“That door is broken,” he says, pointing now, irritation sharp in his tone.
“Great observation.”
“Any pervert could have heard you and come running in here.”
“And yet.” I smile sweetly. “The only one who did was you.”
He exhales like I’ve aged him ten years.
“I’m not a pervert,” he says flatly.
“Lovely to know,” I mumble.
“Now that that’s cleared up.” He rolls his eyes. “Do you want my help or not?”
I’d love nothing more than to say no. Truly. But the sound of the still-running shower reminds me I’m not exactly in a position to refuse.
Reluctantly, I nod my head. “Looks like I don’t have much choice,” I mumble, mostly to myself. “There’s a flying rat with wings in there, and it needs to... not be.”
He blinks. Once. Slowly. Like he’s deciding whether I’m serious or clinically unwell. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he scans the room. “Is there another towel I can use?”
The hope in his voice is almost cute.
Almost.
I let my towel slide off my body and hold it out to him. “Have fun.”
He snatches it, and with that, we’re right back where we started. Me. Half-naked. Him. Way too close. I press my lips together to keep from laughing. His gaze flicks over me again,quicker this time, followed by a muttered curse he definitely thinks I can’t hear as he disappears into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, after a few bangs and more cursing, Levi emerges.
“My God, woman. I’ve run into fires that weren’t as hot as that shower!”
Ignoring his comment, I peek past him and into the bathroom. “Is it gone?”
He wipes his brow and runs his hand through his light brown hair. The muscles in his arm flex as he does, causing that pressure to form again, low in my belly.Jheeze.I need to get a grip.
“Yeah, I pushed it out, I’m assuming, the way it flew in. You should keep that window closed around this time of day.” He hooks his thumb toward my front door and walks toward it. “Now, if that’s all, I came home to check on Ellie, but I need to get back to the station.”
His words have my head spinning in his direction. “Home?”
“Yeah. Next door.” He sounds as thrilled about this information as I feel.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I snort. “Great, I have the Bat-man living next door. How convenient.”
He freezes as he reaches for the door handle, hand still suspended. “What did you call me?”
“Batman?” I say, confused, not understanding why this should elicit such an intense reaction from him. “You know? Because of the bat you just threw out my bathroom window?”
His spine grows straighter. “Don’t.” His voice drops even lower. “Don’t ever call me that again.”
Before I have a chance to ask him what the big deal is or thank him, not that I really want to, he’s gone, leaving me in my living room wondering what that was all about. The feeling of his body as it curved against mine, the heat coming off of him and seeping itsway through to my most sensitive parts has left me tightly wound and confused. I can’t stand this man, and yet, there’s no way I was the only one who felt that. We’ve always hadtension,but that was something else. Shaking my head, I rip off my bra and underwear right here in the middle of the room and throw them at the door.
“Ugh!”
I stomp into the bathroom and turn the shower back on. Leaning against the sink, I stare at my reflection, as if silently asking myself all the unspoken questions I’m afraid to say out loud. When the heat returns, filling me from head to toe with undeniable desire, I slam my hands down.
“Oh, screw this.” I flip the cold water up higher and get in, dousing the fire before it burns me completely.
