“Vixen…” He heaved a sigh, his shoulders dropping a bit from their tensed-up state, and he rubbed a weary hand over his forehead. “How are you not totally repulsed by me right now? I turned into a huge-ass fucking reptile.”
A small smile threatened to surface on my lips, but I doubted Cole would appreciate my humor in a time like this. He was clearly feeling insecure about his new, um, species?
“Cole, hon, it's my fault you're not so human anymore. If anything, you should be furious with me. Are you?” I was genuinely a bit scared to hear his answer on this, as it had been playing on my mind a lot since his half-shift on the plane.
Cole huffed another sigh, not unlike the noise he made as a dragon, and approached the bed that I was sitting in. “Call it even?”
Relief washed over me, and I grinned back at him. “Fuck yes. Now, are you getting in here or…?” My question didn't require finishing as he whipped his shirt over his head and dropped trousers at lightning speed. Laughter bubbled out of me as he threw back my blankets and dove into the gap beside me.
“What?” he muttered. “It's cold without clothes. I might need you to keep me warm…” His huge hands slid around my waist, slipping between my shirt and pants and making gooseflesh break out all over my body. Despite his skin being cold to the touch, warmth seemed to radiate into me wherever his skin touched mine. My back arched a little, craving more.
“Vixen, you're still dressed,” Cole whispered into my ear, his smoky voice sending tingles straight to my pussy. Hot fucking damn.
“Well, that's awfully rude of me.” I chuckled. “Better rectify.”
Cole generously helped me out of my bloody, torn clothing, then I grimaced as I looked down at myself. Dried blood, dirt, and grease were crusted all over me, and it turned my stomach a little.
“Cole, babe, as much as I am dying to get those boxers off you, I need to clean up first.” A shudder ran through me when I spotted a greeny-brown smear down the side of my thigh.
Oh so gross, what the fuck is that?
Cole's mouth twitched up in a smirk. “Maybe I should help you. You do look awfully weak right now…”
“Sure,” I laughed, “but seriously, just to get clean. We can do the fun stuff once all this gross is gone.”
Throwing back the blankets, he scooped me up in his arms, bridal style, carried me down the hall to the small main bathroom, then deposited me onto the edge of the vanity while he started the shower running.
“Whose house are we in, anyway?” I asked as I looked around with curiosity. It was an interesting design choice, all done up with a nautical theme. The tiles around the shower cubicle had little anchors on them, and towels and curtains were in blue and white.
“Uh, Victor's,” Cole responded while checking the water temperature. “And his water heating sucks dick, by the way.”
“Why are we at Victor's? Isn't he on a beach in the middle of nowhere?” The muscles of Cole’s naked back were flexing and moving as he leaned into the shower to run his hand under the water once more before he nodded his approval and turned back to me.
“He is. But Granny Winter was feeling rather guilty about the way things went down, so she said we could stay here until he gets back.” He reached around behind me and unhooked my bra with a deft snap of his fingers, then dragged his gaze down my front slowly. His eyes seemed to burn a path all over me as he took a moment to browse, then lifted me down from the sink and tugged my panties down my legs.
“Cole…” I warned in a breathy whisper as he landed a chaste kiss near the juncture of my thighs on his way past, but he just smirked at me. Picking me up entirely by the waist, he twisted and deposited my naked body under the hot water.
“I can still walk, you know,” I teased, then sighed as the steaming water sluiced all over me.
“I know,” he responded, leaning his shoulder against the opening of the shower cubicle but making no move to join me. “But you need to conserve your strength.” He threw me a seriously sexy wink then handed me a bar of soap.
“You're not joining me?” I asked, surprised, and he shook his head.
“Nope, I decided it's far too tempting to take you here in the shower. Best I wait out here and just… keep an eye on you…” These last words were almost purred, and a wicked idea came to me.
“Hmm.” I shrugged. “Suit yourself…” Taking the offered soap, I proceeded to lather it between my hands, then slowly, slowly, rubbed the suds all over my body. As I paid particular attention to my breasts—I had been shot in the chest after all—I was rewarded by a pained groan from Cole's throat and the firmly erect tent in his boxer-briefs.
“Vixen,” he warned as my soaping slid further south, just to make sure all of me was clean, “you're the devil in disguise, aren't you?”
Smiling like the devil he accused me to be, I shrugged one soapy, wet shoulder and ducked back under the water to rinse off.
“All right, you're clean enough,” he snapped, holding up a towel. “Out. Now.”
Chuckling at his impatience, but fully in agreement, I turned off the water and stepped into the waiting towel. He gave me a rough, fast toweling off, then threw the fabric aside and swept me back up in his arms to carry me back into the bedroom totally nude.
“Took you long enough,” River's honey-like British voice scolded as we entered the bedroom. He was sitting in the armchair in the corner of the bedroom, once again in his suit pants and crisp shirt, but the sleeves were rolled up and his tie was loose around his neck. His face always sported at least a couple of day’s growth, but he was looking just a little rougher than usual. So did Cole, and fuck it was a good look on them. A shiver of arousal ran through me, and I knew I was already wet. Not from the shower, either.
“Alpha.” I grinned as Cole gently deposited me onto the center of the bed. “I didn't know you were joining us too. Didn't Cole and Caleb just rock-paper-scissors?”
Cole snorted a laugh from where he reclined against the pillows beside me, and River smirked. “Firstly, you weren't meant to see that, and secondly, I'm in charge. I do what I want…” His gaze leveled at me like a laser beam. “And right now… do you know what I want, Kitten?”
Biting my lip, I gave a small headshake, “No, absolutely no idea; you had better tell me.” Cole snickered from beside me, one huge hand dropping to cradle his own rigid cock straining against the thin fabric of his underwear.
“Yes, Alpha, why don't you tell us?” he teased and leaned over, capturing one of my taut nipples in his lips and sucking lightly before releasing and smirking at River. The breath caught in my throat as the scalding heat of his lips suddenly contrasted with the cool air on my wet flesh. River cast his molten gold stare to Cole, raking his eyes over his best friend then switching his attention back to me.