Chapter 8
The next morning, I searched everywhere for my sketch pad. I must have left it somewhere but had no memory of where I’d last seen it, but no matter. After my discussion with Tak, I needed to create a new design anyhow.
I spent all morning in my pajamas, working on the design, choosing shapes and colors and how I wanted the pieces to come together.
After eating a sandwich, I sat outside in the sun and napped for an hour.
Temperatures in the low sixties with no breeze was heaven.
Then I called my dealer and ordered more glass.
Despite my new project, I still had to fill orders, which included hand-selecting another batch for the general store.
I hitched a ride out there and collected money from items Justin had sold since yesterday.
He said that early that morning, several people showed up looking specifically for my pieces.
I could only attribute that to my new project with Tak.
No pressure.
Since I could be a workaholic, I decided after dinner to draw a hot bath, get some snacks, and decompress.
Knees bent, I reclined my head against an inflatable bath pillow and luxuriated in the scented bubbles.
A plate of grapes balanced on the flat edge of the tub, and I plucked another green one before popping it into my mouth.
When I slid down too far and sat up again, the water sluiced my chest.
“I can’t believe I told Bear that,” I murmured.
Having an obsession with Salem was one thing, declaring it aloud to his packmate was another.
What if they talk? What if Bear tells him what I said? I wonder what kind of women Salem’s attracted to. Probably blondes. Does he wear boxers or briefs? I bet his hair looks good down. I bet it looks even better wet.
A tantalizing visual of Salem danced in my head…
He steps out of the shower, water streaming down his naked, glistening body as he slicks back his wet hair. I imagine his sensual gaze as I begin to slowly undress. Then I imagine him curving his arm around my waist, his mouth discovering mine for the first time as he delivers a molten kiss.
Waves of arousal came over me, and I slid my hand between my legs. While the fantasy played out in my head, I flattened my foot on the tiled wall, trying to make room in the bathtub as I pleasured myself.
Salem lifts me onto the sink and spreads my legs.
He kneels, slides his tongue along my seam before blowing out a heated breath.
I can’t take it. I grip his hair and coax him to stand.
In that sensual voice, he says the things he wants to do before thrusting inside me.
I cry out, gripping his shoulders while he fucks me hard.
Then he deliberately slows down and wants me to watch his thick shaft penetrating me.
The visual is so erotic I can’t tear my eyes away as he claims me.
When he goes a little faster and harder, I feel myself edging closer to release.
I moaned as the tub water lapped back and forth. My chest heaved, the air chilling my nipples. I turned my head to the side and briefly opened my eyes before closing them again and seeing his face.
His face.
My heart galloped in my chest when a cold splash of reality hit me. That wasn’t my imagination; Salem was standing in my bathroom!
I gripped the edge of the tub, water splashing onto the floor along with my plate. Grapes smacked against the tile, one of them rolling to the toe of his leather shoes.
My face heated with embarrassment, and I sat for a frozen second, uncertain how to react.
Salem whooshed backward and slammed the door on the way out.
Oh my God. He saw me naked. No, not just naked but pleasuring myself! Was he in here when I moaned? How long did he watch? Did I say his name out loud?
I shot to my feet, the water loudly splashing as I scrambled for my robe on the wall. After stepping over the grapes, I caught my reflection in the mirror. My nipples were about as hard and pink as pencil erasers.
“Great.” I swallowed and then yelled out, “What are you doing here?”
He cleared his throat. “I can’t tell you how sorry… Your door was open. I-I thought something was wrong.”
Something’s wrong, all right. My crush watched me almost climax in the bathtub while screaming his name.
Locking doors in the country wasn’t as commonplace as in the city. I often left the doors open on pleasant evenings to circulate the air in the house. Screen doors were great because they kept out the bugs and critters. Apparently, they didn’t work so well on nosy wolves.
I wanted to ask how long he’d been watching me, but I was too embarrassed. Something about it struck me as funny all of a sudden, and I laughed maniacally while tying my robe.
When I opened the door and stepped out of the hall, Salem was leaning against the kitchen entryway, one hand shielding his face. In his other, my sketch pad.
He stretched out his arm with the sketches. “You left this in my car.”
A laugh bubbled in my throat after I collected the sketch pad and entered the living room. What else could I do but laugh? Maybe I was too shell-shocked, but it looked like he was more traumatized by the X-rated performance than I was.
I set the sketch pad on my desk and then leaned against it while Salem glued himself to the divider wall between the living room and kitchen.
“I can’t apologize enough,” he went on. “When I saw the open door and you didn’t answer, I thought you were in trouble.”
Yes, trouble. My hero saved me from an orgasm. I probably didn’t hear him over all the splashing.
I stifled another laugh. “It was kind of you to return it.”
“I knew it was important for your project.” Salem stared at a random mirror on the wall.
That’s when I realized he couldn’t look me in the eye.
“Why did you come into the bathroom?”
He raked his teeth over his bottom lip. “Most accidents happen in the bathroom,” he said matter-of-factly. “People hit their head all the time after slipping in the bathtub or stepping out.”
I erupted with laughter and shielded my face in a failed attempt to stifle the laugh. The more I tried to stop, the worse it got, and I sounded like a hyena.
“I should go,” he said.
After a loud snort, I wiped my eyes. “Please don’t worry about it.
I was surprised is all.” My voice quavered as another laugh escaped.
After a deep sigh, I decided to rectify the situation since we would likely be seeing more of each other.
Although at this point, I had to wonder how much more of me he could possibly see.
“Care for a drink?” Rather than waiting for an answer, I swiftly walked past him into the kitchen, lit a candle, and set two beer bottles on the table.
Salem meandered in and seated himself at the table while I popped the lids off the bottles.
I claimed the chair beside him and crossed my legs. “Where are you originally from?”
“Erie, Pennsylvania. You?”
“Nebraska. Born in Omaha but moved to Kearney. I love the warm weather down here much more. As long as my air conditioner keeps running,” I added. “Do you, um… have any kids?”
He shook his head, which piqued my interest.
“Not to pry, but isn’t Joy’s baby yours? I just assumed since Atticus is a Vampire and you two were together just before them.”
After sipping his beer, he rested his arms on the table. “Joy and I faked a relationship.”
My eyebrows practically jumped to my hairline. “What?”
He tugged at the collar on his shirt. “She was with child when we first arrived, and we had a better chance joining the pack if it looked like we were mated. You can only keep up the charade for so long.”
“Oh. So you pretended to be her mate to join a pack?”
“Not really. It was to help her and the baby find a safe haven.”
This man really was a saint. My admiration for him grew with each conversation, yet I still wondered how he’d gotten tangled up with Joy and why he felt obligated to fake a marriage. Maybe they were old friends.
Salem picked at the label on his bottle. “I can’t discuss all the details, but I owed her a favor.”
I took a swig of my beer. Favors were binding. “If you only did it for her, why did you stay with the pack after she got mated?”
He shrugged. “A fresh start. People need me here, and it’s nice to have a home.”
I clasped his hand. “I know exactly how you feel.”
I got chills from a glimmer of excitement that spiked in his emotions.
His eyes swung up to mine. “Where’s your family?”
After withdrawing my hand, I tapped my fingernail on the bottle. “That’s… a long story. Maybe on our second date.”
Salem stared at the candle, and I wondered what he was thinking. Quiet men must have a lot going on in their heads.
“How about some grapes?” I stood, and when I faced the fridge, I lost my balance.
Salem’s chair noisily scooted back as he caught me.
Once I gripped the cabinet, I forced him away. “I’m fine. Just accident-prone sometimes.”
His skeptical gaze said otherwise as he searched my eyes. “Does that happen a lot?”
“I’m fine. Really. Maybe I’m dehydrated from soaking so long, and the beer isn’t helping. I should’ve made apple cider, but I didn’t think you wanted to wait that long. Guys always want a beer when you offer them a drink. Do you like hot apple cider? That’s my favorite.”
Gripping my shoulders, Salem guided me back to my chair. “Have you eaten today?”
“I had three square meals.”
He sat with his chair facing me. “Do you always lose your balance?”
“It’s nothing. My animal wants out.”
His brows knitted. “What’s your animal? I’m asking from a clinical standpoint.”
I chuckled softly. “Well, she’s a wolf. Uh, a different kind of wolf.”
He canted his head. “What kind?”
“Have you ever heard of a maned wolf?”
Salem shook his head. Of course he hadn’t. Few people had.