Page 298 of Sins of the Heart

---

He could hear the water pounding on the walls of

the shower. He heard her humming, softly at first, then

a little louder.

That sound made him picture her, in the shower,

water sluicing over her smooth, brown skin, her hands

slick with soap, rubbing her calves, her thighs, her

belly. Her breasts. His own hands slick with soap…

He thought about taking her breasts in his hands,

pinching her sweet brown nipples, rolling them between his fingers. He thought about cupping the

smooth, round swell of her ass, getting inside her, his

tongue in her mouth, his fingers pushing up into her,

and finally—

He surged to his feet. But he didn’t move. Instead,

he stood there, arguing with himself.

She’d been at the brink of death for three days.

But she isn’t at the brink of death now. She’s been

296

SINS OF THE HEART

feeding on my blood for three days. She looked damned

hale and hearty sprinting to the bathroom, naked.

There could be no future for them.

Who the fuck wants a future? She in there, now,

squeaky clean and ready.

He crossed the room, paused in front of the bathroom

door and stared down at the handle. He meant to keep

arguing with himself, but he couldn’t think of a single

reason not to kick the damned door in.

Then he closed his hand on the knob and turned it,

and he had his reason.

She’d left the door unlocked.

---