Page 16 of Exposed
Kinda. Nothing serious. Hector and Ricardo will be checking in at the same time I will be, so I think all is well.
She set the phone down. Several minutes passed and her phone didn’t ding. She flicked through a few channels until she’d polished off the popcorn, and then got to her feet. She checked the phone again, and still no message from Nate. Maybe he’d fallen asleep. Fatigue weighed her body down. A hot shower and bed was exactly what she needed.
She stripped her clothes off on the way down the hall, yanked the tap to scorching hot, and got under the spray. Her head tilted back and water ran over her face. She closed her eyes and steam swarmed around her, melting her achy muscles.
Nate’s face filled her mind’s eye and her body pulsed in need. The memory of his hot, urgent lips pressed to hers made her skin burn. She lathered her hands in soap and let her fingers coast over her body.
The bathroom door squeaked and her eyes flew open. Her hands stilled on the small of her stomach, the pulsing desire still ebbed through her nerves.
“Jesus, what the hell are you doing in there? Hurry up, we need to talk.”
She shrieked and tore the curtain open. Nate leaned in the doorway, his tall, broad shoulders filling the doorframe. Her heart skidded to a stop and her blood churned.
“You scared the life out of me!” she cried. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she closed the curtain. “And get the hell out,” she hissed.
“You have five minutes or I’m coming in to get you.” The door closed softly behind him and irritation gnawed at her.
She rested her fingertips against her temples and took a deep breath. Nate had nearly caught her about to get off at the memory of him.
And the bastard had interrupted her.
CHAPTER 5
Dammit, he hadn’twanted to see her again. At least not until they were on the ship and surrounded by thousands of people. In a normal situation, he would have called her, so they could talk. But the safest situation was in person. He’d knocked on the door, but she hadn’t answered and that had sent his blood pressure through the roof. With his pulse racing and his heart in his throat, he’d jimmied the lock and the sound of the shower running had reached his ears the second he stormed in.
She hadn’t even heard him. Her lack of self-preservation was fucking terrifying. He’d done a quick sweep as soon as he’d made it inside, and had come up empty-handed. Thank god, otherwise he really would’ve had to jump her in the bathroom and made sure she kept quiet.
He leaned against the kitchen counter and took in the untidy kitchen. An empty bowl with popcorn kernels sat in the sink, the bag still sat on the countertop, and butter and salt filled the air. He massaged his closed eyelids with his thumb and forefinger. It was too damn late for this. He’d been on the brink of sleep, warm and naked in his bed, when his phone had vibrated. He had almost ignored it. But of course, the first thing that had come to mind was Maddie.
The bathroom door swung open and Maddie stomped toward him. A white towel wrapped around her slim frame, the end tucked between her moist cleavage.
His head pounded. He didn’t move from his spot, and there was no way in hell he was going to get close to her. If he did, he’d regret it later.
Her eyebrows snapped low over her eyes in a deep scowl. She folded her arms across her chest. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk.”
One perfectly shaped eyebrow bounced skeptically. “You could have called.”
He exhaled deeply through his nose and dug his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. Her wet hair hung loosely over her shoulder, and her ivory skin was free of makeup. His gaze dropped down to her bare legs, drops of water rolled to collect at her feet. His teeth bit into the inside of his cheek.
“I told you not to talk to anyone in this apartment.”
She snorted and her arms swept around her. “Hello, look where we are.”
He closed his eyes and opened them. She was always so damn difficult. “I just finished sweeping the place, it’s clean.”
Her lips twisted. She shifted her weight to the side and tapped her foot. “So then, talk.”
“Go get dressed, and then we’ll talk.”
Her eyes flashed. “I’m not getting dressed. I’m going to bed the minute you leave.” Her arms fell to hang at her sides and she stepped farther into the kitchen. The small of her back rested against the island adjacent to him and her hands reached behind her to rest on the edge of the counter. The towel barely reached the tops of her thighs, and this close, her warm fruity fragrance invaded his senses.
His chest constricted and his blood pressure dropped. God, he wanted her. Her soft, heart-shaped mouth relaxed and the denim of her blue eyes turned dark. His fingers tingled with the need to touch her, to tear away the towel and lift her onto the counter. His hands curled into fists in his pockets.
He cleared his throat. “Then get your pajamas on, or something. I can’t talk to you when you’re half naked.” His tone sharpened more than he’d intended.
Her chin lifted. She brushed her hair to fall behind her, exposing the slim line of her shoulder. A spark of fire lit her eyes.
