For the Valories, I’m not going to have a kitchen by the time I get out.
“Can I shower in here with you since they’re all preoccupied?”
My chuckle and words die on my lips. The hesitation in my answer has her shifting from side to side and I shake myself out of it.
“Yeah, of course.”
She gives me a small smile, and I turn back to face my shower wall when she strips her clothes off.
It’s okay.
You got this.
Figure it out as you go.
Her hand lies against my shoulder blade and I repress the shiver trying its damnedest to break through my skin. As her fingers climb higher, my power pushes out toward her.
I spin her until her back faces me, then position her just out of the reach of the spray of water.
“Tilt your head back and close your eyes.”
“You don’t have to wash my hair for me.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to.”
She graces me with a tender smile that tears my chest open. I want more than anything in this damn realm to twirl her in my arms until her bare skin is plastered to mine. I’m dying to lay my lips to hers just as Amick did this morning.
I don’t, though.
I haven’t in days. I’m on the verge of dying from desperation.
My thumb traces her forehead, wiping away the caked-up cream she missed. I rinse out any white I see and I do so without laughing out loud.
My smile lingers as I lather her long hair, and she groans as I massage her scalp. That soft sound rolls into a sigh.
“How do you feel about tonight?” she asks.
“I think it’s going to be nice for us all to get out of the house and see some friends. Why?”
“I’m nervous.”
I hum. “I understand that, but you don’t have to say or talk about anything you don’t want to. As soon as you’re ready to go, we go. Easy as that.”
My lips lie against her forehead for a long moment. No part of me wants to pull away.
Her fingers slowly caress my chest, but I grip her hand and kiss each of her knuckles before lowering it back down. I resume washing the suds out and her body continues to relax as she gives herself over to the sensation.
Her exhale flutters around us when I lean her head back up and move fully behind her. I wring as much water out as I can and place a kiss on her shoulder.
“Good as new. No more cream.”
“Thank you,” she breathes.
My fingers flex against her, holding her facing away from me when she tries to turn in my arms. We both tense the moment she realizes I did that.
I force myself to loosen my grip and clear my voice.
“I’ll be done in just a minute.”
