Page 343 of Steamy Ever After

Drake doesn’t react, just stands there, all six-foot-plus of him. His towering frame fills the doorway, and the heat of his eyes smolders.

My insides melt beneath his gaze, and the tiny hairs on my arms lift in response to his presence. More damning than either of those, my nipples draw tight into hard peaks.

He doesn’t look away. Instead, his gaze takes a languid journey down my body then wanders up to caress my face.

Under his penetrating assessment, I freeze.

The muscles of his jaw bunch and a winter storm churns in the depths of his eyes. He takes in a sharp breath. Only then does he turn to the side and avert his gaze.

My body goes haywire in those few seconds, responding to the full force of the man standing before me, looking as if he has every right to feast upon what he sees.

He didn’t look away.

Yet, it didn’t feel invasive. It didn’t feel wrong.

It felt all kinds of right.

He changed clothes. Tight cords rise from beneath the collar of his shirt. His Adam’s apple bobs as he deliberately swallows. Ridges of muscle fill out the shirt, testing the integrity of the poor fabric as it stretches beneath the bulk of a man in the prime of his life.

My pulse thrums through my veins. A glance down reveals my failure to fully cover my breasts.

I’m giving him a peep show. Clumsily, I spread out the fabric and cover myself. My breaths huff in and out as he turns back around and transfixes me with the intensity of his gaze.

That jagged scar puckers the skin of his face. Instead of a disfigurement, it creates an aching beauty. Again, the urge to reach up and trace the lines of his pain overwhelms me, but I remember the harshness of his words earlier. My hands stay exactly where they are. The smile is gone. The scowl once again takes up residence.

“Bert thought you needed something dry to wear.” His voice is deep and cautious, as unhurried as his gaze. He pushes the bathroom door until it’s fully open and takes a step forward, holding out a pair of pink flannel pajamas.

One hand clutches the bunched t-shirt against my chest, while the other stretches for the clothes. Our fingers touch and the air crackles between us. I pull back as if electrified. His gaze drifts down to our fingers and his chiseled jaw tightens, turning the scowl into a grimace.

Pain flashes in his gaze.

I grab the pajamas and spin around, placing my back to him. My insides knot as tremors skate down my spine. Did I do something wrong?

“Thank you.” I toss the clipped response over my left shoulder. “Did you see enough? Or are you waiting for more?”

Drake clears his throat. “I don’t think it’s possible to see enough. My apologies for invading your privacy, city girl.” He shifts back, pivots, and heads to the living room.

I shut the door, making sure it closes this time. Only then do I look down at the clothes Drake gave me. The tabby disappeared.

Pale-pink, flannel pajamas with roses and red bows. I glance at my wet jeans and decide on comfort. Lifting the fabric to my nose, I give it a sniff, perhaps hoping to smell a little bit of him on the soft fabric.

Nothing.

When I’m dressed, I return to join the men in front of the fire.

Bert sits in the leather recliner, puffing on what looks to be a new cigar. He holds the copy of Wuthering Heights open by the spread of his fingers. Reading glasses perch on his nose and he strokes his bearded chin. The cat curls up on his lap.

On the coffee table, two bowls of steaming stew sit beside two empty cups and a pot of tea.

Drake sits on the sofa, a paperback clutched in his hand. From the cover, it looks to be a mystery or thriller. His gaze takes me in from head to toe, then rises again to land on my face. A storm brews in his eyes, a war in the making between desire and need, but shadows dance there as well.

Pain.

Such agony marches across his expression.

Energy pulses between us, but I’m unsure what to do about it. This kind of insane chemistry is something I’ve only read about.

Medically, I understand. Chemical in nature, pheromones lace the air, which brings about an intense physical attraction.

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