Star Cursed (Zodiac Wolves #2)(37)

Kaden turned to face me, his eyes blazing. "We both know if we’re in that bed together, we’re not going to be sleeping."

I swallowed as the tension that had faded between us made a sudden and valiant reappearance. "Would that be so bad?"

I took a step forward, and to my surprise, Kaden didn’t move back. His eyes smoldered as they took me in, and I waited with bated breath for whatever he was going to say next.

Then a knock came at the door.

“Who is it?” I asked, but my voice came out breathless. I cleared my throat, embarrassed that my reactions were so telling.

“I brought you up that food,” the lady’s voice said, just as cheerful as she’d been downstairs.

Kaden shook his head and turned away. Whatever he’d been about to say, he wouldn’t do so now.

I opened the door to find the woman standing outside, a tray of food in her hands. At the sight, my stomach growled, and I gratefully smiled at her. “Thank you so much."

She arranged the tray on a wooden desk with spindly legs in the corner, then headed for the door. “Eat up,” she said, waggling her eyebrows with a nod to Kaden. "I think you'll need it."

I blushed, realizing she probably thought we’d spend the night making good use of the bed and all those pillows. I didn’t have the heart to tell her we weren’t together when she seemed to be our biggest supporter. “Have a good night,” I said as I closed the door.

I sat at the desk, and Kaden joined me after a brief pause, pulling up the other chair. Together, we tucked into the meal—chicken with potatoes and Brussels sprouts. I normally hated Brussels sprouts, but tonight I loved every bite, I was that hungry. I didn’t stop to think, just stuffed my face until my stomach was sated.

Once we were done, there was nothing stopping us from going to bed. We both stared at the thing, neither one of us ready to take the first step toward climbing into it. I swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of how close Kaden was, and how much I wanted him even closer.

Kaden's eyes raked over me with obvious hunger, but then he jerked his head away. "You can have the first shower." He stood and moved to the window, pulling aside the thick, flowery curtain. He peered out as if making sure no enemies waited outside. "Get yourself cleaned up."

"Good idea." I tore my gaze off of him. A shower. Yes. I did need to wash the blood and sweat off my body before I got in bed. My last real shower had been before I tried to escape the Leos, and since then I'd only had a dip in a lake and some quick bathroom cleanups.

I slipped into the bathroom and closed the door. Looking at myself in the mirror made me cringe. I had blood dried all along one side of my face, and my red hair was a tangled, stringy mess. Why the front desk woman hadn’t turned us away on sight, I didn’t know. I bet I smelled as good as I looked too. No wonder Kaden didn't want to fuck me.

I turned on the shower, which looked more modern than the rest of the house, thankfully. Of course, it still had that 1950's pink tile everywhere, but at this point, I'd take whatever I could get. At the first touch of hot water on my aching body, I couldn’t help the moan that came out of my throat. I closed my eyes and tipped my head back, allowing the water to sluice through my hair and along my skin. I reached for the provided shampoo and lathered my hair up, rinsing out the blood and dirt that had accumulated over the last few days. Then I did a quick wash of the rest of me, already feeling a thousand times better. I couldn't wait 'til we rejoined the Ophiuchus pack wherever they were hiding and I could have regular showers again. Other wolves didn't care as much as I did about cleanliness, but—

The shower curtain jerked open, and I screamed like someone in a horror movie. The sound cut off when I saw Kaden standing there, staring at me with hunger in his eyes. He didn’t have a shirt on. Typical.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my heart racing, and not just because he'd startled me.

His gaze lowered, devouring every inch of my naked body as the water ran over it. Then his eyes snapped back to mine and they smoldered with pure, carnal need. "I don't know. But I'm tired of fighting this."

My mouth fell open, but I was stunned speechless as his hands slid to the front of his jeans, popping open the top button. As they hit the floor, his cock jutted forward, rock hard and straining toward me. An answering flush of desire went through me, and I stepped back to give Kaden room to step into the shower with me.

He took a moment to rinse himself off under the shower, removing all traces of blood, and then turned back to me. His hands caught my face as the water slid over us, and I looked up at him, holding my breath. Expecting him to come to his senses and walk away again.

But he didn't.

"I'm done resisting."

Kaden's mouth crashed down on mine, and it was like a dam bursting free. He devoured me with his kiss, holding nothing back this time, claiming me with every stroke of his tongue. Our bodies collided, our wet skin slipping together, and I smoothed my hands against his hard chest. I was finally allowed to touch, and I wanted to sample every single inch of him.

His fingers tightened around my hips, and then he pressed me against the cool tile at my back. I broke the kiss with a gasp at the sudden change, but he immediately captured my mouth again, his kiss demanding. Hungry. Like he needed something only I could give him.

He slid his hands down to cup my ass, and then he was lifting me, wrapping my legs around his waist. No foreplay. Neither of us needed it. I grabbed onto his shoulders as his cock rubbed against my wet folds, lining up so easily, our bodies remembering how perfectly we fit together. Then with one hard thrust, he was inside.