Page 39 of Little Did You Know

"Yes, together." Certainly, after what we'd done, she wasn't worried about showering with me.

Her teeth worried her bottom lip. "Uh, won't that break some rule of yours?"

I braced my hands on either side of her head, lowering myself until our breaths mingled. My lips brushed hers, gently. "Shut up and come on." Rules seemed meaningless with her skin still flushed from pleasure, her scent filling my lungs. All I could think about was getting her under the hot spray, watching water trail down her curves.

Offering her a hand, I pulled her off the bed to her feet and followed her into the shower, shutting the glass door before flicking on the water.

Steam curled around us like a veil, turning the bathroom into our own private world. Water cascaded down her shoulders, following paths my hands ached to trace. Every movement became a dangerous dance—reaching for the shampoo, adjusting the temperature, maintaining that razor's edge of control that threatened to snap with each shared breath in the enclosed space.

When I reached for the soap, her quiet "let me" nearly undid me. Her hands moved with deliberate slowness, turning the simple act of washing into sweet torture. Each touch was innocent yet charged with electricity—the sweep of her palm across my shoulder blade, fingers skimming down my arm, catching on old scars I'd never wanted to explain before this moment.

I returned the favor with trembling restraint, letting the washcloth create a barrier between skin and sanity. Even that thin layer of fabric couldn't dull the heat radiating between us. Her breath hitched when I traced the curve of her shoulder, the sound nearly lost under the drum of water but shooting straight through me like lightning.

The sun had risen by the time we got out, and it was time to get ready for work. She left my room in a towel, and I felt instant disappointment to see her go.Fuck!What is the matter with me?

Once she was gone, the reality of what happened sank in, and the full-blown intimacy of it scared me.

Chapter Nineteen

Only a matter of minutes after Olivia left my room, the panic started taking over my thoughts. It wasn't that what we did felt wrong; the problem was that it felt right, too right. I wanted to spend the entire day naked with her in the bed, on the floor, in the shower, in every room, and that was the problem. This desire and attraction were all new to me, which scared me. I did what came naturally and ran. I had planned to take Olivia to her first day of work, but I knew I couldn't face her right now; if I saw her, we wouldn't make it out of the house.

My hands shook as I fumbled with the keys, missing the ignition twice before finally starting the car. The leather seat felt like a sanctuary—somewhere I could breathe, think. I gripped the steering wheel, letting the cool material ground me before reaching for my phone. There was only one person I could trust with this.

Hannah picked up on the second ring, the clatter of her morning coffee routine in the background.

"Hannah, I need you to pick Olivia up this morning." I gripped the steering wheel until my fingers ached, the leather creaking under the pressure.

Keys jingled on her end. "Well, good morning to you too, Mr. Pearson." The slight edge in her voice made me wince.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, exhaling slowly. "Sorry, good morning."

"Of course I will, but I thought you were bringing her in?"

"That was my intention, but something came up." My voice sounded hollow even to my own ears.

A pause. "I wasn't notified of anything." The professional tone had returned.

"It's personal, Hannah." I caught my reflection in the rearview mirror—disheveled hair, shadows under my eyes—a stranger looking back at me. I looked away.

"Oh, okay, well, I'm already at the office, but I'll head that way now."

"Jackson will pick you up out front. Olivia needs to get her driver's license this morning, and then Jackson will drop you both off at the house to get Olivia's car and then go back to work. When she gets to the office, take her down to human resources and introduce her to Derrick Owens. I don't know when I'll be in, so keep an eye on her today."

"No problem. I'm on my way."

"Thanks, Hannah." I disconnected.

The city blurred past my windows as I drove without direction, muscle memory taking over while my thoughts spun like tires on ice. Each stoplight forced me to pause, to breathe, to think.

Red light. Green light. Red again. Each intersection forced a decision: turn back or keep going. By the third red light, Kathryn's office building emerged through the morning haze, its glass façade reflecting the sunlight like a beacon I'd been unconsciously seeking. Minutes later, the familiar brass directory in the lobby gleamed as I strode past it, my reflection fractured across its surface.

Outside her office, Judy's eyebrows rose at my disheveled appearance.

"I need to speak with Kathryn." My voice carrying the edge of desperation I'd been fighting since leaving the house.

"Mrs. Daniels has a full schedule today," the red-haired, fair-skinned, freckled woman stated. "You'll have to make an appointment."

"Tell her I'm here.” My voice cracked as I leaned over her desk.

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