Page 46 of Confusing Hearts

“Even better, but we do have a closing to get to in an hour. Come on,” he said, tossing me over his shoulder and carried me caveman-style into the bathroom. I kicked and squealed the whole way, until he set me back down in front of the shower.

A part of me thought I should feel embarrassed to be standing there naked in front of a man, but Chase wasn't just any man, he was my mate, and I didn't need to feel self-conscious; if anything, being naked before him had the opposite effect.

I did have to pee, though. “Um, can you get out so I can use the bathroom?” I finally blurted out.

He laughed. “I'll get the shower started and promise not to peek. Just go already, I still have to, too.”

I groaned. Okay, being naked, having sex, that was one thing, but peeing with him in the same room did feel awkward. In the end, his stubbornness won when he turned on the water and I really had to go. True to his word, he didn't peek.

I asked if I could shower first, knowing my hair was going to be a hot mess, so the more time I had to try and fix it, the better.

I jumped in and quickly realized we had nothing but water to wash up with. No soap, no shampoo, nothing. I let the hot water pour over me anyway. The damage of wet hair was already done. I closed my eyes and let the spray massage through my hair. When something brushed across my arm I screamed and almost fell before strong arms wrapped around my waist to steady me.

“What are you doing?” I asked Chase. “You scared the life out of me.”

“Good thing you have nine lives then,” he said, looking proud of himself.

I rolled my eyes. “That was terrible, and quite racist, you know.”

He just laughed. “It'll be quicker if we shower together.” He grinned, letting his eyes wash over me.

When his head lowered towards mine, I pushed him away, laughing. “No, we don't have time for that. And we have nothing here. Not even a bar of soap to wash with.”

His grinning face frowned. “Sorry, I forgot. Here, let me just wash you up,” he said, smirking and holding up a clean washcloth.

“I can handle it myself. We'll never get out of here if you start touching me.”

He looked torn on that decision. I agreed that the thought of hot shower sex appealed to me too, and then I burst out laughing at the thought. Who was I? Just twenty-four hours earlier I probably would have died of embarrassment at just that thought.

“What's so funny?” he demanded.

“Nothing. Just wash up so we can go,” I said sternly.

He didn't stop trying to reach for me, but each time I playfully swatted him away, promising next time when we didn't have a closing to get to. I finished up first and left him in the shower, pouting. Finding my clothes in the living room took a little effort. Things were thrown everywhere. I blushed, remembering how bold I'd been.

When I heard the shower turn off I quickly started dressing. I had on my bra, my shirt, and my socks, and was holding my pants when Chase came into the room still drying off with a towel.

“I can't find my underwear,” I confessed.

He shrugged. “So, go commando.”

“I can't do that.”

“Sure you can. Look, if it makes you feel better, I'll go commando, too.”

“What? How would that make me feel better?”

“Well, you'd know you weren't alone.”

“Yeah, but all I'd think about was how much less there was between the two of us. Not conducive for an important meeting like this.” With hands on my hips I demanded he help me find them.

He was fully dressed and we were still looking for my underwear when he burst out laughing. He pointed up and I followed his gaze. Hanging from the rafter beneath the loft were my panties.

“How the hell did you manage that?” he teased.

Chase

Chapter 15