Page 95 of Bad Decisions & Back Roads

I looked down at myself and realized I was still wearing yesterday’s clothes—a wrinkled shirt, jeans, and one sock hanging halfway off my foot.A laugh escaped me under my breath as I peeled everything off and dropped it in a heap on the floor.

The second I stepped into the shower he reached for me.His wet hands slid around my waist and pulled me flush against him, skin to skin, all warmth and solid muscle.Then he kissed me, deep and hungry.

When he finally lifted his mouth from mine, he murmured, “You need to be back here tonight.Stay over.”

The words snagged on something inside me.That sounded too close to an order.Too close to someone deciding things for me.

I eased back enough to look at him.“I’m pretty sure you don’t mean it this way, but when you say it like that, it sounds like you want a say in every part of my life.”I kept my tone gentle instead of sharp.“Tell me what’s really underneath it before I get spooked you’re going to micromanage me.”

His expression shifted, eyes wide.“It’s not about controlling you.Last night was the first time I slept since I found out you were back.I stopped worrying something might happen to you.”His hand slid along my waist, holding me without trapping me.“I liked knowing you were here.Safe.”

That softened me, but I lifted a brow.“You do remember I work overnight emergency calls every few days, right?I literally leave the house at odd hours for a living.Your brother is currently writing up a contract to make sure I keep doing that.And, I’m caring for my sister right now who often needs me overnight after her treatments.”

A reluctant smile tugged at his mouth.“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“If you start checking in every few minutes and acting like you don’t trust me, we’re going to argue.Then you’ll get mad and then we’ll have to break up.”

He picked me up, encouraged me to wrap my legs around his waist, and balanced me against the cool tiles of the wall.His fingers played along the edges of my core.

He murmured, “Breaking up already, huh?Let’s see if I can convince you staying over comes with perks.”He leaned down and kissed along one breast to the nipple, which he drew into his mouth.His tongue played with the tip.Then he kissed his way along my collarbone.

I traced the strong contours of his shoulders and back.

“I like you here.”His eyes crinkled with worry behind them.

“I like being here.”I wiggled against him, but it did nothing to encourage him to get going on what he started.I leaned forward and took one of his nipples into my mouth, gently biting the tip.“Stop teasing me.”

He kissed me at the same time he entered me, hard and deep.He hit something inside that made me see stars.

I whooshed out, “Oh, my God.Is this as…for you as…wow…”

His breaths came hard as he continued to move.His eyes blinked at me like he couldn’t understand what I’d asked.“What?”

I lost the ability to speak when he went from shallow to deep strokes, over and over.Then he picked up the pace.My body reached for his, barely able to hold on, and the steam curled around us.I could barely keep up, barely breathe…then he paused, pulled out, and adjusted the angle.

He hit something so deep my entire world came apart.I think I cried out his name or maybe I just cried out.I was definitely crying.I was so lost by the time he came inside me.

Then I was sitting, boneless on the seat-height shelf while he cleaned me gently with a washcloth.

“Are you back with me yet?”he asked.

I blinked at him.“I don’t think I’m ready to break up.”

A slow, arrogant grin pulled at his mouth.“Yeah,” he murmured, like he already knew.“Didn’t think so.”

I shook my head, still breathless.“How did you learn how to do that?”I vaguely waved toward the wall.

He only shrugged, completely unapologetic.

Something sharp twisted through me then.Jealousy first, followed by the deeper cut of insecurity.That old familiar fear he’d see all the places I fell short bubbled upward.Sooner or later, I’d become disappointing once the newness wore off.

His expression shifted immediately, like he could read every thought moving behind my eyes.“There it is,” he said softly.“That look.”

I tried to glance away, but he caught my chin gently.“Same one you had the last time you panicked.”

Before I could deny it, he pulled me carefully to my feet beneath the spray.Warm water rolled over my skin while he rinsed the soap from me like he had all the time in the world.Then his fingers slid into my hair, working shampoo through the strands with slow, careful movements that made my chest ache.

I should’ve cared that he was probably using some random men’s shampoo.Instead, I found myself closing my eyes.Being taken care of by him felt…soothing.