Page 77 of Protect

I blink and regain my train of thought, letting the water warm my skin. “I don’t know how you can see that so easily, but he can’t,” I say honestly.

Rowan shrugs and looks me dead in the eye. “I just know how quickly life can change, to waste one second not spending time with the people you love is…crazy.”

His words hit close to home because I agree so completely. I watch as tiny droplets of water cascade over him, while he washes his skin and I feel my heart rate increase. It’s like I’m getting my own up close and personal firefighter pin-up show in my shower.

His eyes never leave my naked flesh. There’s already a hunger brewing there and I wonder how long we’ll make it in this shower together.

“I did my best to explain to him that Hollie’s only young once. I already have to be someone’s mother. I couldn’t be his too.” I add shampoo to my hair and Rowan turns to massage it into my scalp, then detaches the shower head to rinse it. When he’s done, he puts it back in place then pulls my loofah down from my caddy and adds some of my body wash to it.

“My turn to scrub you clean, and maybe I’ll torment you a little. When you washed me in the hospital, I ended up with the worst blue balls I’ve ever had in my life.” He chuckles, swiping my hair to the side, he begins to wash me.

“Definitely the hottest sponge bath I’ve ever given.” I smirk as he cleans my skin. I normally have a very hard time accepting help from people, but Rowan makes it easy, natural. I sigh,everything he does, every little bit of care is genuine. It makes so much sense to me why he fights fires. He’s a man of action.

“You’re a really great nurse, Vi, and a really great mother. I don’t know how you do it all. You deserve to have someone take care of you too,” he says, squeezing the puff and the last of the suds onto my back. I swallow back the lump in my throat because I’m not sure anyone has ever really said that to me before. I don’t speak as Rowan finishes washing every part of me, slowly.

My nipples are peaked and begging for his touch already. The steamy air between us fills with the scent of coconut and I do my best not to let my eyes flutter closed as he touches me, running the suds over my waist, then reaching further to the front of my thighs. Even though there is nothing erotic about his actions, any way he touches me just ignites me. Rowan leans forward to kiss me on the shoulder, the neck. It feels like nothing short of worship.

His fingers trail the valley of my breasts to the center of my navel and I shiver, partly from his touch and partly because the water is beginning to cool. His eyes follow his fingers, taking in every single part of me. I would’ve thought I’d be self-conscious being this exposed, but with Rowan I feel beautiful and strong as his hands slide over my hips.

“The curves of your body fit my hands like I was put on this earth to hold you. You’re so fucking perfect.” He drops a chaste kiss to my neck, and I break out in goosebumps.

“I used to be self-conscious about my curves,” I admit. He shakes his head and turns to shut off the faucet.

“You were self-conscious, and I couldn’t keep my fucking eyes off of you.”

He steps out of the shower and grabs a big fluffy towel from the shelf and wraps it around me, then grabs one for himself, beginning to dry himself off.

Rowan runs a hand through his soaking wet hair and droplets cascade down his rippled chest.

“Keep looking at me like that, Vi, and we won’t even make it to the bedroom,” he says.

I offer him a little smile. “Of course, you would be just perfect enough tomakeme stare, Kingsley,” I tell him as I brush past him into my bedroom. The soft glow from my bedside lamp is our only light in my quiet space.

“Oh look, we made it,” I joke sarcastically as he grips my arm and spins me around. It almost feels choreographed as he pulls me in close. Everything about Rowan is confident and open. He didn’t even put a towel on, he just followed me—completely naked—into my room.

“Almost didn’t make it,” he says gruffly, pressing his body to mine. Goosebumps break out across my skin with just the lower tone of his voice. Rowan’s lips come down to whisper beside my ear.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me? What you’ve always done to me?”

“No…”

“Let me tell you.” He doesn’t break my gaze as he reaches up with the smallest flick of his wrist and unhooks the towel between my breasts. It falls to the floor and my nipples pebble when the cool air hits them.

“Just the look you get in your eyes when you focus on mine like that, makes me want to do ungodly things to you.” His knuckle ghosts my nipple, and I shudder. “Every damn time.”

“And what look is that?” I retort as Rowan’s hands slide down to my waist and grip it. I feel his warm, swelling cock pressed against me.

“The look that tells me you want me and that you don’t understand the way this thing burns between us any better than I do.”

“Is that right?” I try to sound as confident as I can, but I’m crumbling because his soft pinch of my nipple is making quick work of turning me to putty beneath his hands.

“That’s right,” he says as he bends down to kiss my lips gently. “Andthislook? The one that says youwantme? The way your cheeks flush when I touch you?” Another kiss comes as his fingers slide downward, over my stomach then between my thighs through my already dripping slit. “That look begs me toclaimyou.”

My eyes flutter closed and my lips part.

“Rowan…” I whisper.

“Andthat? The way you say my name when you want me?” His fingers enter me, and I bite back a moan with my bottom lip between my teeth. “I’ve waited ten years for that. It’s like my own fucking brand of kryptonite, Vi, I’d do anything for it.”

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