Page 78 of Test the Ice
Does he not understand that I’m highly attracted to him? Is he doing this on purpose?
“You’re my fiancée…surely you’ve seen me in less clothing.”
My lips flatten at his joke.
“You’re only my fiancé when people are around! In case you haven’t noticed”—I gesture to his empty room—“we’re alone.”
Malaki hums before going back to his closet. He reaches for something, and I stare at the defined muscles along his shoulders like I’m trying to burn them into my memory. I turn around in haste, clutch my dress, and walk into the bathroom.
“Thought it’d be good to practice,” he says from the bedroom. “The more comfortable you are around me in private, the more comfortable you’ll be in public.”
“It just took me by surprise,” I explain, my voice slipping through the crack in the door. I strip off my clothes and leave them bundled on the tiled floor. “I am comfortable with you.”
More comfortable with him than I ever was with Benedict.
“Good.” His voice is closer than before. “Then you won’t mind if we share the mirror?”
The door to the bathroom opens all the way, and I yelp. My hands fly to my chest to hold the loose fabric there.
“Oh, my apologies.”
I can tell without looking in the mirror that Malaki is smiling.
“If you want to see me naked, just ask!” I snap half-heartedly. “Though, I’ve had a baby, so you might not like what you see,” I mutter under my breath.
While holding up the strapless dress in the front, I reach behind me and attempt to zip it up. I use the mirror to geta better look at the back of my dress and immediately catch Malaki’s glower in my direction.
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing.” My fingers freeze on the zipper.
Malaki stops buttoning his dress shirt to grip the edge of the vanity. The veins on top of his hands strain, and I tear my gaze away. I pull on the zipper but stop altogether when he appears behind me. One hand lands on top of mine, the zipper in my grip, while the other wraps around the front of my waist.
His warm whisper brushes the side of my neck. “Did you just say that I wouldn’t like what I see because you’ve had a baby?”
Words are nonexistent.
He grips my wrist, removes my hand from the zipper, and places it on the wall in front of my face. I press my palm against it, still holding the front of my dress steady with my other hand. He tugs on my dress, zipping it halfway before stopping.
“Did he say that to you?” he asks in a low tone.
My heart beats so hard I feel it everywhere.
Benedict’s opinion isn’t the problem; it’s the insult itself. I don’t care if he thinks I’m more appealing in a size two with a toned stomach. It’s the fact that my body is different, and my jeans don’t fit the way they used to. When you’ve been told something about your appearance on more than one occasion, it’s hard not to believe it.
“Reese.” The strain in Malaki’s tone pulls my attention to his face. Our eyes meet in the mirror, and for the first time, there is no amusement lingering.
“Yeah,” I say. “He did.”
Malaki’s expression remains steady as he removes his hand from the zipper. A chill races down my spine from the touch of his knuckle skimming my skin. Then, he tugs me backward by my waist. I hit his hard chest, and a breath slips from my lungs.
“Well, I’m nothing like Benedict, Reese.” Malaki’s jaw is set in a firm line as he drags his knuckle back down my spine, landing at the zipper. “I can assure you that I’d love every single part of your body.”
My breathing quickens, my lungs tight with trapped air.
Once Malaki finishes zipping my dress, he spins me around and grips my waist with both of his hands. I press against him, and he takes me in. “If you want me to prove it to you, just say the word.”
I open my mouth, and nothing comes out. I’m flushed, and the room spins. I can’t catch my breath, and I think he notices, because he finally backs away and puts space between us.
