But he let her break the kiss, leaning back slightly to give her space.
She stared into his eyes, the temptation to kiss him again so strong she couldn’t think clearly. His eyes were clear in a way they hadn’t been before, but that wasn’t enough to make this right.
His body… If she let her eyes wander where they wanted to go for even a second, she was going to lose it. Just the peripheral view of the line of his collarbones and the divot between his pectoral muscles was nearly too much.
“We have to stop,” she panted, more to herself than him.
He didn’t laugh or smile or even twitch an eyelid. Stoic Raum was obviously back, but she still couldn’t do this.
“It’s wrong,” she reminded herself.
His brow furrowed, and those full lips that had been so deliciously soft against hers pressed into a hard line. He released her braid and dropped his hand, moving his thigh from between her legs and stepping back.
“Go, then.”
His words were neutral, carefully so. So much that she suddenly realized how he’d interpreted what she said.
“It’s not that,” she said quickly.I don’t care what you are, even if I should. I don’t care about the rules, even if I should.“It’s your…condition.”
His frown deepened.
“You’re under the influence. It’s wrong for me to take advantage.”
His eyes flared and a snort escaped him. “Take advantage?”
She nodded mutely.
“You’re worried about taking advantage of me.”
“Yes.”
“Me.”
“That’s what I just s— Don’t laugh at me!”
He was definitely still intoxicated, because his face cracked into a breathtaking smile, and he laughed at her anyway.
“I’m serious! It would be wrong for me to initiate intimacy when you’re not capable of giving full consent.”
One step forward and a firm hand on her hip, and she was pinned back against the wall, that big, wet,nakedbody surrounding her. Golden eyes melted to fire as he pinned her with an intense stare.
“And what if I initiate it?”
“Absolutely not.” Her words were decisive, but her tone was not. The glint of victory shone in his eyes like he knew it. “I mean it, Raum.” She groaned as he bent and ran his lips along her throat again. “I will not touch you in a sexual way while your judgment is impaired.”
He released her and stepped back suddenly, leaving her bereft. They stared at each other while her chest heaved and her fingers curled into her palms against the urge to reach for him.
“Fine.” His voice was flat, but his eyes sparkled with some mysterious wickedness. He turned into the spray and tipped his face up, letting the water pour over him.
She was momentarily stunned.
He looked over. “Pass me the soap?”
Mutely, she reached and patted the shelf where the soap was, only to realize everything had fallen on the floor and the bar was actually next to her feet. She bent, picked it up, and rose to pass it to him.
Her eyes slid up his very aroused body on her way up, and she suddenly forgot how to breathe. And now her heart was pounding twice as fast, and she couldn’t seem to focus on anything except the images seared into her brain. She didn’t dare look again, though she desperately wanted to.
She mutely handed him the bar of soap, and he started washing himself like it was normal to bathe with a fully clothed angel in his shower.
