Page 81 of Ice Wolf
With the water at the perfect temperature, I stepped inside, immediately easing under the showerhead. I closed my eyes, allowing the gentle pulse of the ripple against my skin. Soon afterwards, some of the massive tension began to ease, the ache in my muscles fading. Maybe I could just stay in here all night long. No. Then I’d still be forced to face him in the morning.
With my skin nice and toasty, I grabbed the shampoo and took my time lathering my scalp. The tingling sensations were incredible. I closed my eyes, enjoying the private moment, finally allowed the woes of the day to fade away.
Tomorrow was a new day and I planned on having a brand new attitude.
I lathered every inch of skin, taking careful breaths so I wouldn’t fall into feeling the same anxiety that had plagued me for days.I could only imagine how hard Damien was laughing at me. Oh, God. Damien. He could make waves just like that and the man was spiteful as hell. He’d stop at nothing to get the last digs in.
Forget about staying calm. I’d managed to get in so far over my head I was about ready to drown in everything from self-pity to a realization I wasn’t cut out to be in the public eye. Not this girl.
With the joy of the shower quickly fading, I scrubbed my arms with my fingers and made a hurried attempt to remove the soap, which only caused shampoo to slip into my eyes. The burn was instant.
At the same time, it would seem karma was angry with me. Perhaps this was all about shoving Damien’s face into his sickeningly sweet tiramisu or maybe because I’d agreed to a ridiculous charade with the world’s hottest bachelor. Whatever the cause, it ceased to matter the moment two things occurred at the same time.
Something dropped onto my shoulder, immediately beginning a long, slow crawl toward my neck and suddenly, the water was cold. Not just fading to warm or tepid, but ice freaking cold.
There was nothing I could do, no reaction that could satisfy the rage and sudden fear.
So I threw back my head and screamed as I struggled to wipe the soap from my eyes.
The reaction was instant, another rush of cold air as the shower curtain was ripped aside a split second later.
Panting, I blinked furiously, trying to articulate there was some horrible creature crawling on me. Instead, the moment I was able to focus even through the burn, our eyes met and locked.The Savage stood in all his six-foot-six glory with messy hair and a shimmer in his eyes that created an iridescent glow.
He’d ripped off his shirt, exposing his eight-pack abs and the way his chest rose and fell accentuated his broad shoulders and the deep V that created one too many fantasies.
The carnal urges rushing through me were only matched by the wild thrumming of heat twisting between my legs. Within seconds, my core was on fire, my pussy clenching and releasing as desire tore through me. I wasn’t supposed to be attracted to my client and certainly not a man like Saint. Yet here I was close to panting from a longing that seemed out of control.
Blinking, I tried to recoil the yearning, furious with myself as my body betrayed me. Even my nipples were aching little pebbles longing to have his lips wrapped around them, sucking relentlessly. He was far too gorgeous to be standing so close, enough so I could reach out and touch him, but I knew if I did, there would be no turning back.
There was no saying no to a man like the Savage.
Only when the tips of his lips curled into a mischievous smile did I remember I was standing buck naked in the shower covered in strawberry-scented shower gel now completely unworried about freezing to death or becoming paralyzed and dying a slow and agonizing death because of a bite from a venomous insect.
Sadly, Saint had that kind of effect on me.
And I hated him even more because of it.
CHAPTER 20
Saint
Call me the luckiest man in the world because I was. Maybe I should take a trip to Vegas.
Lily’s scream brought out the protective beast in me and I reacted without hesitation or thinking beyond getting to her. Saving her. Protecting her.
She was standing completely naked, her long hair piled on top of her head except for a single thick strand covered in shampoo draped over her slender shoulder.
Fuuuuck. The woman looked amazing. The fact that she could be considered every man’s fantasy hadn’t been lost on me all night long. I’d caught the looks of men in the stands and in the locker room. Hell, half my teammates had been salivating, visions of tasting her racing through their minds. I’d read them like a playbook.
And I’d been angry about it.
Furious.
Which had increased the testosterone and pushed my wolf into clawing to the surface. Not a good look, but also not something I could easily control.
That’s part of the reason I’d almost broken Rocco’s arm. Since he was a goddamn shifter, I’d sensed his increasing hunger for her. My mate. Not his. Never his.
Unable to help myself, I allowed my heated and hungry gaze to fall from her pained face to her breasts. They were voluptuous, large enough to fit perfectly in my oversized hands. Her nipples were the softest pink and given the blast of cold water, something I’d forgotten to warn her about, both were standing taut and proud.
