Chapter Eleven
A ddy sucked in a breath when she heard the door to the bathroom open. She’d been standing under the hot spray, still vibrating with need from the way Archer had kissed her in the car. There was too much heat between them to bother with finesse, and the breathless series of kisses and nips left her with a hollow ache that bordered on pain. The beads of water cascading over her sensitive skin were overwhelming. The glass surrounding the shower had steamed up, but she could still see Archer the moment he stepped into the room. The pulse between her legs intensified as their eyes met and held. He’d stopped moving in the middle of the bathroom, gaze locked on her. She took in the hard lines of his body. Broad shoulders and defined pecs. Strong, taut muscle honed by years of physical life-or-death labor. His erection matched his body, thick and ridged. A shiver of pleasure worked through her, starting at her breasts and moving in a rush of liquid heat to her sex.
He paused outside the door until she realized he was waiting for her to invite him in. It was very clear he was experiencing the same flood of chemistry as she was, and yet, he was gentleman enough to ensure she was still comfortable. She pushed against the glass, and he stepped beneath the rain shower that lay flush against the ceiling.
His chest rose and fell as his breath increased the longer he looked at her. “God, Addy. You’re gorgeous.” His eyes skimmed over her, and his cock pulsed. “Face the wall.”
The wet warmth that gathered at her core had nothing to do with the shower. She didn’t question him. There was the snap of a bottle opening, then his large hands were in her hair, massaging her scalp. Pleasure hummed through her at his gentle touch. She’d never been so well cared for by a man. Once her hair was rinsed clean, Archer reached for another bottle, smoothing what she assumed was conditioner over her hair and slipping his fingers over and over through the strands. He reached around her for the loofah hanging on the temperature controls and coated it with liquid soap. Archer lifted her hair, moving the mesh puff over her shoulders and back, then around her waist and hips.
When the material passed over the stiff peaks of her breasts, an involuntary whimper hummed from her lips. Archer banded his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. His chest was heaving against her back, his hard length pressing just above her bottom. He continued to lather every inch of her body, hands moving over her curves long after he’d hung the loofah back on the faucet. His hands moved from her stomach to her ribs and anticipation was a hungry, impatient host overtaking her body. Finally, he cupped her breasts, massaging and teasing around the hard tips.
“Archer.” When she rocked into him, his soap-coated fingers glided over her nipples, stroking and gently pinching until she thought she might orgasm from his touch alone. Every pull, every squeeze had electricity spiraling through her. His lips moved over her shoulders and neck, tongue teasing the sensitive skin at the curve of her shoulder. With one hand still caressing her, he moved the other over her belly, then lower, stroking her outer folds.
“This okay?” The rumble of his voice made her thighs tremble.
She nodded, momentarily speechless as his fingers played over the sensitive collection of nerves at her apex. “Yes.” Her voice was a breathless whisper as he dipped one thick finger inside her, continuing to massage her clit with his thumb.
The sensations racking her body were unlike anything she’d ever experienced, and when he curled another finger into her opening—pulsing in slow, even strokes—her heart pounded into overdrive. He continued to rub and tweak her nipples as he thrust upward, adding more pressure to his touch. Shudders of pleasure crashed through her, wave after wave of sensation making her tremble in his strong arms. If his hands hadn’t been holding her in place, she would’ve sunk to the shower floor. She shook again when he drew his fingers from her body, wrapping both arms around his waist. He nipped then soothed the back of her neck with his tongue. A deep, gratified sigh left his lips, his hot breath puffing against her skin.
“Feeling you come apart in my arms was fucking beautiful.” His raw whisper made her turn. Stormy blue eyes, wild with desire and something far more profound, had her struggling to catch her breath. She had tumbled hard and fast for this gentle warrior, but he was right there, lifting her upward like the parachute that had bound them together. He wouldn’t let her fall alone. He tilted his head and leaned in, kissing her long and deep. Archer moved back a fraction, kissing her forehead, and reached around her to shut off the water. A rush of cool air permeated the shower stall when he opened the glass. He stepped out, quickly returning with a thick towel in his hands. He wrapped it around her shoulders snugly.
“It’s warm.” The soft material chased the chill away and relaxed her even more deeply.
“I’m a bit of a bathroom snob.” He smiled and reverently touched her cheek.
“A rain shower and a towel warmer.” She grinned back. “I could get used to that.”
“That’s what I’m hoping. Now, let’s look at these bites, yeah?”
He gripped her hips and popped her up on the vanity. “If the redness doesn’t subside after I apply this medicine, I’m taking you to a doctor to start antibiotics.” He grabbed another towel and wrapped it around his waist. He was still hard, and she imagined extremely uncomfortable, but he hadn’t complained, seeing to all of her needs first.
“Whatever you think. This is your area of expertise.”
There was a loud meow and scratching outside the door. “Pretzel’s not going to be happy when I shut her out of the bedroom tonight.” He kissed her forehead. “Thank you for trusting me.” He reached beneath the cabinet and laid out his supplies, cleaning her arms with a clear solution before applying a thin coat of ointment. “You must be so sore, sweetheart.”
“They feel much better now.”
“I never told you how amazing you were out there.”
“I think you might’ve, but I didn’t do much. Your team was incredible.” She offered him a small smile. “Do you think they’re okay? Jane, and Sully, and the kids?”
“I think they will be. And believe me, not everyone has your level of empathy. Your openness. You made those hostages a hell of a lot more comfortable just by being yourself. Offering them support and some of the dignity they were stripped of. I’m so damn proud to be yours. However long you want, Addy.”
She tilted her head, studying him. “The things I feel for you are not temporary or fleeting, but you don’t believe that.” He opened his mouth to protest but she pressed her hand to his chest. “It’s okay, I’ll spend as much time as you need to trust that I’m not going to walk away.”
“Addy, it’s not that I don’t trust you, because I do.” He drew in a long breath. “I don’t want you to feel trapped. Don’t want you to wonder what would’ve happened if you chose a younger man.”
“I don’t want anyone else. Not now. Not a month or a year from now. Only you, Archer.” She glimpsed the flash of hope in his eyes as he lifted her off the counter, one hand beneath her arms and the other behind her knees. As though she weighed nothing, he carried her out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. He placed her gently on one side of the mattress, then rounded to the other, pulling down the blanket and sheets. “Climb in, sweetheart, and I’ll get you some sweatpants and a shirt to sleep in.” She untwisted the towel and tossed it to the side, getting beneath the cozy layers. Addy grabbed his hand before he could turn.
“I’d prefer to sleep like this. I want to feel you against me. Nothing between us.”
“As long as you know I’d never pressure you despite what we are or aren’t wearing.”
She smiled at his sweetness. At his concern for her comfort, even as the bulge beneath his towel hadn’t lessened. Never before did she want to taste and touch a man like she did Archer. He discarded his towel and lowered himself onto the plush mattress.
She worked her palm over his skin, and he drew in a quick breath. The hard ridges of his stomach dipped. This man could have anyone he wanted, but he was quivering at her simple touch. It was a new, powerful sensation that she couldn’t wait to explore. She shifted to her knees, running the flat of her tongue over his nipples. Archer groaned her name, and she leaned closer to kiss him. Keeping one hand braced by the pillow, she trailed her fingers down his hips and wrapped her hand around the base of his shaft. He lay completely still, save for the rapid rise and fall of his chest, as she explored. It amazed her that something so rigid could also feel like silk against her palm. She stroked up his length, massaging her thumb over the tip. A bead of moisture coated her finger, and she leaned down, replacing her hand with her mouth.
“Christ, Addy!” He jerked up, resting his weight on his forearms as he watched her.
She let her hand take over again, moving in slow, teasing strokes as she gazed up at him. “Love how you taste.”
“Addy.” She wasn’t sure what his raw whisper was meant to convey, but the way his body was trembling, she was taking it as a sign of enjoyment. She sealed her lips around him, taking more with each dip of her head. In one fluid motion, Archer looped his arms around her and flipped them both. With his arms braced by her head, he leaned in and kissed her with abandon. She wiggled her hips, trying to bring him closer to her center.
“We don’t have to rush things. I want you to be sure.” His body was pulsing with need, and he was still pausing to ask one more time if this was what she wanted.
“I’m sure.”