Page 56 of Revelry
I met his eyes, saw them simmer, saw them blaze and saw them blank. He turned his back, and I couldn’t fight the wave of disappointment that crashed through me. Had I been hoping to lure him into the shower for a little fun and to pick up where we left off weeks ago?
No.
But also, yes.
Yesterday had been a day of peeling back his layers, seeing his caring, nurturing side when he looked after me. Then his playful side when the board games came out. Followed by his alpha male side when he scooped me up and carried me home.
All sides were hotter than I wanted them to be and now I was questioning just how much I liked Tate.
When the curtain slid back into place, I removed the towel, slinging it over the rail and ducked under the spray. I groaned loudly as the warm water cascaded down my back.
“Damn, that’s a good shower.” I moaned. “Be prepared for more sunrise visits.”
I heard a grunt and then the unmistakable sound of the toilet lid dropping as he took a seat to wait for me. “I’m only staying to make sure you don’t slip and fall.”
I smirked to myself. “Whatever you need to tell yourself, sugar.”
As I let the water wash over me, I investigated his products. Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel. I expected Tate to be a three-in-one kinda guy to keep it simple, so I was surprised. Maybe it was a routine thing? The steps helping with his OCD? I popped the top off the shampoo and inhaled deeply, another groan flinging itself from my lips.
“You better not be using my shampoo,” he grumbled.
“It’s so good Tate. I need the conditioner too,” I called over the water. Another grumble. “You need to relax, have I told you that before?”
“Yes.”
“Then why haven’t you listened to me? I hate to repeat myself.” I lathered my hair, the mouthwatering scent ofTateenveloping me and turning me on. There was silence and I decided not to poke him, to give him a moment to rally.
Once I rinsed my hair and popped the conditioner top, groaning again at the scent, I started. “So, are you done hiding yet?”
“I’m not hiding,” he replied, but his voice had an unmistakable pout to it that made me smile and want to kiss it off his face.
No! No kissing his face.
“Are we back to regularly scheduled fun then?”
There was another long silence. I rinsed the conditioner and covered myself in his shower gel before slowly lathering, imagining it was his hands instead.
“I guess so,” he grunted after a while. I fought the need to do a little triumph dance. I lingered under the heat for a few beats longer before I turned off the water. I reached for the towel to find it had slid off the rail. Before I could ask, a large hand with a light dusting of hair appeared around the curtain holding it.
“You always know what I need Tate,” I mused, taking it from him, seeing it was meticulously folded before wrapping it around my body, hitching it under my armpits. I whipped the curtain back and faced him, his glasses slightly steamy, his cheeks flushed as hell and his eyes wide as they ran over my wet, glistening skin.
I held out a hand and he took it, helping me over the edge of the tub. Standing in front of him, his hand still latched around my arm, fingers sliding over my damp skin. I could feel a droplet trail down my chest and disappear between my breasts. I watched him track it, his lip caught between his teeth and a pained expression crossed his face.
“Tate,” I murmured, struggling to catch my breath at the look of desire on his face. I refused to lower my gaze to his perfect chest or tight gray sweatpants.
He snapped out of his daze. “What do you have in mind?” His voice was rough.
I tapped my lip. “Hmm, let me think about it. Are you at Redemption again today?”
He nodded once, sharply.
“Then I’ll tell you when I see you in a few hours. You should get some more sleep, what are you doing up at this time of day?”
He worked his jaw, his eyes rolling towards the heavens and I patted his cheek. “See you later.” I was past him and halfway down the stairs before he moved.
“You’re just going to walk out of the house like that?”
I tossed him a wink over my shoulder. “Sure, it’s not far to home. Save me another shower tomorrow, partner.” I did finger guns, because I’m cool, and saw his lips fight the twitch at the corner.
