I push myself up and head to the shower, letting the water run hotter than it needs to, standing there longer than I should, trying to wash off the lingering feeling of her against me.
It doesn’t work.
It’s still there when I step out.
Still there when I get dressed.
Still there when I walk back into the living room and find her sitting up, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
“Morning.”
I move toward the coffee machine, grabbing two mugs without thinking. I’ve learned quickly that she reaches for caffeine before she’s even fully awake.
“Morning,” she murmurs.
I feel it before I see it.
Her gaze.
It hits my chest, then drifts lower, slow, unintentional, tracing over my shoulders, my tattoos, my stomach, like she forgot how obvious she’s being.
I didn’t put on a shirt.
I never do after a shower.
But right now, standing here with her looking at me like that, I’m suddenly very aware of it.
Her lower lip slips between her teeth for half a second before she catches herself, her eyes snapping back up to mine, wide.
I don’t stop the smirk that pulls at my mouth.
She turns away fast, fumbling with the blanket, startling Marvel enough that he jumps off.
“Could you put a freaking shirt on?” she snaps, already retreating toward her room and then the bathroom.
I huff out a quiet laugh under my breath as I reach for the pan.
Yeah.
I’m definitely going to keep doing that.
There’s something about the way she reacts, all fire and fluster, that makes it impossible not to push just a little.
I shouldn’t enjoy it this much.
But I do.
By the time I plate the eggs and bacon, she’s back, her hair dried now, twisted into two messy knots that make her look… cute in a way that hits harder than it should.
The scent of her shampoo lingers in the air, stronger now, mixing with the heat from the stove, and for a second, my brain goes somewhere it shouldn’t.
Somewhere I shut down fast.
I turn toward the coffee instead.
“So you decided to look more like the real Tinker today?”
I glance back at her just in time to catch the spark returning to her eyes.
