Page 37 of Over the Line
“Thanks.” She wasn’t sure she’d ever been in the same bathroom with a man before. When she and Lewis had cohabitated, she’d taken over the guest bathroom. But this man, apparently, didn’t believe in giving or expecting privacy. The thought unnerved her.
He draped a great big towel over the top of the glass door. Did he think of everything?
When he left the bathroom, she sighed and hurriedly washed herself. She was grateful he’d given her this bar. It was bad enough that she’d be sleeping next to him, inhaling his masculine scent. If she used his soap, at least a hint would remain on her skin even after they parted. And the last thing she needed was to be going out of her mind with reminders of him.
She used his shampoo and wished he had conditioner. The outdoor spanking followed by him wrapping his hand in her hair had made a mess of her locks. It would take forever to detangle it all.
After reluctantly turning off the shower, she wrapped herself in the towel. He’d left an unopened toothbrush on the counter. It was scary what an exceptional host he was.
In the bedroom, he’d put away the toy box, arranged the pillows, and turned back the blankets. And he was still distractingly naked. As he drew the blinds he told her, “I’m going to take a quick shower.”
“Do you have a T-shirt I can borrow, Sir?” Anything of his would swallow her, and she liked that idea.
“You won’t need one. I’ll keep you warm.”
“I don’t like to sleep nude.”
“Because?”
“I was in a hotel in Belize that was evacuated in the middle of the night, so I’ve learned to wear something to bed.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“So, can I borrow a T-shirt?”
“No. But I’m willing to compromise. I’ll get you a T-shirt, and you can hang it on the bedpost. If you wake up cold or if we have a fire, it will be right there.”
She sighed. “There’s no dissuading you when you’ve made a decision, is there?”
“If you wanted to be with a man you could push around, you wouldn’t have come home with me.”
“That’s a warped kind of logic, Sir.”
“Regardless, I’m right.” Without another word, he headed into the bathroom.
She watched him go. She couldn’t remember having been around a man so annoying…and damn it, intriguing.
He left the door open, and the distant rush of water filled her senses. No. He definitely didn’t believe in privacy. But after all they’d already shared, what was left?
She used the end of her towel to squeeze excess water from her hair, then finger-combed the strands the best she could. There was a brush in the console of her car, along with a bag filled with extra clothes, a pair of hiking boots, and some toiletries.
Occasionally, she took impromptu trips, and once, while she’d been walking across a river in Wyoming, she’d slipped off a rock and fallen in the icy water. Having extra clothes and shoes had been a lifesaver.
Sudden silence filled the house, meaning he’d turned off the shower.
Less than thirty seconds later, he entered the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp, making it look darker, and a few drops of water clung to his chest.
How was it possible that he’d satisfied her so completely, and she was ravenous again?
“Drop it.” He nodded toward her towel. “Please.”
Damn you. His politeness disarmed her, and his quick smile was irresistible.
Obediently, she released the fluffy material.
As he snatched it up, he gave a possessive growl. “Goddamn, Sydney. You’ll be lucky if I ever let you wear clothes again.”
He stalked to the closet, returning with a plain black T-shirt, which he hung on the bedpost. “Which side do you want?”