Just set the toothbrush down like it was made of glass.
And for the first time in years, my kitchen didn’t feel like an empty room.
It felt like home.
The toothbrush sat there like a goddamn accusation. Billie picked it up, turning it over in her fingers like it was evidence in a trial. Then she tossed it back into the drawer with a smirk.
"Guess I'm moving in, then."
I didn't answer. Just grabbed her by the waist and hauled her against me, my mouth crashing into hers. She laughed against my lips, her hands already yanking at my sweats. I let her push them down, stepping out of them without breaking the kiss. Her fingers traced the scars on my thighs, the ones from old fights, old mistakes. I didn't flinch.
She pulled back just enough to yank her shirt over her head, tossing it somewhere behind the couch. Her bra followed. Then she was naked in my kitchen, all sharp edges and soft skin, her hands going to the waistband of her sweatpants.
"Need help with those?" I asked, my voice rough.
She raised an eyebrow. "You offering?"
I dropped to my knees in front of her.
Her breath hitched as I hooked my fingers into the waistband, dragging the fabric down slow. She stepped out of them, her hands finding my shoulders for balance. I pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh, my thumbs brushing the sensitive skin there. She shivered.
"Teeth first," she said, but her voice was already unsteady.
I stood, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the bathroom. She squeezed past me to grab her toothbrush, unwrapping it with a smirk. I leaned against the sink, arms crossed, watching as she wet the bristles and started brushing.
"You're staring," she said around a mouthful of foam.
"Yeah."
She spat, rinsed, then turned to me, leaning her hips against the counter. "Your turn, old man."
I grabbed my toothbrush, but she plucked it out of my hand. "Let me."
She loaded it up with paste, then stepped in close, her free hand resting on my chest as she guided the brush to my mouth. I let her, my eyes locked on hers as she brushed my teeth with slow, deliberate strokes. It was stupid. Domestic. Intimate in a way that made my chest tight.
She rinsed the brush, set it down, then pressed her palms to my chest, pushing me back until I hit the shower wall. The water was already running, steam fogging up the mirror. She stepped in first; the spray hitting her skin, turning it slick. I followed, pulling the glass door shut behind me.
The water hit my back, warm and heavy. Billie tilted her head back, letting it soak her hair, her eyes closed. I reached for the shampoo.
"Don't you have Serpents meetings today?" she asked, her voice teasing.
"Being a part-time consultant isn't more important than hygiene," I said, popping the cap.
She laughed, low and throaty. "You really just want to watch me lather up."
I didn't deny it. Squirted a palmful of shampoo, then stepped in close behind her, my cock already half-hard against her ass. She didn't pull away. Just tilted her head back further, giving me access.
I worked the shampoo into her hair, my fingers massaging her scalp. She moaned, the sound going straight to my dick. I took my time, rubbing slow circles, feeling the way her body relaxed against mine. The water rinsed the suds away, streaming down her back, her skin slick under my hands.
She turned in my arms, her hands sliding up my chest, her nails scraping lightly over my nipples. I hissed, my cock twitching. She smirked, her fingers trailing lower, over the ridges of my abs, then lower still.
"Someone's eager," she murmured, her palm wrapping around my shaft.
I groaned, my head falling forward, my forehead resting against hers. "You have no idea."
Her grip tightened, her thumb swiping over the head, spreading the precum. I bit back a curse, my hands finding her hips, pulling her flush against me. The water streamed between us, hot and relentless.
She stroked me slow, her other hand braced on my shoulder. I let her, my own hands sliding down to cup her ass, squeezing. She gasped, her grip faltering for just a second before she tightened it again, her strokes growing more insistent.
