Page 27 of Shadow Games

Grabbing his bag from the floor beside the bedroom door, Wyatt headed into the bathroom. He was grungy. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been completely clean. Stripping off his clothes, he tossed them in the corner, then retrieved a towel from the cupboard. Stopping to look at the mirror above the sink, he scrubbed a hand over his beard again. Maybe it was time to get rid of this too. Turning on the hot water, he reached for his disposable razor.

* * *

Rowan lookedup from her tablet. Sensing being watched.

Oh shit.

She had heard the shower running and she had to force herself back to work. Otherwise, she would be imagining Wyatt naked under the running water. The man was a powerhouse. And underneath that flannel, she had a feeling he had an incredible body. Just the way he moved, told her that.

She scanned his face, free of hair, and blinked. “You…”

Wyatt grinned at her shock. “Didn’t expect me to do that, did you?”

She shook her head and stood, crossing the room to him. She reached out to stroke her fingers along his clean-shaven jaw. His skin was so smooth. Using the back of her fingers, she stroked up and down his cheek. “I can’t believe you cut it off.”

Wyatt looked down, his mouth quirking. “I think it was time to let it go. It was kind of therapeutic, really. I grew it out after I left the team.”

Smiling, forgetting herself, she leaned forward to give him a light kiss.

Wyatt blinked, and his bright blue eyes with the thick lashes were so close. He looked at her with a softness in his expression. It was a softness just for her, she knew, and heat curled through her. She drew in a deep breath, feeling the moistness from his shower-warm skin. He wore a soft gray t-shirt that outlined his hard chest, and a pair of sweatpants. The clothing was worn and comfortable, and she wanted to wrap her arms around him.

“How’s your shoulder?”

“It’s fine. I put a bandage on it.”

Shifting, he eased his cheek alongside hers, pressing the tiniest of kisses against her jaw. She turned her head a fraction, breathing against the skin of his neck.

“What are we doing, Rowan?” he asked, voice gruff.

“We’re doing what I’ve wanted to do for years,” she admitted, and he drew back, scanning her face.

“That’s a pretty big statement. Are you sure?”

Rowan took her time answering, because he was right. It was a big statement. It didn’t feel wrong, though. She drew back, breathing through her nose. Maybe she should just take a minute.

No, she’d taken months of minutes. Years of minutes. She was tired of waiting to be that one person for someone. At one time she thought Wyatt was the one for her. It was worth taking a chance on, to see if he could still be.

“I’m positive,” she said softly.

The pupils of his eyes went dark, expanding to swallow the iris almost completely. Rowan smiled at the involuntary arousal response, and her own heartrate picked up. He was excited to be with her and that excitement fed her own. She lifted her head to him, wanting him to kiss her again, and he did, tasting of mint and freshness. She hadn’t had a chance to brush her teeth yet, and it made her a little self-conscious. He definitely didn’t care, though, because he kissed her with a desperation that brought tears to her eyes.

“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this,” he whispered. “So long. Three years, to be exact.”

One of his hands settled to her hip. She could feel every single fingertip through her jeans, warm and firm. She knew what he was talking about. Three years ago, they’d met at the cookout, and neither one of them had been the same after.

She looked up at him. “We have this one moment in time, Wyatt. This one day to do what we wanted to back then. I’ve been waiting for you, too, but there was no way I could do anything until my marriage was over.”

He nodded. “I never would have asked you to break your vows.”

One side of her mouth tipped up in a smile. “I strongly believe that when two people are meant to be together, they will find each other, over and over again, no matter the length of time.”

“That’s really something,” he said with a nod. “Yeah, I can see that. I think, if I hadn’t gotten Charlie’s call, I still would have come looking for you at some point. Just to appease my curiosity.”

“I guess, then, I’m kind of glad all this happened. It brought us back together.”

He frowned at her. “I’m not sure about glad…”

They chuckled together, and it was nice, being able to be herself, and find humor in things. Then his expression went serious again, and he leaned down to whisper, “I want to make love to you, Rowan.”