I decide to focus on the good. In this case, it’s that I will get to be with Ash — damn it — Casie all day, while she’s working. It will be nice to be able to be around her in a situation where she isn’t as on edge. While I can sense she’s comfortable with me, I also know there’s some anxiety there as well. I’m looking forward to watching her work.
I consider all of the ways that spending time with her could be great for both of us as I turn around and headback to the apartment building. I’ve worked up a slight sheen of sweat while lost in my thoughts and my body feels more limber, easier and my initial worries feel lighter.
I let myself back inside, using a small charm to open the door I’d locked behind me. I quietly gather the clothing Ash had helped me wash the evening before. Not wanting to wake her, and I wait until I’m within the bathroom to turn on the light. Carefully setting my clothing down on the lip of the sink, I smile. This is a familiar scene, even across worlds.
Various beauty products are cluttered together around the sink, no rhyme or reason. There’s candles and crystals, both of varying colors and sizes strewn on every available surface. A shallow bowl holding flowers sits atop a short, squat cupboard that holds thick, soft towels. A wooden box with a handle on the floor holds a variety of products, I assume for her baths. If there’s one area she hasn’t changed in, it’s this. She always did love her baths.
I turn on the shower and strip off my sweaty clothes. Pausing, I debate on what to do with them. Do I keep them separate from hers? If I throw them down with hers, is she going to assume I expect her to wash them?
I decide it will be less of a mess if I put them in with her dirty laundry. Besides, I’ll just do the laundry for her. I might as well make myself useful while I’m here.
And since she showed me how to do it prior to me attempting and failing on my own, it will be more successful than my botched attempt at making dinner.
Happy with my decision, I jump into the shower.
And let out the un-manliest squeal ever heard in any of the realms.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Amuffled reply comes from the bathroom, as I notice the light beneath the door.
I roll from the bed and rush to the door. If there’s something in the bathroom bad enough for Flint to make that sound, he might need real help.
I barge in to find a still running shower and a very wet, verynakedFae male hastily tying one of my towels around his waist. Even without the benefit of my mainline of caffeine, I note that there are some verylucky beads of water clinging to his gorgeous chest and flat stomach.
Any possible thought I had flies out of my brain.
As I stare, I realize that the ink I’ve been salivating over doesn’t just cover his arm and chest, but wraps down his ribs, around part of his back, and follows down the hard muscles of his legs. The man is half tattooed and I don’t think I’ve ever found him more attractive.
Not that wet and hot and naked is acting as a deterrent.
Clutching his towel even tighter, Flint scowls at me. “I’m fine, thanks. Can you please go so I can finish my shower?”
I start and come back to the present where I am, unfortunately, not licking those water droplets off the golden skin of his torso. “But you screamed.” I say, dumbly.
For the love of fuck. I’m no better than a man.
Scoffing, he crosses to me and takes me by the shoulder, turning me around in the doorway and ushering me through. “I most certainly didnotscream. I may, in a weak moment, have let out a respectful, manly bellow.”
Before I can turn around, he shuts the door at my back.
Which is when I realize that Calida is still in my bed giggling, the sun is barely crossing the horizon, I was just within biting distance of a completely naked Flint, and I have no idea what the fuck happened.
All without coffee, which is just cruel.
I can’t even decide if I want to go put a pot on and start the day or just crawl back into bed and stuff my head under the pillow. This is what happens when you have a roommate.
Thinking of my other roommate, I walk back to the bed. Grabbing the largest blanket by the edges, I tug until she comes rolling out, landing on her back, little legs kicking at the air.
“What the fuck?” I ask.
I guess one benefit to speaking mind to mind is that she doesn’t need to catch her breath from her apparent giggle fit before offering an explanation.
‘Your water takes longer to get hot than the water at home.’
My water? Oh — shit. He must have jumped in without letting the water heater in this place catch up. To be fair, that’d be enough to shrink any man’s assets for a week.
Not that I was looking at his assets.
