Page 44 of City of Wind and Lies

THWACK!

I inhale sharply, my core clenching in twisted pleasure as his palm connects with the wet flesh of my ass cheek.

"What was that for?" I hiss out.

He rubs tender circles over the skin he just smacked, soothing the sting. "That was for scaring me yesterday."

My heart slams against my ribcage. I know Bowie was upset when he came to the hospital; I saw the concern etched into his features and felt it when he kissed me. But hearing him admit it sends a frisson of excitement through my body.

"I'm sorry?" I offer.

He steps closer, his body blanketing mine as his large hands palm my breasts and he nips at the soft skin of my neck. "I don't know how to do this," he admits quietly.

"Do what?" I ask breathlessly as he pinches my nipples.

"Let someone in."

Spinning around to face him, I watch as rivulets of water trail down his face, beading on his dark, thick lashes as I study his features. His face isn't a stoic mask like usual, but it doesn't show weakness either. It's relaxed, the emotions behind his words only showing in glimpses across his hazel orbs.

I cup his face, the coarse hairs of his neatly-trimmed beard pricking my palms. "What do you mean, Bowie?"

His ink covered chest rises as he draws in a deep breath, slowly letting it out as his eyes study mine. "My life, Wren. It's… complicated."

My lips tip into a smirk. "Isn't everyone's?"

"I suppose," he sighs. "But it's more than that. There's so much you don't know about me."

"So tell me," I urge, looping my arms around his neck as I hold his gaze. "I want to know everything about you, Bowie Sorrentino.”

I try not to let the flicker of hurt I feel show on my face as he peels my arms off of him and reaches around me for the shampoo. It smells like the body wash, rich and clean as he squirts it into his palm and starts to massage it into my scalp.

It's such an intimate gesture and I relish in the feeling, letting my eyes slip closed, quickly forgetting about how he just rudely edged me.

"My family," he starts, his voice hesitant. "We're Italian-"

I snort. "I kinda guessed."

He starts to rinse my hair. "No, old school Italian."

"So what, you’re Catholic?"

He chuckles as he works the conditioner in. "Well, yes, but-"

My eyes shoot open. "It's the baby, isn't it? Your family's going to freak because you knocked me up out of wedlock?"

"No, the baby is a good thing." He squeezes my arms reassuringly. "My family will be very happy."

"Okay, So what's the deal?" I raise a brow, wringing out my hair as he twists off the tap.

He doesn't answer. His lips press into a thin line as he turns and walks out, grabbing us each a towel.

"C'mon," I coax, rubbing the cotton towel across my legs before wrapping it around my body. "I don't scare away that easily."

The muscle in his jaw feathers as he peers at me with a look I can't quite decipher.

"No, you don't, do you, Bella?" he muses, stroking his chin.

His feet slap against the tile as he closes the gap between us, banding an arm around my waist and slamming his mouth onto mine. I moan against his lips, our tongues tangling as his hands cup my ass and lift me. My legs part, circling his naked torso as he turns and pins me against the door.

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