Page 10 of Tentacles and Teeth
“Yes. That a problem?”
I held my breath, my pelvis one solid muscle at this point as I hovered over the toilet, desperate to hear Sid’s response.
“Not for me,”she said, any further conversation drowned out by the rush of my emptying bladder. The relief that filled me, body and soul, left me feeling almost dizzy as I slumped on the toilet. Eventually, I wiped and washed up. Sid’s raised voice carried to me through the wall as I was drying my hands.
“Feel free to use anything you want. Shower, whatever. Coffee and food will be out here when you’re ready.”
Fenn rumbled something I couldn’t make out, and Sid replied more sharply.
“Ah, thank you,” I said, not raising my voice. Their hearing made it unnecessary. “A shower sounds great.”
There was a tap at the door. “It’s me,” Sid murmured. At my invitation, she slipped in, her expression embarrassed. “We’re not powered for humans,” she apologized, reaching for the shower. Her eyes licked over my naked body as she tilted her head towards the steaming fall of water. “Hot enough?”
Oh. Of course. This was a Meta house. No reason for them to have gone through the expense of setting up a stone matrix when—unlike me—they could simplywillthe water to heat. I trailed a hand through the cascade, smiling.
“Perfect.” Stepping in, I tilted my head back, wetting my hair as the heavy weight of Sid’s attention sped my pulse. I ran my hands down my body, slick and warm, and slitted my eyes open. “Join me?”
Sid’s body felt so good, sliding against mine. “Turn around, gorgeous. Let me wash your hair.”
We talked about small everyday nothings as we bathed each other, passion building slowly. We spoke about our families, our jobs. I learned her full name was Sidone, but only her family called her that. The brimming possibilities in her eyes when she told me made my heart stutter and I had to look away, sinking to my knees to wash her legs. I took bittersweet pleasure in Sid’s disappointment when I told her about my flight later that day and the conference that would take up my time the rest of the week.
When the last trace of suds had been rinsed away, Sid traced her fingers over the pink chafe marks that ringed my wrists and thighs. “I got kinda rough last night.”
“I loved every second of it.”
Her answering grin was dirty and delighted. “Good to know. Do you want trophies? I can heal you if you’d rather not.”
I brightened. “Healing would be wonderful. Normally I’d keep them, but I have that conference...”
My skin tingled, and I watched with faint disappointment as the marks faded, then disappeared.
“What about here?” Sid’s fingers drew a teasing line down my slit, while her other hand cupped my ass cheek. “I was more than a little rough here.”
“Mmm,” I purred. “And I’m feeling it today. But I want the ache. Good memories to keep me company.”
Her eyes heated, and she pulled me closer, shadows lifting from her skin to flick off the tap and grab a pair of towels. I wrapped my hair in one as she dried off with brusque efficiency, then she was running a fresh towel over me with worshipful hands. On her knees before me, she pressed a line of kisses from one hip across my belly, stopping to suck a fresh bruise where none of the stuffed shirts would see it.
She settled back on her heels and looked up at me, face serious. “I want to see you again.”
I couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across my face.
She shot up, pressing our dewy bodies together as she buried her hands in my wet hair. Her lips pressed against mine. “When do you get back?”
“Thursday night. Late,” I breathed against her mouth.
“I’m good with late. I’ll bring dinner. You can be dessert.” She kissed a shivering trail across my jaw.
“I can’t,” I panted. “I have to work Friday, and I’ll be exhausted. When I get home, I’m just going to crash.”
“Friday, then.” Sid’s voice was firm. “Dinner. Date. The whole thing. No arguments.”
I kissed her, whispering my agreement into her mouth.
“And I’m giving you my number. Call me when you’ve got some downtime from wowing the business elite of London with your brilliance. We’ll talk. I want to learn all about you, Katarina.”
My heart was bouncing around in my chest like it’d been transformed into a Jack Russell Terrier, and I just knew the grin on my face was dopey as hell. “I want to learn about you, too.”
“Alright.” She smiled wide enough dimples dug into her cheeks, then slapped my ass as she grabbed a pot of lotion from the counter. The smell of coconut and something delicate and floral was heady in the steam-filled room as she smoothed it into her skin. “Then get dressed, baby. I need to feed you, and you have a plane to catch.”