Page 121 of Property of Chaos

“Ouch.” He smirks, resting his forehead on mine. “Join me?”

This is such dangerous territory. I could argue that, technically, we’ve slept in the same bed already. Even I wasn’t aware of it until after the fact. But showering together? It’s so much more intimate.

“Okay.”

Why fuck around teasing the flames when you can jump right in and get it over and done with?

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I tug his face to mine and place a quick kiss against his lips before stepping away. “Don’t suppose you have a change of clothes?”

“Not on me.” He crosses to the mini-fridge as I duck through to prepare the bathroom, bending to search the interior. “Okay if I have a water? I’ll leave you some change to cover the room charge.”

“I’m not that hard up, Chaos.” Why is this so easy already?Because you tripped right over the damn line of compatibility when you didn’t report his stalking ass.

“It’s not about that, Ness.” His voice grows closer until he stands at the door, one arm slung on the frame overhead.Save me.“I’m being chivalrous.”

I snort.Sure.“Says the man who broke into my house.”

“I never broke in.” He grins. “Merely took advantage of a shitty latch.”

“Sure.” I hitch an eyebrow as I switch the water on. “Just like you broke it when you let yourself in to move the cameras?”

His face falls, eyes widening. “Your lock doesn’t work?”

“I never said that.” Amazing what you can do with a heavy piece of furniture to block an exit or entry in the interim. “But yeah. I need to replace it.”

He tugs his phone out, frowning at the device as he hammers out a message. He almost looks cute, concentrating so hard on such a tiny piece of technology in his large hands.

“Good?”

“It’ll be fixed before you get home.”

“Chaos…” I tilt my head, shoulders softening as I approach. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“But I wanted to.” He snares me by the wrist, pulling me against him. “Can we never fight again?”

“I can’t promise that.” So, maybe he smells like long hours on the road, but I relish the scent of leather. Of wind and rain. Dust and grass. “How long did it take you to get here?” The mix is wholly him.

And I love it.

“Could have done the ride in six,” he murmurs, thumbs tracing the dip of my jaw to my neck. “But I had to stop in Kansas City, so it was more like nine hours from when we left.”

“Temperance?” Surely, it takes longer than six hours for the ride.

“I wasn’t at home, baby.” He bends, ducking to place hot kisses against my neck.

“No?” The steam builds around us.

“Nope.”

I shiver when his tongue traces a line to my collarbone.

“Lincoln.”

“Nebraska?” I lean back, stalling his foreplay before we get ahead of ourselves.

“Mm-hmm.” Lust hazes his gaze as he plucks at the edge of my T-shirt. “I’m gonna need you to raid my wardrobe when we get home.”

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