Page 39 of Under His Protection
“I’m right here, babe,” he says. “What do you need?”
I crack open one of the shower doors and peer out at him. He’s dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, and his brown hair is a wild mess as it dried while we were napping on the sofa.
I swallow hard to summon the courage to say what I want to say. “I need you to come in here with me.” And then I slide open the glass door so he can see me.All of me.
His eyes widen, and he swallows hard. “Haley.” His voice has dropped an octave.
He’s seen me topless before, but he’s never seen me fully naked. The intensity of his stare makes me want to grab a towel and cover myself, but I’m not going to. There’s a first time for everything, and if I want a relationship with this man, I’ll just have to get used to being naked in front of him.
He hesitates as if this is a line he’s not ready to cross. Or, rather, he thinks it’s a lineI’mnot ready to cross. But he’s wrong. I am ready.
With sudden clarity, I realize Philip didn’t just display his heroism today. He’s been a hero all along. He’s been my protector since the day we met, always the perfect boyfriend towing the line. He’s been the guardian of my innocence as if it’s hisjobto protect it.
“Come on in,” I say, trying to keep my voice light, acting like this isn’t a major step for us. “The warm water feels great.”
“Haley—”
“Don’t you want to wash off after being in the lake?”
“Yes, but—”
“I’ll wash your back.”
His lips curve up into a sheepish grin. “Sweetheart—”
I reach out, and he gives me his hand. I take hold of it and start pulling him toward me.
“All right!” He laughs. “Let me get undressed.” He releases my hand and whips off his T-shirt, which he tosses onto the floor. He unfastens his jeans and begins to lower them.
He freezes. This is another first for us. I’ve never seen him naked below the belt.
I can see a hint of the thatch of dark hair at his groin.Oh, my God, he has that Adonis V thing.My heart slams into my chest.
“I’m not wearing any underwear.” He says it like it’s a warning.
“That’s okay. Neither am I.”
He laughs. “Fine. You’ve been warned.” He shoves his jeans down to his ankles, steps out of them, and kicks them aside. When he straightens, he stands perfectly still.
It’s as if he knows I need a moment.
Because I do.
Philip is naked.
Gloriously naked.
And I do meangloriouslybecause his body is a work of art. He’s big and broad and muscular. Now I can see exactly where that happy trail leads.
Beneath a patch of dark hair, his penis is hardening before my eyes.
He was right when he warned me he’s big. I’ve seen pictures of naked men before in my high school anatomy and physiology class. I’ve even seen pictures oferections. And yes, I’ve seen porn videos on the Internet.
I know what a man’s naked body looks like. I’m not shocked, but in this case, I amimpressed. His shaft is long and thick, and right now it’s standing perpendicular to his body, sort of bouncing as it fights against gravity. The dark, ruddy head of his penis is peeking out from his foreskin. His ball sac hangs low and full beneath his erection.
Wow.
I don’t think I said that aloud, but suddenly Philip chuckles, and now I’m not sure.
