Page 82 of Penalty Kiss
Not because I don't love them. But because I know what they'll see when they look at me: their patient. Their responsibility. The son and brother who can't be trusted to take care of himself. Even at thirty-two.
What they won’t see is who I’m turning into here. A man who fights for more than the next shift. A man who doesn’t tap out when things get messy. Who finally understands that growing up isn’t just taking punches—it’s standing your ground, letting people in, and staying put when something’s worth it.
The hot water now feels like salvation on my tense shoulders, and I can actually breathe.
Then the bathroom door opens.
"Tara?" I call through the steam. "Everything okay?"
"Mm-hmm," comes her voice, closer than I expected. "Just thought you might want some company."
I turn to see her silhouette through the glass shower door, and my brain short-circuits completely. She's naked—curves I've memorized in loving detail backlit by the bathroom light—and moving with deliberate, predatory grace.
"What are you doing?" My voice comes out rough, already affected.
"Helping you relax," she says, sliding the shower door open and stepping inside like she owns the space. Like she owns me.
The sight of her—water cascading over her perfect breasts, hair darkening as it gets wet, eyes hot with intent—makes every rational thought flee my damaged brain.
"I thought we agreed on early bedtime tonight," I manage, even as my hands move to span her waist without conscious permission. "Rest before the family inquisition."
"This is rest," she says, pressing closer until her slick skin slides against mine. "Very... thorough rest."
Her hand wraps around my rapidly hardening cock, and I groan despite myself. "Tara—"
"Shhh," she whispers against my ear, her grip tightening in that way that makes me see stars. "Let me take care of you."
It should be impossible to think about sex right now, with everything hanging over us tomorrow.
But Tara has this way of pulling me completely into the present moment, making everything else—family pressure, medical concerns, my own spiraling anxiety—fade to static.
Her mouth finds mine in a kiss that's all heat and possession, her tongue sliding against mine while her hand works me with expert precision. I'm already lost, already hers, the hot water and steam creating a cocoon around us that feels separate from the rest of the world.
"I love how you respond to me," she murmurs, lips trailing down my throat. "The way you just... let go."
She's right. With her, I don't have to be the performer or the patient. I can just be Cameron—the man who's completely gone for the woman currently driving him out of his mind with her talented hands.
"Turn around," I growl, need overtaking restraint.
"No," she says firmly, pushing me back against the tile wall. "My show tonight."
Before I can protest, she's sinking to her knees, and the sight of her kneeling in front of me, water running down her gorgeous body, is enough to make my knees buckle.
"Tara," I warn, but she just smiles up at me with wicked intent.
"Relax, superstar," she says, her hand still stroking me slowly. "Tomorrow you face the family firing squad. Tonight, you're mine."
And then her mouth is on me, hot and wet and perfect, and I completely lose the ability to form coherent thoughts. All I can do is grip the tile behind me and try not to embarrass myself too quickly while the woman I love proceeds to worship me like I'm something precious.
This is what love looks like, I think dimly as she works me with lips and tongue and gentle teeth. Not just the soft moments or the grand gestures, but this—her taking control when I need it most, grounding me in pleasure and connection when my mind won't stop racing.
By the time she's finished reducing me to a trembling, satisfied mess, I can barely remember what I was worried about in the first place.
"Better?" she asks, standing and pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
"Much," I manage, gathering her close. "But now I'm going to return the favor."
"Tomorrow," she says, stepping out of the shower with a teasing smile. "Tonight you need sleep. Doctor's orders."
