Page 139 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

She climbed the stairs with the chink of kitchenware behind her. She got in the shower not because she felt dirty but just because she wanted to feel some cool water on her skin.

It washed over her and she shut her eyes trying to still the craziness in her head. The need was still there, she could feel it in her periphery. It was more of a dull ache now, a dull persistent noise but it was still there. She needed to exercise she realised, she needed to get her body focused on something else. She turned the water off and turned seeing Cole right there, at the door.

His eyes ran over her body before he could stop himself and then he looked away. She frowned knowing that the old Cole would be lunging for her right now, his hands all over her, his body possessing hers.

“Can you pass me the towel.” She said and he did, meeting her eyes then looking away again. Was he embarrassed she wondered, was he ashamed for her? He had no right to be, it wasn’t his body that had been violated. Was he disgusted she wondered suddenly, but she shook that idea off because he wouldn’t have brought her back here if he was. He wouldn’t be acting like he was if he felt like that.

She dried herself and wrapped the towel around her before walking out to the dressing room to put on some clean clothes. She felt Cole’s eyes on her again but she didn’t look then.

She walked back in and he was there on his phone, lying on the bed. She sighed quietly and decided for the moment to let it go. Maybe he just needed a few days to process. Maybe that was it and then the old Cole would be back. The arsehole Cole. The Cole that didn’t give a damn about anyone else.

She climbed into the bed, pulling the blankets around her and Cole glanced down.

“You look exhausted.” He said and she nodded. His body was so close to her now, she wanted to reach out and touch him but she didn’t, she just lay there beside him, waiting for him either do something now or ignore her completely. He stroked her hair, brushing it off her face and he watched as she almost immediately shut her eyes and went to sleep.

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