Page 65 of Mistletoe Latte

“You know what they say about ladies,” Nick mused. With his free hand, he pinched her nipple while the washcloth dipped farther between her thighs, straining them apart.

Emma tried to help him, but her legs were trapped. She raised one up, the cold air nibbling on her wet skin. Nick cupped her jaw and began to scoot the two of them lower. At first, she welcomed the warm water, before realizing it was coming for her face.

Lighting quick, she sat up, landing her ass on his thighs. The washcloth floated away, and only the panicked splashes filled the air. Nick had one hand placed almost chastely to her belly. The other hugged the lip of the tub, seeming uncertain where to go.

She couldn’t get out of this.

“How do you…what do you think about makeup?” Emma asked fast and clenched her eyes.

Nick snorted. “Since it got her to stop crying, I don’t care.”

What?“No, not about…” Okay, maybe she should have asked him if Skylar was allowed to wear makeup. Men could be rather opinionated about it, especially when they didn’t use any. “I mean, do you think, if you see a woman wearing it, do you call it…” Her heart galvanized and in a dead voice, she finished, “false advertising?”

She’d heard it often.Men, beware women wearing makeup. They’re lying to you. First date you better take her swimming to see what she really looks like, or you could wake up next to Quasimodo.Avoiding the trap had seemed easy enough until the handsome man invited her to take a bath with him.

Nick scratched his graying temples. “Like when it’s a scam that claims it’ll make you twenty years younger?”

All she could do was shake her head. Emma turned in the bath, her skin blistering even though the heat had waned. There was no escaping it now. It wouldn’t help for him to be surprised by the scars and texture of her face. Better to rip that Band-aid off and be done with it.

“I…” She couldn’t face him and stared at the wall. On the tile was a small drawing of a star done in marker which was probably permanent. “I wear makeup.”

“Uh-huh. Figured that out when Daryl was laughing at me for having lipstick on my neck. Good thing he didn’t see the other spots.” Nick smirked at the memory, but Emma couldn’t escape her spiral.

“I’ve got scars. From when I was Skylar’s age.”

“What happened? Did someone hurt you!” He pivoted from pain to anger so fast, Emma feared he’d leap from the tub to chase down the imaginary villain.

“No, not like that. Acne. It’s cleared up for the most part.”Accutane, a blessing and a curse.“But…”

He steadied himself and swept both arms across the lip of the tub. “You’re worried about something I can’t understand.”

She nodded then shook her head. “Let me show you.” Turning around, Emma placed her back to him. Nick took care to hold her, sweeping his palm over the top of her arm, as she cupped water and washed away the foundation, the bronzer, the blush, the primer—all her armor floated in the bubbles. What would she do if he panicked? If he called her a witch and threw her out of the house?

Okay, that probably wouldn’t happen. But if he didn’t want to touch her or kiss her?I’ll be fine. Get my car back, go to my sister’s, live with a desiccated heart for the rest of my life. No problem.

Emma didn’t realize her hands were shaking until Nick took both. They stopped slapping the water as he rubbed them together. “You don’t have to do this.”

He was a man she’d known for five days. They’d only slept together once. He took her into his home, gave her a job when she was desperate. Made her feel safe and whole. She had to know.

At first, Emma shifted and turned the side of her face. He couldn’t have seen much through her hair, but years of scrutinizing pictures had taught her he’d see something. When Nick didn’t leap out of the tub in a panic, she did the whole one-eighty. Her eyes stayed downcast, zeroing in on the combat scar across his stomach. As she finished her spin, her knees bent, her hands flat in the water, she waited to be struck down.

A warm hand cupped under her chin and began to raise her up. She blinked, fearing to find his gaze wandering anywhere else, but he stared her right in the eye. “Would you believe me if I said you’re beautiful?”

“No.” She gasped at the truth slipping out, but to her surprise, Nick laughed.

“Two years in pre-teen hell has taught me to ask that. Though it’s hard to not fight against it. Can I say you’re sweet?”

“Yes.”

“Can I call you adorable? Can I say you have the biggest, prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen?”

Said eyes began to tear. Emma had to blink them away as she nodded. Nick swept his thumb across her lip. “And if I said I want to press your thighs apart, pink your ass, and bite your neck while you scream my name…would you believe that?”

Emma’s mouth fell open to gasp, but Nick’s lips plunged to hers before she could. The way he held her cheek so gently while kissing so dirty made her heart flutter and toes curl. She ran her hands through his hair, tugging on the locks to get him to cry out as he pressed a hand tighter to her breast.

“It was you,” he moaned in her ear before running his nails down her side and rolling his palm over her butt. She clenched her thighs in anticipation, but Nick didn’t slap it as he’d wanted. Instead, his fingers glided from the crest of her ass down to the tickling underside, then he pulled on her inner thigh. Emma slipped lower into the water. She flailed a hand out in fear of cracking her skull, but he caught her palm.

“When you caught me in here.” Nick traced a nail down her lifelines, following each one until they met at the heart. Looking her dead in the eye, he guided her hand to his cock. Half of Emma’s hand submerged as she folded her fingers around his giving girth.

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