Page 65 of Atlas

The spray feels alarmingly good against my muscles. Atlas made it just hot enough, and he positioned me down in front of him so that I get almost all of it.

I stand under it until my whole body is soaked. Atlas isn’t getting much water, but he makes up for it by stripping my soaked bra away and latching his mouth to my nipples one after the other, then licking along my shoulders, collarbones, and neck. I just came harder than I ever have, but his hot mouth on my body makes me want to test the limits of what my body is actually capable. Given that I’d like to be able to walk so that I can operate the store tomorrow, it’s probably not a good idea.

As a distraction, I maneuver him around, into the spray. When his hair is soaked, I get the little green bottle of motel shampoo and empty most of it into my hand.

It’s labelled green tea and aloe vera, and it smells quite accurate. I apply the whole thing to Atlas’ hair, lathering it and massaging my fingers into the scalp until he’s practically purring.

“If I had known that showering was this good with you, I would have done it a long time ago.”

I agree, but I tell him with a kiss, stroking my tongue into his mouth until we’re both panting.

“My only regret is that this isn’t your shower and that I’m not going to smell like strawberries, like you always do after we’re done.”

I laugh, dipping him back under the spray to rinse out the suds that are starting to leak onto his face. “You’d go around smelling like strawberries? Just for the record, I think that’s the most ‘secure in your manhood’statement that I’ve ever heard.”

Just over the noise of the water running, I can hear the faint tinkling sound of my phone. I ignore it and so does Atlas. I conditioner his hair, treating him to the same scalp massage that makes him purr. He turns around after and I get a good view of his healing back, which makes my throat close up and my chest get those painful tingles. I’m so proud of him for doing this. For trusting me, for talking to me, for coming here, for facing this with courage. I hate that he suffered for so long, but I can’t undo that for him. I can only move forward.

My phone goes off again, and this time, it’s joined by Atlas’ phone. His rings for longer and then starts up again.

He frowns. “Shit. That’s probably the club. There could be something wrong if both our phones are going off.”

Worry immediately swamps me. The first thing I think of is Lynette and Bullet. I nearly fall out of the shower, trying to push the glass door out of the way. Atlas catches me, wraps me up in a towel, and tries to fit the other remaining one around his hips. It looks like a hand towel on him, but he ignores it, dripping water all over the place as he goes to get his phone.

“It’s Wizard,” he tells me, popping back into the doorway with his phone. “I’ll call him back. He was probably just calling you looking for me, but I’ll find out.”

He dials and Wizard must answer right away. “Hey,” Atlas says. “I’m with Willa. We’re in a private place. Are you okay me putting you on speaker?”

Wizard must agree, because Atlas flicks a button and Wizard’s voice fills up the bathroom.

“I was just wondering how long you guys were going to be in Seattle?”

“Uh… I’m not sure. What’s up?”

“The security cameras at Agatha’s place all went out. I called her because that’s a big fucking red flag and she apologized, the power pole in her yard is having issues. She’s called a few times, but the company is being a dog about sending anyone out. if you live rural, no one gives two fucks. I wanted to send someone out there immediately to check on her, but she says she’s fine. Her exact words were, ‘I don’t wish to be kidnapped and taken from my goddamn home whether it’s for my goddamn own good or not.’”

Atlas and I share a loaded look that speaks volumes about what we’d like to do to power companies that ignore little old ladies in distress.

“Do you want us to stop by? We could leave pretty quickly,” Atlas asks.

This. This is the reason that I love him so much. His selflessness. He’s always willing to help others, putting them before himself every single time.

I need to make sure that he knows that selfcare is important too, but I’ll also always cherish the goodness that radiates out of him and makes the world a far, far better place for his being here.

I wrap my arms around his waist and lean my chin against his shoulder, hopefully conveying silently just how much I cherish him.

“That would be great. She also told me if it was anyone, send Willa and her attractive young hottie. And then she laughed and said of course she knows your name is Atlas and she’s certainly not trying to steal you from Willa, but she wouldn’t mind ogling you working those security cameras a little, and asked me if I could blame an old lady for wanting to have a smidge of fun before she expires from her boring, humdrum existence.”

We haven’t told anyone that we’re together, but there’s a good chance that Wizard might have seen us on the security footage from the shop. Even the way we look at each other, or how close we stand together is a dead giveaway. My pulse still kicks up, but Atlas doesn’t seem rattled.

“We’ll be happy to stop in.”

“I didn’t want to interrupt your trip. If it’s an issue, I can call her back and convince her to let someone else come out there.”

“It’s not an interruption. We were finishing up anyway.”

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yes.” He turns, wraps his arms around me and drops a kiss on my wet hair that just about melts me into a puddle of liquid goo. “Yes, absolutely.”

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