Page 25 of Moonlit Kisses

Turning on the faucet, I wait for the hot water to come through. And wait. And wait some more. I stick my hand beneath the flow and pull it back quickly. The water’s still freezing. Damn it. I really need to have a shower after my run. It’s partly why I didn’t run while I was living in my car. I couldn’t always guarantee the ability to shower afterwards. I remember the shower downstairs and decide to make my way down there.

Grabbing my phone, I check the time. Yep. I think I’ve got time to whip downstairs to have a shower and be back up here before Max arrives. I collect my toiletries and make my way down the internal stairs, rush over to turn off the alarm, and then head for the bathroom. Closing myself in the small space, I turn on the hot water.

Yes!

I’m in luck.

I’ll have to remember to tell Max about the situation with the hot water when he comes in later.

I work quickly, lathering up, shaving the essential areas, and scrubbing others. Climbing out of the shower, I grab my towel and dry myself, then use my favorite rose-scented moisturizer all over my body.

The door bursts open, and I freeze.

Max glances up, his eyes locking on me, and he freezes in the doorway.

Oh my God!

Neither of us moves and I don’t understand why my body won’t snap into action so I can hide behind my towel or something. Anything. I’m not the only one who’s failing to act, though. He could close the damn door, but he’s too busy trailing his eyes all over me. His Adam’s Apple bobs up and down with his swallow, and I notice his eyes are darker than usual. Finally, my sensibilities return, and I grab my towel, trying to cover as much of my body as I can.

“Shit! Sorry.” Max drops his eyes down to the floor, away from me, but doesn’t move to close the door to give me privacy. My body flushes at the thought of the man I’m currently crushing on seeing me completely naked.

Did he like what he saw?

Should I even be wondering if he likes my body?

Probably not.

I should tell him to close the door, but the words won’t come. “That’s okay. You didn’t know I was in here and I didn’t lock the door. I thought I had longer before you’d be in. It was my mistake.” While his eyes are still averted, I move the towel away from my body to wrap it around myself properly. At that moment, he raises his head, his eyes locking on my nakednessagain. My breathing picks up speed at the darkness in his eyes, and when I drop my eyes down his body, I can’t miss the unmistakable bulge pressing behind his zipper. My tongue slips out without permission to lick my lips and my teeth latch onto the bottom pillow.

Max groans and runs his fingers through his hair, messing it up further. It’s crazy hot the way he does that. “Fuck!” It’s a harsh whispered word on a breath, but I feel its impact right in my solar plexus.

One side of my mouth tilts up at the knowledge that my hot boss is attracted to me.Little old me.

“I should … uh …” He thumbs over his shoulder. “I should close this fucking door before I do something stupid.” He steps back and closes the door with a sharp snick.

He thinks it would be stupid to do anything with me. My heart cracks at the thought that I misinterpreted his reaction.How stupid can I be?Heavy disappointment floods me as all the air in my lungs escapes.

Shit!This is gonna be awkward now. I have to make the walk upstairs in my towel. My threadbare and too small towel. Tucking the top of the towel in between my breasts to secure it in place, I collect my toiletries and open the bathroom door. When I poke my head out of the bathroom, he’s nowhere to be seen. I hold my head up high and walk with a confidence I don’t feel across the office toward the stairs. Closing myself inside my private space, I sag against the door.

I know he’s older than me; the age difference doesn’t bother me, but maybe it bothers him. Or is it the fact that he’s my boss that’s the issue? I swallow down my hurt pride and get myself ready for the day.

I chomp down on an apple; enjoying the crispness as the juice trickles down my chin. It’s been great to have fresh fruit on the regular after being paid last month. I had to be careful not to go crazy in the grocery store and buy too much produce, reminding myself that I’ve got money in my bank account now and I can go to the store whenever I need.

I can’t delay the inevitable any longer. It’s time to head downstairs and start work. Wandering to the far end of the workshop, I find Max working on the Sprint in his regular clothes.

“Hey. Sorry about earlier.” I thumb over my shoulder. “You can get changed in the bathroom now.” I know he hates working in his regular clothes. He prefers to keep the grease and oil stains on his overalls.

His head snaps up and his eyes skim my body, making it heat under his perusal. I’m fighting not to rub my thighs together to stem the ache he’s creating between my legs. When his eyes finally make it back to my face, his eyebrows snap down, causing a crease to form between them, and I want to step forward to smooth it out with my fingers.

“Stop apologizing for everything. It wasn’t your fault. It was an accident. I should have noticed the alarm was turned off and double checked the bathroom before I entered.” He tips his head toward the stairs to the apartment. “What’s wrong with the shower upstairs?”

“Oh, uhm. The hot water wasn’t working. I let it run for a few minutes and it wasn’t even warming up a little. I just checked again, and it’s still not working. Same with all the faucets upstairs.”

His frown lines deepen, and he climbs out of the car, taking long strides toward the upstairs apartment. I almost have to run to keep up with him and I’ve got freakishly long legs. “Lemme take a look.” He walks straight to the bathroom-come-laundry and opens a panel on the outer wall, checking the switches.

I had wondered what that panel was for, now I know. He flicks a switch and then moves to the basin to check the water. After a minute or so, a smile graces his lips. “There ya go. It used to happen to me sometimes. I’m not sure what causes the switch to turn off, but it’s easy to flick it back on.” He points to the switch in question, and I move in closer to get a proper look. His arm brushes against my boob as he tries to make space for me. He ignores it, but I can’t. That simple touch sends fire scorching through my body.

Surely, I’m not the only one feeling this heat between us.

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