Page 48 of Hired for Research
The look on his face was cautious, but he seemed content to continue lying against her. Fingers traced the edges of her face, pushing back her hair, and for a moment she wanted to lean into the touch. It was the first time she’d woken next to someone and didn’t want to immediately get away.
Shoving aside the feeling, she tried to focus on something else. She had to figure out how many days she’d lost and see if anything had happened while she was distracted by her cycle, but to do that she needed to be clean and dressed.
“I need a bath.”
Jett’s brows furrowed as he looked around them, taking in the state of his bed and what was left of the nest she’d created. Her cheeks heated, guilt rolling inside her at the mess she’d made of his room. She wasn’t sure washing the sheets would be enough to get the smell out.
“I’ll get it started for you.”
He climbed off the bed, seemingly not bothered by his nudity. Despite spending the last few days against his naked body, it was the first time she’d gotten a good look at him without the haze of hormones distracting her, and she felt a little trickle of slick escape to wet her folds.
Pulling her eyes away, she sat up and wound a blanket around herself, realizing it was the one he’d given her from the couch. She flushed again at the state of it, parts hardened from being so soaked in fluids she didn’t want to name. She knew it was natural, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t embarrassing once it was all over.
The sound of water reached her from the bathroom and she stood, having to brace herself on the mattress until her thighs quit quivering. There was always soreness after her cycle, but it was more intense than usual, likely because she’d spent her heat with Jett and not some toy.
She couldn’t say she regretted it though.
Shaking her head to wipe off the smile, she made her way to the bathroom door, peeking inside to see Jett checking the temperature of the water. He turned, dimples flashing as his eyes ran down the length of her before returning to her face.
“I think it’s warm enough, but test it before you get in.”
He stood and moved aside, gesturing towards the tub. It was impossible not to look down at the water without seeing his erection and she had to squeeze her thighs together and hope the scent of the blanket would hide the smell of her arousal. He was thick and long, and she remembered what he felt like inside her. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to look at him again without getting wet.
“Thank you.”
For a moment it seemed like he wasn’t going to leave, but he squeezed his way around her as she moved closer to the tub. Disappointment flooded her but she shook it off, telling herself it was for the best. Helping her through her heat was one thing, but continuing anything now would send the wrong signals. She needed to remember why she was there and what she was supposed to be focusing on.
Dropping the blanket, she stepped into the tub, letting out a hiss as she sank into the water. It was slightly too warm, but she needed the heat to soak the aches away.
Leaning back, she stretched her legs out in front of her, marveling at a tub that was actually big enough for her to be underwater up to her chin. It made sense considering Jett’s size. She may fit perfectly in it, but the poor alpha would be sticking out no matter how he laid.
The alpha in question stepped back into the bathroom, making Evelyn squeak and splash water out of the tub as she jerked an arm over her breasts. Jett’s brow quirked but he adverted his gaze, laying a towel over the closed toilet seat.
“I used it to help contain the scent to the bedroom, but it’s clean. So is the rag beside you.”
He pointed toward the corner of the tub where she noticed the folded grey washrag.
“Use whatever you need. I’ll get some food ready for when you get out.”
Before she could say anything, he turned and disappeared into the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him. She felt bad for the way she’d reacted, but she wasn’t used to people walking in on her, and she needed to put barriers back in place between them.
Evelyn gave herself five minutes to relax in the water before forcing her limbs to move. The heat made her want to linger but her stomach was demanding something more filling than what she’d been giving it the past few days, and she had to get out of the water to find out how long it had been so she could decide what her next steps should be. She didn’t think she had enough samples to leave Eden, but she also knew it was going to be harder to focus after what had happened with Jett.
Dunking her hair, she washed if first before scrubbing the rest of her with Jett’s soap. It was a charcoal and clay bodywash, so it didn’t leave behind anything but a fresh, clean scent, which she appreciated after the strong odors in the bedroom.
After drying off with the towel and squeezing as much water out of her hair as she could, she tucked the fluffy fabric around herself and put on her glasses before stepping out into the bedroom, hoping she could find her clothing somewhere and that it wouldn’t be too dirty. She stopped in her tracks at the sight that met her though, the entire room stripped bare of all fabric.
“Where did it all go?”
The empty room held no answers for her. Her skirt had been hanging in the bathroom and been spared being part of her nest, but she had no idea what Jett had done with the rest of her clothing.
Slipping over to the bedroom door, she cracked it open, peeking out before pushing it wider. Three plastic bags sat in the floor by the dining table. They were tied closed, but Evelyn could guess what was in them.
“Hey, I made some eggs and biscuits. I didn’t have much in the way of food to begin with, and some of it went bad over the past few days.”
Jett’s dimples flashed as he held up a pair of plates. He’d pulled on a pair of loose pants, slung low on his hips, but his chest was still bare. The way his eyes moved over her made her feel as if the towel wasn’t there, and she wished they both had a few more layers on to stem the desire building between her thighs.
“Umm, thank you, but you wouldn’t happen to know where the rest of my clothes are, do you?”
