I grabbed another towel, wrapped it around my waist, then looked up. Not even a flutter. She didn’t even know what she missed.
“Wakey, wakey, baby.”
I lifted her arm, and my warm touch roused her enough to help with what came next. Thankfully, this was the easy part. I pulled her soaked shirt over her head and wrapped her towel back around her chest. With her privacy protected, I unhooked her bra. The straps were easy enough for her to slide off on her own, and I let it drop to the floor. A faint blush brought some color back to her cheeks as she crossed her arms.
Delicate green scales dusted the top of her bare shoulders. They ensnared me. Froze me. Shut down all intelligent thought except for the urge to kiss them, to trace them with my tongue and lap at her skin until mewls of pleasure leaked from her lips—dammit!
I pulled my thoughts all the way back. The fucking bond lurched in my chest, angry that I shut it down. We had a ton ofskin-on-skin contact lately, so it was only a matter of time before I felt the effects.
“M-my eyes are f-fucking up h-here,” she tried to growl, but her shivering made it come out more like someone riding their bike over a rumble strip, all choppy.
“Did you know you had scales?” I asked, completely ignoring her attempt at a glare. “They’re faint, but beautiful.”
The rose on her cheeks deepened at my compliment, and the sweetness of it was a complete contrast to her fist hitting my ribs. Gods, her knuckles were sharp.
“I’m aware. But they’remyscales, buddy. Mine. And I didn’t say you could drool over them.”
Her finger poked me repeatedly as she told me off, and I hoped I looked like I was listening intently because the entire time I was actually fighting back a grin. I missed her sass. Another shiver interrupted her next round of criticism, and I was pulled back to the task at hand. She was still sitting in soaked clothes, and I had a feeling removing the rest of them was going to be tricky.
“Not to interrupt,” I said, leaning forward. “But I need to get your bottoms off now. Is that okay? I promise not to peek.”
Her eyes flew up and locked onto mine. Exhaustion lingered just on the edge, but this undressing game and my gentle brushes on her skin were enough to taunt our bond once more, and this time I swore there was an answering heat on her end. The adrenaline from its pull wouldn’t fuel her for much longer.
“H-how are you not going to p-peek?” she asked, then pulled that full bottom lip between her teeth with worry.
“By being very,verycareful,” I swore.
My hands were rooted to the countertop on either side of her thighs, waiting for the slightest signal of a green light; every muscle tense. This moment was important. Move too fast and I’dlose her trust. Move without permission and… well, that would be stupid.
When she finally nodded, I went slowly but efficiently.
Dipping under the towel so that she remained covered, I hooked my fingers under the waistband of her shorts and panties. She lifted, and I pulled them off in one go. They landed next to her shirt and bra with a wetplop. Gripping her waist, I picked her up and set her on her feet.
Pulling the dry shirt over her head, I let her handle the rest. She did a little shimmy and somehow managed to get it to wiggle down at the same time as the towel. The soft cotton fell to her knees, covering all but some faint scales on her calves. They were fading, though, as her skin finished drying.
She looked utterly kissable, and it was both a novelty and a curse that I got to see her like this and do nothing about it. Unable to help myself, I picked her up—my new favorite thing—and carried her back into the bedroom to tuck her under as many covers as I could find.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of an argument from her. The biggest sign that her exhaustion had won out and took her fight right along with it. I backed away from the bed one staggered step at a time. I wanted to run forward and dive under those sheets with her.
Step back.
I wanted to wrap her in my arms and pull her to me. To mold our bodies together until we fit like the perfect puzzle.
Another step back, motherfucker.
My hand gripped the doorknob with enough strength to fucking hurt. Just before I all but threw myself into the hall, she called out to me, her sleepy voice muffled under the pile of blankets.
“Thank you, Ez.”
My heart nearly stopped, and a thick knot of emotion clogged my throat.
“You don’t ever have to thank me for taking care of you,” I swore, then gently shut the door before I lost the will to leave altogether.
“Iam, Kai, but I’m not sure how much longer I can hold them off.”
Cova’s voice carried from the living room to where I stood at the bottom of the stairs. I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the second I heard my cousin’s name, I peered around the corner. The siren heir stood on the far side of the room, by the bay windows that overlooked the pool, phone held up to his ear.
His fist was clenched tightly around his cell, and his other hand continually ran through his hair until it stuck out in all directions. I’d never seen him look so normal. The bastarddidhave emotions.
