far.”
Lord, this man makes it hard to keep myself guarded around him.
Pulling off his shoes and socks, he stands and scoops me into his arms before stepping into the shower, fully clothed. He holds me tightly as the warm water cascades over us. The heated water against my cold skin feels like a dozen tiny pins stabbing me.
I whimper and turn into him, burying my face in the crook of his neck, forgetting everything for a moment as the water finally begins to thaw me. He doesn’t put me down, just grips me tight as we stand in silence under the unrelenting spray until I feel a hundred times better than before.
“You can put me down now, I’m good, I promise,” I tell him with my lips against his ear, smiling when I feel him shiver.
It looks like I’m not the only one affected by our close proximity.
“What if I don’t want to?” his sexy voice rumbles in my ear.
“Well, it will make washing my hair really tricky,” I point out, as he sighs.
He slides me down his body, making me very aware of the fact I’m only wearing a soaking wet bra and panties. There is no mistaking the effect my scantily clad body is having on his.
I watch on shaky legs as he loosens his tie, pulling it free and tossing it in the corner. Next, he opens the cuffs of his shirt, followed by buttons running down the front of it. Pulling it away from his skin, he exposes his smooth tan chest, a nicely defined six-pack, and a little trail of hair that disappears into the waistband of his pants.
“You okay, Skittle?” he asks with an amused smirk on his face.
“Skittle?” I question, trying to focus on anything other than the half-naked man in front of me.
And now he’s taking off his pants.
My nipples pebble, and it has nothing to do with the cold.
“Your skin and hair are a kaleidoscope of colors. Skittle seems like the perfect nickname,” he says with a smile, now standing in nothing more than a black pair of Calvin Klein boxers.
“Plus,” he leans down and whispers in my ear, “I really can’t wait to taste the rainbow.”
I laugh then groan when the cut on my lip pulls.
“Shit, sorry. Come on, let's get you cleaned up, then I’ll get some ice for your face.”
I turn and reach for the shampoo, which he promptly snatches from my hand.
“Hey,” I scold, but that quickly turns into a moan of appreciation when he pours some onto his palms and begins to massage it into my scalp.
I stand there docilely and let him wash my hair, rinsing off the soapy suds before conditioning it, all without a single word of protest. I might be wary of where this thing between us is going, but I’m not crazy enough to say no to a hot guy washing my hair. Especially when said hot guy is my husband.
“Okay, so you are definitely earning brownie points for this, not gonna lie.”
He chuckles quietly behind me. “Good to know, Skittle. Are you feeling better now?”
I turn to face him and feel my stomach clench with need at the look in his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I whisper.
His fingers trail up my arm, toying with the strap of my bra, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Trust me?” he asks softly.
I shake my head no, making him chuckle again.
“Let me prove myself. I won’t hurt you, sweetheart, I promise. I just want to take care of you.”
I stare in his eyes as he watches, waiting for me to take a leap of faith.
Okay. Damn, am I going to do this? The last time I was naked with this man, things got kind of wild. But I promised I’d give this marriage a shot. How will I know if it will sink or float if I don’t give it everything I can?
Nodding, I wait to see what his next move will be.
He takes a step closer to me, his front brushing against mine, his erection thick and heavy between us, but we ignore it for now. Reaching behind me, he deftly unclips my bra and slides it down my arms, pulling it free and tossing it into the corner.
My chest rises and falls rapidly with each ragged breath I take, but I don’t take my eyes from Asher’s, letting his heated gaze keep me grounded and in the moment.
Without looking away, he hooks his fingers into the side of my panties and oh so slowly