"This damn module looks like a brothel room! It makes me want to throw up," I burst out.
Eliano looks mildly amused. He lifts his eyebrows mockingly and says, "Someone here is not sex-positive?"
"Oh, shut up!" I mutter, grabbing one of the towels from his hands and pulling a change of clothes out of my suitcase. "I am going to take a shower," I growl as I head for the bathroom.
Only then do I notice that the bathroom has no lock. Perfect.
So much for privacy.
Hoping Eliano will not barge in without my consent, I undress and step into the shower. Beside the bathtub, there is a full shower cabin, and it is surprisingly large, probably designed for two people as well. Inside, there is a low plastic seat and another one that is slightly higher, positioned perfectly if someone wanted to pin another person against the wall andengage in shower sex. The sight irritates me even more. It is all just too much, these constant sexual innuendos everywhere.
I shower thoroughly, washing and shaving my intimate areas. If I am going to be examined, I might as well be prepared for anything.
After that, I dry off, get dressed, and head back into the living area.
And I freeze mid-step!
Eliano is sitting on the couch with the laptop on his knees, but the room has changed completely. All the pictures depicting sexual acts have been turned around to face the wall.
All the sex toys that were displayed in the glass cases are gone, probably stashed away in one of the cabinets.
The room looks far more neutral now, and a massive wave of relief washes over me. I look at him, and even though I do not intend to show it, I feel a deep, damn gratitude.
After a moment of hesitation, I mutter, or rather grind out through clenched teeth, "Thanks."
"No problem," Eliano says, shooting me a brief glance before setting the laptop aside. "Mind if I take a shower too?"
He grabs his things and heads into the bathroom.
I stand there for a moment, looking around the room.
What he did was genuinely nice, and I did not expect that gesture at all.
Still, I pull myself together fast. No, no, no. I’m not about to start liking him over small stuff like this. That’s exactly the kind of thing I need to watch out for. Saving me, purring for me, cleaning the room for me… what’s next? I kind of wish he’d just stop. Why make this more complicated than it has to be?
I crouch down by the cabinets, since they are all annoyingly low, and start unpacking my things. I slide my suitcase under the small kitchen counter.
A moment later, Eliano comes out of the bathroom wearing nothing but sweatpants. His back is covered with a towel, but his chest is completely bare, and he is not fully dry yet. A few droplets of water glisten on his golden skin.
His hair is still slightly damp too.
I freeze, instantly aware of heat creeping up my cheeks.
Damn it, he is beautifully built. His muscles are full and sculpted, his six-pack flawless. I could drag my finger over it like a washboard, soaking in the warmth of his skin, vibrating with the powerful energy of a young, fertile alpha.
Stop, Salt!
I stand almost glued to the wall, staring at him. No way. I will not let him know what his sight did to me. Instead, I gather a surge of hostile energy.
"Do you really have to walk around half-naked?" I snap, fighting the tension in my jaw.
"Is there a problem with that? We’re both adults." Eliano stops, sets the things he is holding down on the bed, then turns toward me and takes a step closer. Then another.
Now he is standing right in front of me, and I catch the scent of his shower gel. It reminds me of lemon basil with a touch of sage. I wonder if it might be his Allure. I have heard that people often choose scents in cosmetics that complement their natural pheromones. As a beta, I cannot sense real Allure, of course, but the gel is strong enough that I can smell it up close.
Eliano takes one more step, and suddenly we are almost chest to chest.
My heart is pounding, my temperature rising. A part of me thinks it might actually feel nice if he brushed my gland again. Even though I’m a beta and its activity is low, it’s still sensitive, and the way he touched it felt good.
