Page 45 of Hot for Hostage

The water shut off, and I lasted a full ten seconds before my willpower evaporated and I opened one eye to peek at the bathroom.

Davian appeared in the doorway, naked save for a fluffy white towel slung low on his hips. The man oozed power and danger from every pore, making breathing difficult for me.

I should’ve played it cool and looked away—like the sight of his defined and glistening bare chest was no big deal to me. As if all the beautifully sculpted muscles and golden skin had zero effect.

Instead, my mouth filled with an alarming amount of saliva—just like the dogs’ did when I pulled out the kibble—and I was seconds from leaving a puddle of drool on Davian’s pillow.

His lithe body leaned against the doorjamb while his dark gaze watched me like a hawk eyeing its prey.

I swallowed and dug my fingers into Bear’s fur, making him snort. My other eye popped open, and I mustered a small smile. “Good morning.”

It sounded more like a croak than a greeting.

The corner of Davian’s mouth tilted up. “Morning, sweetheart.”

I huffed at the nickname. He still hadn’t let that go.

“I’m not your sweetheart,” I reminded him, voice scratchy.

Davian prowled closer and leaned against the bedpost with both arms crossed over his very naked—and very wet—chest. I kept my gaze firmly focused on his eyes instead of the towel hanging dangerously low on his hips.

His gaze swept over my face. “You okay?”

“I think so.” But it was impossible to focus on the question when he was still this naked. I cleared my throat. “Aren’t you going to get dressed?”

A single dark brow arched in question. “Are you in a rush?”

“No, but you’re…” Was it possible to spontaneously combust from blushing? “You’re just standing there naked!”

Davian’s lips twitched. “And?”

A drop of water clinging to a wet lock of his hair chose that moment to freefall—nose-diving onto his shoulder and sliding down the hard planes of his chest. I gulped. “And… And it’s distracting.”

I would’ve been mortified at the breathiness of my voice if I weren’t so entranced by the droplet of water disappearing beneath his towel.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to distract my guest.” His gaze dipped and took in my own outfit before turning molten. “But I’d argue what you sleep in is far more distracting.”

Glancing down at my skimpy paw print pajamas and very noticeable lack of a bra, I yanked up the blanket to cover myself with a squeak, my face flaming. “I didn’t know I’d be sleeping over when I put these on.”

Davian’s answering smirk could stop traffic. “It wasn’t a complaint.”

My skin was at dangerous risk of combusting, and the lingering heat in his gaze did things to my stomach that should be illegal. Thankfully, he broke the spell by pushing off the bedpost and disappearing into a walk-in closet.

But his towel dropped to the floor just before he stepped out of sight, and I whipped my gaze up to the ceiling after catching a glimpse of more skin. This wasn’t fair. My ex-hostage and his perfect butt had no business making my skin hot all over.

Bear took the opportunity to ask for more cuddles, and I indulged him by massaging his neck.

“You’re such a good boy,” I crooned, giving him a kiss.

Davian rejoined us not long after, fully dressed in an impressive dark suit. He leaned against the dresser and slipped on a fancy black shoe, but his gaze was fixed on me. “Now answer honestly. How are you feeling?”

I puffed out a breath, but my heart thudded in my chest—he cared enough to really want to know.

“Last night was pretty scary,” I admitted. It couldn’t hurt to be honest about that. Bear nudged his snout against my hip until I scratched between his ears.

Davian glanced around the room before leaning around the dresser and looking underneath it. “You’re safe here. My men are taking care of it.”

“Thank you. I really do appreciate it.” When he bent down and peeked under the bed, I grew curious. “What are you looking for?”

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