Tom looked startled, that adorable worried expression crossing his face again. “Oh. Uh, I haven’t tidied up. If you don’t mind that…”
“I won’t judge,” I promised, grinning. Since I had to keep the middle of the room free, my studio apartment was a tiny, cluttered space. In comparison, Tom’s house was roomy and spotless. “But I want your hands free to hold me—not your nose.”
Tom laughed. “Okay. It’s down there. The door with the little anchor on it.”
Of course he had a little flat metal piece of art shaped like an anchor hanging on his bathroom door. I tried not to laugh as I pushed the door open.
Then I moaned softly, spotting the roomy shower and a rainfall shower head. “Holy crap!” I called down the hallway. “You’ve been holding out on me!”
Tom appeared in the kitchen doorway, grinning sheepishly. “I always thought it had enough room for two. Though I’ve never gotten the chance—” Then his eyes flew open as he looked panicked. “I mean, not that I’m inviting myself in. I’m going to make the coffee now. Towels on the shelf. Bye.”
He fled to the kitchen as I clung to the doorframe with giggles. Finally, I managed to call after him. “I invited myself to the wedding—I think you’re entitled to invite yourself wherever you want.”
The noise he gave in answer was studiously noncommittal. Like he didn’t quite trust his self-control.
God, how I wanted to strip and appear in the doorway to lure him in like a siren. If he were just a hookup, I’d already be naked and on my way. But with Tom… it was different.
I wanted to take it slow.
As I slowly undressed, I let myself probe that thought some more. Why? What was it about this man that fascinated me so much?
The answers, on the surface, were easy: he was adorable and available. But it wasn’t just that. I’d gone months without dating, and I’d always been fine with that.
All of a sudden, that had changed. Our lives had collided, and my well-crafted act had collapsed. I’d spent long enough going to clubs and then rejecting every man who tried. Just like I’d tried accepting every man who’d given it a shot, and that hadn’t led to happiness, either.
Unlike the rest of them. Tom wasn’t pushing. But he also wasn’t wandering away, already bored and looking for the next guy in line. No, he was something quite different.
Tom was special, and I wanted this to go somewhere. Not just anywhere. From the moment I’d first laid eyes on him, he had captivated me.
He wasn’t the usual bored, irritated father of the bride. He cared deeply for Beth, and he clearly hated the groomsmen, like I did. He had manners, but he also had made his desires clear.
It felt like being romanced, old-school.
I beamed as I stepped into the glass shower cubicle, looking around the blue-and-cream tiled room like it held the answers to who Tom was. The mirror was large and square, and to my eyes, the room was perfectly neat.
What did he mean it was untidy? Did he scrub the dust away with a toothbrush?
Cologne and skin cream sat on the bathroom counter, shower gel and shampoo on the ledge of the shower. Okay, maybe the laundry basket was full, but I couldn’t hold that against him.
Fascinated by these little details about him, I suddenly realized that he was going to be waiting for me with coffee. Better get a move on.
So I turned on the water and moaned as the rainfall head over me soaked my hair straight away, pounding gently across my shoulders to wash stress and sweat away at the same moment.
I didn’t have soap with me, so I hoped he wouldn’t mind and popped open the bottle of body wash on the shelf. I brought it to my nose to sniff and smiled as citrus and something more mellow met my nose.
Instantly, I smelled Tom. That was his secret.
I memorized the brand so I could get a bottle and conveniently leave it in my bathroom. Then I took one more sniff, squeezing the bottle. The bottle burped an air bubble of gel straight up my nose.
“Oh, God!” I coughed and swiped at my nose, snorting like an elephant. Citrus burned the back of my throat, and I couldn’t stop coughing.
“Rusty?” Tom’s voice outside the door sounded concerned. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I croaked, huffing through my nose again to try to clear the body wash that definitely didn’t belong in there. “Fine, thanks!”
And then my brain chimed in. Tom was right there, on the other side of the door, considering coming in…
No, I scolded myself, blushing. Pretending to need his help was not the best way to get naked with him.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” I added.
“Okay! Coffee’s ready.”
“Can’t wait.” I moaned and squirted gel over my palm to scrub myself down quickly. That smell would help clear my nose, surely.
This was the best shower I’d ever been in. It took me every ounce of self-control to turn it off again a few minutes later, once I was squeaky clean and smelling like Tom. Now that the stuff wasn’t invading my throat and mouth, it felt like being wrapped up in a warm hug of his scent.
After toweling off vigorously, I stepped into short-shorts I’d chosen because they hugged my muscled thighs and clung to my ass. Then I pulled on a thin white T-shirt and came out to join Tom.
It was totally worth the effort of a shower, when I saw his gaze flicker down to my toes, along my extra-long legs, and with great difficulty back to my face.
I preened my hair as I strutted to the counter and sat on one of the stools. “That’s an incredible shower.”
“And an incredible… shower user.” Tom pushed a cup over the counter and groaned. “Let’s pretend I didn’t say that.”
I giggled—hard. “Nerdy pickup line, but it works.” I fluttered my lashes and patted the seat next to mine.
Gingerly, Tom joined me. I could feel his interest, the way his body angled toward mine and he licked his lips. He put his hand on the counter right next to me, cradling his cup by his chest. “You’re really cute, though.”
Oh, come on. I took his hand and put it on my knee, where it clearly wanted to be. “Thanks,” I said, tilting my head and grinning at him. “So are you.”
Tom brushed it off like he didn’t quite believe it, raising one shoulder and laughing softly. He sipped his coffee, and for a minute, neither of us said anything.
We just kept sipping, inspecting each other and pretending not to notice the other’s gaze. Now and then we’d catch each other’s eyes and giggle nervously.
Oh, the chemistry was building between us. The nervous energy that hung in the air was thick enough to cut. And unlike the studio, I didn’t know how to banish it.
Something was brewing behind Tom’s eyes, but I didn’t know him well enough yet to predict it.
Was he nervous about his first time with a man? I could make it easier. It was second nature, really. All he had to do was trust himself—just like in dance.
“So,” Tom finally murmured. “I saw Beth today for supper. I’m worried about her. Jason’s a real jerk, and I can’t get her to see that.” He rubbed my knee gently, pure affection in the touch.
That’s right. He has other things to think about than you, idiot, I reminded myself. Or is it good that he’s sharing his thoughts with me? I frowned sympathetically and put my hand on the back of his, walking my fingers up his arm until I touched his shoulder. “Oh? Sorry. That must be a lot on your mind.”