Page 34 of Electric Kiss

“Hey, you’ll get my book wet,” she said, not looking around at what he was doing.

It was enough to set her skin aflame to know he was naked, inches away from her. She didn’t need to look at him too. The scent of the strawberry bubble bath wafted around her. Nate spent a long time choosing which scent he was going to have for someone who hadn’t taken a bath for a good amount of years.

“What are you reading?” he asked.

“A memoir from World War II,” Daisy muttered, turning the page.

The deal was him having a bath with her in the room. No mention of chit-chat.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah. Copper Island Library doesn’t have a massive selection, so I grabbed the first book I saw.”

“Don’t you have a massive library at Turner Hall?”

“Aunt Cynthia has a massive library at Turner Hall.They’re not my books, not that I would step foot in that building. Well, not the main part, anyway.”

“Don’t you like her?”

Shit.

She’d revealed too much.

Daisy went with honesty.

“No.”

Taking the hint, Nate shuffled up to where she was at the end of the bathtub. Her head was by the taps, and his arm was touching the side of her head. She leaned against him for two seconds, then realised what she was doing and straightened.

“Will you read some to me?”

“Are you sure? It’s not that exciting at the moment.”

“I like hearing your voice.”

This time Daisy did turn around. His head was above the lip, with peaks of bubbles all around him. He looked youthful with his damp hair and a boyish grin.

Daisy settled back, put her mug on the floor and turned the page. Nate gently put his palm on her forehead and guided her to rest against his arm.

She did as he guided, and never in all her memories had she felt so relaxed. Narrating the story wasn’t as daunting as she thought it would be, and soon the pages were turning, and Nate stayed where he was with her head resting against the warmth of his arm. After an hour and Nate topping up the bath twice, she closed her book.

“I can feel my eyes drooping. I need to stop.”

“Okay. Thank you for reading to me.”

“You seem to be making yourself at home in my tub.”

“It’s a nice tub.”

“Hmm. I’ll leave you to get dry and dressed. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

Daisy didn’t wait for his answer and stood, grabbing her cushion and empty mug. Then she had the dilemma of the book still on the floor. Nate reached forward, showing all his naked back muscles and lifted it to push it into the pouch of her oversized jumper that fell to her knees.

“Thanks,” she said.

“I’m standing up in three seconds. I have no issue with you watching but fair warning.”

Daisy turned on the spot and strode out of the room to the sound of Nate chuckling. Tossing the cushion on her bed, she placed the book on her nightstand she took her mug downstairs. Daisy waited for Nate to come down and join her, and they ate the cheese, meats and bread she’d laid out. He had a beer, and she had a glass of wine.

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