First, I wrapped my head in one and then my body. The terry cloth absorbed the water instantly but I still rubbed one corner over my skin to dry it thoroughly. The arousal I had been feeling blossomed beneath the surface of each place I rubbed and I made sure to leave no place untouched.
The air was still hazy and the mirror was coated in steam. That was fine; I didn’t need to see myself. I knew the state of affairs. My skin was pink from the heat, my body was clean, and my mind was on the man who would be sleeping in the next room tonight.
Squeezing my eyes closed, I bent forward and gripped the counter. I had to think clearly. I couldn’t allow anything or anyone to cloud my judgment.
“Are you okay?” His voice was low, rumbly, and my insides came even more alive at the sound.
Surprised, I stood straight and turned around. My heart leapt into my throat when I saw him occupying the doorway. In the midst of all this chaos, he was a welcome breath of fresh air.
“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry if I’m taking too long. I’ll hurry.”
He leaned against the doorframe and his long, lean body was all I could see. “No, that’s not why I’m here. I knocked lightly but you didn’t hear me.”
I drank him in from head to toe, not sure how to stop what was coming over me. “It’s okay. What did you need?”
“I didn’t want to disturb you, but I saw you were out of the shower and thought you might freak out if you didn’t see Clementine in the bed.”
I stepped forward, freaking out more than a bit.
Logan spoke, though, before I could express my concern. “Nothing to worry about. I wanted to let you know,” he jerked his head toward the bedroom, “I had housekeeping set up a crib and I moved Clementine into it. I hope you don’t mind.”
My vision became blurry from all the steam, or maybe it was the gratitude I felt from his constant vigilance over Clementine and me. “Thank you.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked again.
As my body reacted to his presence, warmth overtook me, and my desire heightened with each passing second that his eyes were on me. I didn’t try to hide it. I didn’t want to. “I was just thinking about you, actually.”
He grinned at me, and something that seemed like shyness glimmered in his expression. “About me, in what way?”
Pure male was all I heard in his words.
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t have to.
After studying him, I surmised it was hesitation I saw, not shyness. While his face appeared to remain reserved, his body told a different story.
I traced the lines of it. He wore a long-sleeved black T-shirt that clung to his broad shoulders and flat stomach. His black cargo pants hugged his lean waist, and the bulge in those pants let me know how much he wanted me. His thighs may have been lost beneath the fabric, but I had to bet they were equally as exquisite.
When my gaze returned to his, he slid his focus painfully slowly down my body.
It was as if I could feel the heat of those hazel eyes with each inch they traveled downward, and I wanted to feel more of it. The longer they lingered, the more my body reacted. When his eyes returned to mine, I felt this strange pull that I couldn’t explain if I had to, but all I knew was that I had to have him.
Recognizing I might never get the chance again, I acted without another thought.
I wasn’t going to hold back.
I was prepared to go all the way.
Focused on just that, I took the towel from my hair and shook my head so that wet strands of ginger locks covered my shoulders. Then I tugged on the fabric that wrapped my torso and let it fall to the ground.
Logan drew in a ragged breath and slowly stepped over the threshold and into the bathroom.
I waited, breathing hard, heart pounding, as he carefully closed the door and turned the fan on. A whirring sound encompassed the space at the same time it drew the humidity from the room.
His long strides had him in front of me in a matter of seconds.
In a state of delirium, my hands grabbed for his waistband and I wildly pulled the snap open. I couldn’t stop myself even if I tried. I wanted to see him naked. I wanted to see every square inch of his body and then I wanted to feel it against mine.
“Elle, this isn’t a good—”
I put my finger on his lush lips. “Shhh . . . no talking. Not now. We’ve done enough talking.”
Uncertain perhaps, he met my eyes questioningly.
Even though I was completely naked, I was unabashed.
Certain.
I wanted him.
He wanted me.
I’d never felt this kind of want before and I needed to see it through.
I prayed he wouldn’t say another word. I didn’t want anything to jar me from the euphoric state I had somehow entered.
This close to him, I could see the exact shape of the scar beneath his eye. I could also see the brown flecks in his green eyes, so many they transformed the color to hazel. They glistened in the dim light and mesmerized me.