Page 16 of Haunted By the Mountain Man
"Mountain man, not a cave man." I checked my messages. All quiet. "Although there are similarities."
"Hmmm," she said, moving closer. "I need a shower.”
"I need one too."
The words hung between us, heavy with possibility. I could offer her the guest bathroom—I had one, barely used but functional. Could give her privacy and space and time to reconsider what we were about to do.
"It's big enough for two."
"The shower?"
I moved toward the bathroom, pausing at the doorway. "You coming?"
She followed without hesitation.
The bathroom was another indulgence—heated floors, a soaking tub, and a walk-in shower with rain heads and enough room that I didn't have to duck or squeeze. I'd tiled it myself with slate from a local quarry, dark gray that looked black when wet.
I turned on the water, letting it get hot while we stood there, fully clothed, staring at each other.
"I should probably mention," Raven said, "that I'm on birth control. And clean. Got tested after my last relationship ended eight months ago, haven't been with anyone since."
"I'm clean too. Get tested regular because of work." I pulled my shirt over my head, watched her eyes track across my chest. "And there hasn't been anyone in over a year."
"A year?"
"Small town. Limited options. And most people find me..." I searched for the word.
"Intense?"
"That's one way to put it."
She started unbuttoning her cargo pants, and I forgot how to breathe. "I like intense."
Steam was filling the room now, fogging the mirror, making everything dreamlike. I stripped off the rest of my clothes, noting how she bit her lip when she saw me fully naked. Yeah, everything about me was proportional.
She pulled her shirt off, revealing a black bra that did incredible things to her curves. Then her pants, then her underwear, and Christ, she was perfect. Soft where I was hard, curves where I was angles, delicate where I was rough.
"You're staring," she said.
"You're beautiful."
"I'm a mess. I've been sleeping in an abandoned building, and I probably smell like—"
I cut her off by lifting her off her feet and carrying her into the shower. The hot water hit us both, and she gasped against my shoulder.
"Put me down," she laughed, but her arms tightened around my neck.
"In a minute." I adjusted the water temperature with one hand, keeping her pressed against me with the other. "I like you right where you are."
She was so small against me, her body fitting perfectly in my arms. I set her down slowly, letting her slide down my body, hyperaware of every inch of contact. The water cascaded over us, and I watched, mesmerized, as rivulets ran down her pale skin.
"You're looking at me like..." she started, then stopped.
"Like what?"
"Like you want to devour me."
"I do." I reached for the shampoo, pouring some into my palm. "Turn around."
