Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,165

flooded me. Was I imagining things?

"Where's your washroom?"

"The community showers are across the hall," I replied while pushing back my disappointment. Huxley nodded before walking out the door and into the hallway. I suddenly felt very naked in his absence, so I wrapped my arms around my waist while scrounging the room for a towel.

"Come on, all the other Walkers are at work still," his voice called out. Not wanting to be undressed in his presence anymore, I found a towel on the floor and wrapped it around me before walking outside.

"Well, thanks for checking on me. I'll see you later," I said in a calm voice even though I wanted to crumble. I forced myself to smile and prayed that he wouldn't see how pathetic I felt. He was obviously struggling, and my first instinct was to turn this into something it wasn't. Hux bit his bottom lip and smiled before waltzing into the bathroom. "Get your pretty ass in here, Walker."

I stood outside the bathroom for a moment, shock and disbelief coursing through me. "I won't ask again," he growled through the door.

I shook free the doubt before walking inside. The washroom was nothing special. Three shower heads were mounted to the wall, creating an open space that lacked privacy. Huxley turned on the center one and steam quickly filled the small space. The stark white tile on the walls made Huxley's dark and tall frame stand out, and in one swift movement, he removed his shirt.

"Drop the towel," he ordered.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Instead of answering, Huxley stormed up to me and gripped the edge of my towel before ripping it away from my body. I shivered once the mist of the shower hit me.

"You little tease.” Huxley trailed his eyes down my exposed skin. “You wanted my attention—you got it."

I watched hungrily as he unbuttoned his pants and forced them over his muscular thighs. Once free from his clothes, I saw the proof of his attraction. It stood hard and proud beneath the thin material of his underwear. My eyes took in his form. Every dip, every muscle. I took in the gruesome scar on his leg and the burn mark on his forearm.

He thrust his fingers under the thin straps of my bra and plucked them from my shoulders, forcing the material down my arms. "I want to see all of you, Ash."

"Is this another one of your games, Huxley? Something for you to laugh about later?" I asked while reminiscing about our kiss in Dormas. Although it was just a ploy to get me to calm down, it was his cool indifference afterwards that I still hadn't quite come to terms with.

"What if it is?"

"Then you can leave," I replied with a shrug. Huxley's eyebrows shot up as if he wasn't expecting that response from me. His lip quirked up as if amused, and I saw his eyes brighten. Hux would never admit it, but I think he liked seeing me defiant. "I'd like you to stay—and not to distract me, either. If you thought you could whisk me off and pray I'd forget about what just happened, you're wrong."

Huxley looked up at the ceiling then crossed his arms over his chest. I didn’t care if he was mad. If we were doing this, I needed it to be real.

"Maybe it’s me that needs the distraction," he offered.

"You don't seem to be the type to need much of anything." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, that's where you're wrong." Huxley leaned in close and tenderly kissed my forehead before cupping my ass and lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around his hips and stared deeply into his eyes as he guided me towards the showers. With incredible strength and control, he pushed me against the cool tile wall as the hot water beat down on his back.

"I’ll only say this once. I need you, Ash." Huxley’s lips found mine as droplets of water fell down our cheeks. With one hand, he secured me against the tiled wall, and with the other, he trailed his fingers down my stomach. "I need to keep you safe," he said softly. "I need to know that you're okay because I can't fucking focus if you're not."

Huxley slowly lowered me to the ground. Josiah’s blood was already washed away and disappeared down the drain. He placed his index finger under my chin and gently lifted my head so that I was looking up at him. “So let me kiss you here.