Page 26 of The Hero Within
Really fucking attractive, whispered the devil on her shoulder, the one that knew no man had seen her naked in years. Eden's naughty side didn't mind swearing at all, and certain situationsdidcall for cusswords. All that olive skin, stained golden by the sun. His slightly lopsided smile, which held hints of pure wickedness. Large hands, roughened with calluses. The way his jeans molded to an ass even Eden couldn't resist glancing at from time to time.
Damn it. She had a mental image of when she'd dropped her flask a couple of hours ago and bent to pick it up. Colton had been standing right next to her, and when she'd glanced up, her head on a level with his belt, he'd had this look on his face that stole her breath—
This wasn't happening.
And worst of all, she had one place left to wash.
Nipples pebbling—and not from the chill of the room—she dragged the flannel between her legs quickly, but it was as if everything was betraying her. A spike of sensation shot through her as the soft material rasped over her clit, and she knew if her fingers stroked there, she'd be growing wet.
"You done yet?" Colton growled.
"No!" Eden wrenched the flannel away guiltily. What was she doing? She nearly tripped out of the wide bowl, spattering soap across the floor. "Don't come in!"
"Mierda." He continued muttering curses under his breath in what she assumed was Spanish. "I wasn't planning to, but you suddenly went silent."
I was thinking about how well your jeans fit....
Taking the full jug, she stepped back in the bowl and hastily poured it down her body. The water was lukewarm now, but it washed away all of the suds and dirt, and hopefully some of her sins.
She set a new speed record for drying herself and wriggled into fresh panties and an old shirt of Adam's that she wore to bed. The second she dragged her shorts up her legs she cleared her throat. "I'm done."
No sound from him, only that shadow beneath the door.
The handle slowly turned, as though he was giving her plenty of warning. Eden cleaned up the water on the floor, like it was the only thing that mattered in the world. There was a wet ache lingering between her thighs. Her cheeks burned and she bent over, shaking out her hair so she could hide her face.
The door clicked shut.
Eden dragged a hand through her curls, her fingers snarling in the tangles. It didn't matter how many times she brushed it, her hair seemed to revert to its natural chaotic state within minutes. Colton stared at her, his hand still resting on the doorknob, and his nostrils flaring as if he could smell her soap.
Hopefully all he could smell was the soap.
"Feel better?" he murmured.
"Thank you." She picked up the bowl and set it outside in the hall as Colton opened the door for her.
"Like I said earlier," he murmured, his gaze dropping lower than her chin when she ducked back inside. "We don't have to be enemies, or at each other's throats all the time."
Eden crossed her arms over her chest as she realized the shirt clung to her breasts, and her nipples were still firm. "Just don't make the mistake of thinking we're friends."
"I wouldn't be that presumptuous. Are you going to get in bed so I can blow this candle out?"
Fine. She slipped into bed.
"Good night, angel." Colton leaned down over the table, the reflection of the flame dancing in his dark eyes as he blew the candle out, plunging the pair of them into darkness.
Eden dragged the blankets up to her chin and stared in the direction of the ceiling. The afterimage of his face was burned into her retinas, his skin a warm golden glow on the back of her eyelids, and the slightest of smiles curving his lips. How was she supposed to get any rest tonight? How was she supposed to sleep with him in the same room?
"If you touch me, I will kill you," she said. "I have my Taser under my pillow."
"Noted." Fabric shifted. Something that sounded suspiciously like a shirt hit the floor. "But you shouldn't tell a guy where your weapon is... for future reference."
"And you might be bigger than me, but I'll have you know I can wield a scalpel like a maestro. I know all the right places to strike to render you half a man."
The zip on his jeans made a rasping noise.
Eden swallowed. Hard. "You had better not be getting naked."
The sound of his jeans hitting the floor echoed loudly.
