Page 24 of Fiercely Protective

Chapter Six

Bri

I listened to the conversation Mr. Delaney was having with his associate, the scary guy from the club, and my heart beat faster with every word that they spoke. When he turned and saw me listening, I quickly closed the door and backed away. I needed to get the hell out of here. I didn’t belong here. I didn’t want to be embroiled in whatever dangerous life he led.

When he walked through the door, I jumped back.

“Listening at doors is an unattractive habit.” He stalked toward me as I backed farther into the room, matching my retreating steps with his own. “It can also be hazardous.”

A wave of apprehension swept over me. “I didn’t hear anything.”

The smile in his eyes held a sensuous flame. “Oh, I think you heard quite a bit. If you didn’t overhear anything, you wouldn’t be shirking away from me like a frightened rabbit.” He gave my body a raking gaze. “I’m not going to hurt you, Bri, but I am tired, and I am going to take a hot shower, and I want you to join me.”

“I…I…don’t think…”

I watched as he rolled his eyes, but before I could finish the thought forming in my head, he stepped forward and scooped me into his arms.

“While I enjoy our little arguments, I don’t have time for it this morning.”

He placed me on my feet, and I stood there frozen as he turned on the shower and removed his clothes.

Damn, resisting him was going to be harder than I thought. He was freaking magnificent. A chiseled chest and rippled abs were just the icing on the cake. And the tattoos, good grief.They just made him look that much hotter.

He held his hand out to me and when I hesitated, he raised his brows and tilted his head to the side.

His invitation was beginning to be a challenge that I was struggling to resist. Logically everything was telling me to refuse, to run in the opposite direction. But no matter what my brain was telling me, I wanted more. I needed to feel something I couldn’t explain. My body hummed with a deep yearning that grew stronger the longer I was with him. I blew out a deep slow breath and slipped the torn silk shirt I was wearing to the floor. My skin tingled as his gaze dropped from my eyes to my shoulders, then to my breasts and lower. He crooked his finger at me, and I stepped forward, placing my hand in his. He radiated a vitality that drew me to him like a magnet. He pulled me into the shower with him, but I immediately stepped back against the wall as far away from him as I could get, not quite prepared for the intensity of my feelings. I crossed my arms over my chest as the hot water streamed over his body.Holy shit!The man was sculpted like a freakingMagicMikedancer and the water running down his sinewy body caused the desire that was burning on a slow flame inside me to flare. I bit down on my lip as I allowed myself the pleasure of ogling him…thoroughly. For the most part, he ignored my presence, and all I could do was stare as the steam began to rise around me.

“You know instead of standing there shivering against the cold tile you could enjoy the show while being an active participant.”

I shook my head. “I’ll wait till you’re done. Besides, I don’t think this is within the rules.”

His laughter was low and throaty. “Rules? I wasn’t aware that we had rules.”

“I thought it would be best, so I set some of my own.”

He moved toward me and put his hands on either side of my head effectively caging me in with his arms. “You want to fill me in on some of those little rules you made up in your head.”

His body wasn’t touching mine, but he was close enough that I could feel the heat of his wet skin against my own. “Well, I think we should avoid situations like this.”

“Showering together?”

“Anything that requires us to both be naked…yes.”

He leaned closer and his lips pressed against the skin on my neck just below my ear. “I have never been a fan of rules.” He pulled me away from the wall underneath the hot stream of water.

“Rules are for those too afraid to take chances or risks. Rules make life rigid.”

He dragged me against his body, his erection pressed against my belly, and I gasped even as my hands moved over his shoulders marveling at how firm he felt beneath my fingers.

“Rules….rules…are necessary for survival.”

His hands began a lust-arousing exploration of my flesh as he trailed a line down my spine to the base of my ass. His other hand traced over the side of my breast and back over the curve of my neck as it arched to the side before gripping my hair in his fist and pulling my head back hard.

“I suppose in some cases rules are a necessity to survive. Tell me the rest of these…rules.”

He lowered his head again, this time his teeth nipped lightly at my throat, and I clamped my thighs together tighter as moisture began to build. His fingers glided across my belly before sweeping between my legs, cupping me, and making my knees buckle.

“Are there rules against this? Tell me. What other rules are you trying to impose on me, Bri?”

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