Page 84 of Rupture

She stepped into the bath, the water lapping at her calves, her thighs. She waded deeper, then submerged completely, disappearing beneath the surface, her dark hair fanning out like ink.

Finn swallowed hard, his pulse an unrelenting drum against his ribs.

He was drowning and not even in the water yet.

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Clean heat sankinto Rose’s muscles, loosening the knots of the last few days. She let her head tip back, eyes fluttering shut as the water lapped over her skin, its warmth teasing away tension, drawing her into its embrace.

When she opened her eyes, Finn stood on the far side of the bath, watching her.

Not just watching.Devouring.

He reached for the taps, shutting them off before the water overflowed. The motion was slow, deliberate—like everything about him. Power held in check. When he straightened, his gaze never wavered. It locked onto hers, pinning her in place without a single touch.

Her breath shallowed.

The immense breadth of his chest tapered to a lean, hard waist. The tattoo she’d glimpsed before wasn’t just on his arm—it flowed like water across his shoulder, down his side, mapping the ridges of his abdomen in dark, fluid ink.

God.

She’d never seen such a magnificent man.

He reached for his belt.

A swish of leather as he pulled it free. The sound switched through the fragrant air, slipping over her skin like a touch.

He let the belt fall to the floor.

Then his hands went to the button fly of his cargo pants.

One button.

A slow pop as the fabric released.

Two.

Her breath caught, the sound vibrating through her.

Three.

Desire loosed deep in her belly, twisting low, dark, and unfamiliar. Not a spark. A slow, deliberate burn.

He pushed his pants down, shucked them off, and straightened.

Sweet. Jesus.

Finn was naked.

No underwear. No barriers. Nothing between them now but air and heat.

Freed from his clothes, his erection stood hard against the dark hair on his lower abdomen, leaving her in no doubt.

He wanted her.

Her pulse slammed a frantic rhythm. She wanted him just as much. He slid into the water, closing the distance between them in seconds.

Heat swirled around her, but it was nothing compared to the fire in his gaze. Under the weight of it, she felt strong, capable.

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