Page 73 of Keepsake

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not a magical solution. I don’t have to do all the things and—”

“But it might help, right?” he pushed. “And a shower will be good for everyone.”

I blanched. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’re going for a shower.”

There wasn’t any room for discussion, especially when he came closer and took me in his arms with impressive ease. My mouth fell open when he stepped away from the bed and I had to lace my hands around his neck.

“What are you doing?”

“Shower, Logan. You’re slow when you’re sick.”

I wanted to correct him to say I wasn’t sick, but I felt my muscles melting. His arms were hard but felt heavenly, and before I could think too much about it, he entered my bathroom and dropped me gently on my feet.

The lights were brighter here, but instead of worrying about how I looked, I concentrated on him.

Why did he have to be so hot? Why couldn’t he just be a normal guy? Better yet if he was married or something.

I really didn’t have time to keep fantasizing about Sofia’s big brother. I craned my neck to give him a proper look, and he placed his hand on my cheek. “Do you need more help?”

I should have told him I had it from here, but the words never formed in my mouth. The next thing I knew, he was arching an eyebrow, stepping away from me and turning on the shower.

My knees faltered, feeling wobbly after a day without eating. I held on to the cold tiles beside me and then Alvaro was turning back to me, leaving the shower running. Without a word, his fingers hooked under my blouse and lifted it over my head.

It was reflex, I told myself. The reason I raised my arms and let him take my clothes off. My eyes followed the blouse as it fell in a heap on the floor, watching it all like it was a dream. Blinking, I looked at the man in front of me. He smirked as he reached for the claps of my bra around my back.

“I promise I won’t look.”

My arms out of the way, I let him unclasp my bra, and helped to take the straps from one shoulder and then the other.

Cold air woke my nipples, not him. I lied again.

We stood frozen in time for three exact seconds. And then… he looked. His eyes burned, something flashing over his face when he took me in.

“You’re a liar,” I whispered.

His gaze back to my face, he smirked. “I’m too old to feel embarrassed. Hold on to me.”

He took my arm and hooked over his shoulder, bending over to help me out of my pants. His skin was warm and smooth. I had to hold myself back, not to trace the tattoos on his shoulder. The side of my breast brushed against him, and I would have missed his reaction if it wasn’t for the strain on his neck.

And it was that vein in his throat and the tautness of his jaw that I was looking at when he helped me out of my pants and underwear. I moved my feet to let them pool under me, now completely naked in front of him.

Alvaro went up to his full height, and this time, he looked me in the eye. I wished he didn’t. It was too intense, a million feelings going through them. My skin felt on fire, my toes curling over the cold tiles.

Prepared to turn around and get into the shower by myself, he surprised me, circling his arm around my waist. My hands landed on his chest when he walked us to the shower.

T-shirt, jeans, working boots and all. Water ran over us, my naked body in his hands and he never—not even for a second—let his eyes wander anywhere. They stayed on mine the whole time.

Steam filled the bathroom, and I couldn’t think beyond the feeling of Alvaro. The roughness of his jeans against the sensitive parts of my legs. The damp t-shirt on my chest, tickling my nipples every single time I took a breath. His hand carved on my waist and then he let me go, my legs unsteady on their own.

He only moved for a second, reaching to the side to grab my shower gel and applying a generous amount to the palm of his hand.

Lathering it over my stomach, I looked down in nothing but complete shock as his rough hands served as a luffa. Over my navel, up to my ribs and closing on my back.

“You’re all wet,” I managed to croak.

“I bet you are too.”

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