The water continued to pound against my back, easing my overworked muscles, as the last word—failure—succumbed to gravity and swirled down the drain. An eerie sense of peace washed over me, and I knew that, for tonight, none of it mattered. Not the lawsuit or the three hours of work I’d left for tomorrow. The stress of fixing Dad’s house faded, and so did the aggravation with his constant pushback about making the condo more accessible for him. I sighed, closing my eyes as the last dregs of my anxiety faded away.
My hands traveled from my hair, down to my neck, before moving toward my breasts. As my slippery fingers moved over my nipples, my breath hitched, and I gasped at the sensation. It had been so long since I’d partaken in a little self-care, since I’dfeltthe need for any type of instant gratification.
I squeezed my eyes harder until flashes of light appeared behind my lids, immersing myself in the moment and letting my body absorb every touch, sound, and scent that surrounded me. From the refreshing orange of the body wash to the rhythmic pulsing of the water on my back, every touch of my hands on my skin felt like a sensory journey.
My fingertips delicately grazed my skin, and I groaned as I rolled my nipples between my thumb and index finger. The water dripped down my oversensitive body as I adjusted the temperature again and slid my hand from my breasts to the apex of my thighs. My body ached with need, desperate for relief as I used my fingers to rub slow, tight circles around my clit.
The teasing movements did wonders for my budding libido, and I splayed one hand on the shower wall to steady myself.
I should draw out the sensations. Tease myself until my knees quaked and I had to brace myself against the tiles instead of just resting my hand there. But the overwhelming desire to come was too much. My eyes remained closed hard enough to see brighter flashes of colors as my fingers blurred against my clit.
I rose higher and higher, my breath catching and heart racing as I chased my release. The need to come took over my rational thought as I moaned, not caring that the space I currently resided in had abnormally thin walls. Or perhaps my need to take some measure of control over my life meant I didn’t care who heard.
My lungs screamed for air and my head swam as my body reached the cliff’s edge, ready to tumble over into oblivion. The faceless man whose shoulders I imagined scraping my nails against looked up from where he rested between my legs. The features morphed into a striking man with black hair and blue eyes. Strands of dark fringe fell into his eyes as he buried his face into my neck and kissed along my collarbone.
“Such a good fucking girl for me. Taking everything I have to give and begging for more. Would you like that, pet? To take my cock so deep you feel it with every step you take tomorrow.”
My eyes popped open and I sucked in a sharp inhale, determined to draw breath back into my oxygen-starved brain. The vision ofMaverickcame into sharp focus just as my index and middle finger tapped my clit, overstimulating the sensitive bud as my footing slipped, and I fell over the edge, letting the intense orgasm rip through my body.
The scalding water continued to beat against my back as my hips bucked and my knees locked. The nails of my left hand scrambled along the wet, slick tile, desperate for something to hold on to as wave after wave of pleasure ensnared my body. Mylips parted and I moaned, the noise obscenely loud in the small space, before the sound turned into a strangled yelp, and I threw myself forward, almost slipping and falling through the glass door.
Icy cold water poured from the shower spout, drenching my overly hot and sensitive skin. Scrambling backward, I shut my eyes as the droplets splashed against my face. I groaned again, this time louder and in anger as I blindly reached for the faucet to turn the water off.
Just as my hand grasped the metal handle, someone threw open the bathroom door. It hit the opposite wall with a sharp bang, and I opened my eyes and cowered against the shower wall.
The object of my fantasy stood in the doorway, all six-foot-whatever of him, as his eyes darted from me to the shower and then to the ceiling. I’d rather face a firing squad than have this man see me in all my unshaven glory, but I braced myself for the onslaught of goose bumps and chattering teeth and stepped fully under the cold spray to turn it off. I whimpered as the water sputtered and stopped, wishing a sink hole would open and swallow me whole.
“What in the hell are you doing in here?” I seethed while trying to cover myself. The glass door did little to hide my nakedness, and my arms could only do so much to hide my boobs. I crossed my legs and used one hand to cover my pussy, clenching my teeth as a throb echoed through my stomach, reminding me of the orgasm that had racked through my body before this ridiculous interruption.
“I heard screaming! What did you expect? For no one to make sure you were okay?”
