I step beneath the spray first. The warm water slides over my skin, and I let out a small breath I didn’t realize I was holding. A moment later Hawk steps in behind me, the space suddenly feeling very small with his broad body there.
He grabs the shampoo bottle without saying anything.
When his fingers slip into my hair, I freeze for a second.
But then he starts gently working the shampoo into my scalp, slow and patient, and my shoulders slowly relax. His fingers massage carefully through my hair, never pulling, never rushing.
It feels… intimate.
More intimate than everything that came before.
The only sounds filling the shower are the steady rush of water and our breathing.
After he rinses my hair, his hands move down my arms, guiding me slightly as he washes the soap over my skin. His touch stays soft, respectful, like he’s afraid of hurting me.
It makes my chest ache in a way I didn’t expect.
When his mouth brushes the side of my neck, just beneath my ear, my breath catches.
The kiss is soft.
Nothing like before.
“I got no idea what the fuck you’re doin’ to me, Emma,” he whispers against my skin.
My heart stutters.
Slowly I turn around under the water until I’m facing him. Droplets run down his face, dark hair damp and pushed back, his eyes fixed on me like he’s trying to figure me out.
I reach up without thinking and brush my fingers along his beard before pulling him down into a kiss.
This one is different.
Gentle.
His lips move slowly against mine, careful, like we’re both discovering something fragile between us.
When we pull apart, I rest my forehead lightly against his chest.
“I don’t know what’s happening either,” I whisper. “And it scares me.”
I lift my head so he can see my face.
“But I don’t want to let go.”
For a second he doesn’t say anything.
His thumb brushes a drop of water from my cheek before he leans down and kisses me again, softer than before.
A small smile pulls at my lips.
“Oh,” I say suddenly. “Thank you… for the gifts. I’ve loved every single one of them.”
A low rumble leaves his chest.
He leans closer, his mouth brushing my ear.
“If you don’t make somethin’ for me next,” he mutters, voice rough again, “I’m gonna spank that ass of yours raw.”
