Also, the bed is too close. Too dangerous. I don’t trust myself not to move toward her in the middle of the night like muscle memory never died. I don’t trust myself not to slide my hand over her skin and convince her with touch instead of words.
She studies me.
The ocean outside crashes softly. The fan hums overhead. I can hear her breathing. Shallow. Controlled.
“I’m going to shower,” she says finally, like it’s a power move.
“Okay.” I nod.
She hesitates, as though waiting for resistance.
She won’t get any from me.
Grabbing her toiletry bag, she disappears into the bathroom and shuts the door behind her. A second later, water turns on.
I exhale.
The room smells faintly like salt and something floral from her skin. I drag a hand down my face and push off toward the couch.
It’s small. Narrow. The kind of furniture meant for decoration, not sleep.
Good. Discomfort is an old friend anyway.
The shower runs steadily behind the wall. I try not to let myself picture her under it, but my mind wanders anyway.
Water sliding over her shoulders. Down the curve of her back. Over the swell of her hips. Her head tipped back. Lips parted. Skin flushed from heat.
Fuck me.
My cock turns hard as stone, pressing against the zipper of my jeans.
I grip the back of the couch until my knuckles go white.
Ten fucking years and I still crave her like this.
A few minutes later, the shower shuts off.
My pulse kicks up.
A few seconds later, the bathroom door opens.
Silk.
That’s what hits me first.
She’s wearing pale silk pajamas. A loose tank with thin straps. Shorts that barely cover the tops of her thighs. The fabric catches the light, skimming her skin in a way that feels deliberately unfair.
My gaze drops before I can stop it.
Her legs are bare. Smooth. Familiar.
The silk clings slightly at her hips. The curve of her waist. The faint outline of her breasts beneath the too-loose fabric.
My throat goes dry.
“Stop looking at me like that,” she says, but her voice isn’t steady. Could she be just as affected by me as I am by her?
“Like what?” My voice comes out lower than I intend.
