Page 27 of The Wing
“Not really. I have some bubbles, but they smell strongly of jasmine.”
“So?”
I avoid his gaze and purse my lips. Hemi stands and leans his hip against the basin, slinging an arm around my waist. He waits until I look up at him.
“What’s wrong with jasmine, Liam?”
I clear my throat and fiddle with the drawstring of his track pants. “Well, nothing. But it’s a strong scent and if you don’t like it…” I trail off with a mumble. I don’t want to assume anything, but if he hates the smell of it like other people I’ve been with did, and that hurts my chances of getting close to him, then I’d rather not use it.
“Liam. Where’s the jasmine?”
“In the cupboard.”
We shift to open the cupboard, and Hemi grabs the jasmine bubble bath solution. He uncaps it and dumps an obscene amount into the water. Jasmine floods the air and bubbles fill the bath.
I inhale the familiar scent.
Hemi turns off the water. “Now get in the bath.”
I jerk upright. My eyes dart from the bath to Hemi. “What? Now? With?—”
“I’m gonna check on the stew. You relax and let the water do its job.” Hemi leaves the bathroom in a trail of jasmine.
I leave the door open slightly in case he needs anything and remove my clothes, sinking into the warm water.
I sigh as I get comfortable. The water is already doing its job to soothe my muscles. It laps against the porcelain, and I close my eyes to listen to the rhythmic noise and strain to hear Hemiin the kitchen, but I can’t hear him over the rain against the window.
I’m disappointed he left, but I didn’t know how to ask him to stay.
We could have shared the bath. It’s big enough.
I yawn and sink deeper into the water until bubbles tickle my lips.
We could have sat opposite each other, or I could have sat in front of him and felt his soapy chest against my back. And his hand would drift down my chest to grasp my throbbing dick, and he would stroke me with jasmine-scented water as I gasped and arched against him. Or his back on my chest while I stroked him. I’m not fussy.
“How’s it going?”
I gasp, and my eyes fly open. I sit upright in the bath and water sloshes over the rim. I turn to find Hemi poking his head through the door, an amused look on his face.
“I’m fine. Good. Thanks.” I shake my head to clear my thoughts. It doesn’t work. “How’s the stew?”
“It’s going good. I added—” He stops abruptly and frowns, opening the door wide and stepping into the room proper. “Are you sunburnt?”
“No?” I rub a soapy hand over my cheek. It stings a little, but that could be the constant blush I seem to have around Hemi.
“You are.” Hemi sounds aghast, and I swallow a laugh at his frantic searching through the cupboard.
“It’s fine, Hemi. I’m paler than paper, it’s bound to happen.” Even though I wore sunscreen and it’s fucking winter in Wanaka, but I was distracted today so didn’t reapply like I should have. Bloody vampire skin. How can he tell I’m sunburnt? My face is perpetually red around him.
Hemi makes a triumphant sound and holds a bottle of aloe vera in the air victoriously. “I knew I saw some earlier.”
“I’ll put some on after.” And that’s when I realise Hemi is in the bathroom with me. While I’m in the bath. Naked. I duck low in the water.
“I’ll put it on. I don’t trust you to put it on properly.” Hemi clicks the bottle open and squirts aloe vera in his palm.
My mouth drops open. “I am perfectly capable of?—”
“Shhh.”
