“That’s true,” I said. “I’m going to shower before we have to leave. Do you need anything?”
“I’m fully capable,” she said.
I kept the wordsI guess I’m off bathroom duty thento myself and left.
I wasn’t planning on washing my hair today, I’d just washed it two days ago. But as the hot water poured over me, I put my head down and let the spray work on the knots that still existedalong my shoulders and up my neck. I switched the spray pattern on the showerhead to the massage setting and closed my eyes as it pounded along my spine in a steady rhythm. Soon the hair at the nape of my neck was soaked, so I gave up attempting to keep it dry. I took out the claw clip and set it on the counter just outside the shower curtain, letting my hair fall around my shoulders and flatten with the hot water. Steam opened my lungs, and I put my hands on the tiled wall in front of me, leaning in as the water continued to work.
Hazel eyes flashed behind my closed lids, and a memory of Elijah rubbing the knots in my neck with his strong hands immediately sprang to mind. With it came an unexpected tightening in my stomach and lower. How would it feel to have his hands all over me? I turned to face the showerhead, the water grazing my nipples. I gasped at how sensitive they felt right now.
God, it had been a long time. Even when I was with Nate, my mind had been too caught up in work and stress to let myself relax enough to have any sort of release. I’d often help him get there, only to turn over and go to sleep. Shit, he was right to break up with me, wasn’t he?
The water was hitting lower now and a little moan escaped. I reached up to unlatch the showerhead from its cradle. I fumbled in my attempt to thread the hose through the holder, and water sprayed the shower curtain, then straight up to the ceiling before I had a firm grip on the handle. I was out of breath as I held the pulsing showerhead in my hand. I stared at it for a moment, wondering if I was even still in the mood.
An image of Elijah’s head close to my stomach as I held ice to his face got me right back where I needed to be. Picturinghis hand brushing the side of my leg took me even further. I lowered the showerhead, braced my hand against the wall, and closed my eyes. I saw stars for a moment as the sensation sent a wave of pleasure through me. I lifted my foot to the edge of the tub, and more waves elicited a gasping breath. I was climbing slowly, my whole body tense with pleasure.
Then I heard the sharp rings of the bell from the living room, and my climb screeched to a halt. “No, no, no,” I muttered, keeping the showerhead right where it was. I just needed a couple more minutes.
The bell was incessant and loud, and it sounded like it was closer than the couch. Had she fallen? Dragged herself down the hall? Was she experiencing some kind of emergency? I replaced the showerhead and turned off the water. I wrapped a towel around my body, my hair still dripping wet as I opened the door.
“Mom?” I called out. “Are you okay?”
The bell kept ringing.
I walked down the hall to find her sitting, perfectly fine, on the couch. She looked at me with a blank expression.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Someone is at the door.” She pointed to the door that was literally twenty feet in front of us. I knew she couldn’t have answered it without a lot of effort, but it felt like maybe she could’ve put some in.
“Let me throw on a robe,” I said.
“They’ve been knocking for a while,” she said. “Please just tell them to stop.”
I approached the door, knowing full well who was on the other side. I had tried to forget he was coming today in casesomething came up again. And he’d never told me a time. I cracked it open, poked my head out, and said, “I need to get dressed. Give me a second.”
“Why is your face so flushed?” he asked.
Maybe because I thought he deserved it with a question like that, or maybe because of my thoughts in the shower, whatever the case, I swung open the door. “Just come in. I’ll be a minute.”
His eyes traveled down my body, and now it washisface that was flushed. I’d surprised him. Quite frankly, I surprised myself. But his expression made it completely worth it.
“Mom, this is Elijah. Elijah, Andrea. I’ll be back.”
I rushed down the hall and shut myself in my room, leaning my back against the door. Across the way, the mirror above my desk reflected an image of what Elijah had just seen: my body barely covered by a towel, pink cheeks and chest, and dripping wet hair, wild and messy.
What had gotten into me?
CHAPTER 19
Fifteen minutes later, as I walked toward the living room, clothes on, hair brushed, and mostly dry, with a coat of mascara on, I heard my mom talking about how she was normally much more put together, but she’d had to rely on a subpar hairdresser for the last month. Me, she was talking about me.
“Considering you just had a serious accident,” Elijah said, “you look amazing. You’re a beautiful woman, Mrs. Scott.”
I couldn’t hear my mom’s response, it was quiet. I wondered what she said to that. My momwasa beautiful woman. It wasn’t until years after my dad had left, when I was older, that I’d wondered why she hadn’t put herself out there again, found love. She’d just buried her head in work and seemed to forget about that side of life.
Mom had a stern expression on when I rounded the corner. Was she angry I had sprung a visitor on her? I hadn’t warned her this time. If he was going to stand me up again, I hadn’t wanted her to know.
“Hi,” he said, meeting my eyes.
