Redemption Road (Vicious Cycle #2)(71)

“I see,” I murmured.

He made quick work of turning on the water and testing it with his fingers. When it seemed to his satisfaction, he turned back to me. I still sat on the toilet, shivering and trembling.

We stared at each other for a moment. Rev jerked a hand through his hair. “Yeah, uh, I guess I better let you get in now.”

When he started to go, I grabbed his arm. “Wait. I need help getting out of this dress.”

His eyes flared at my request. It wasn’t a come-on in disguise. I had needed the help of one of our maids earlier that night to get it zipped.

Instead of asking me to stand up, Rev bent over my back, bringing his hands to the zipper. Slowly, he tugged it down. As the front gaped open, I didn’t bother trying to cover myself.

Rev’s hands momentarily faltered, and when I looked up, I met his gaze, which was fixed on my bare breasts. I hadn’t needed to wear a bra because of the tight-fitting bodice. He cleared his throat several times, then tugged the zipper the rest of the way down.

There was not a doubt in my mind, heart, or body about how much I wanted him. I knew he expected me to want to take things slow in the sex department, but that’s not how I felt. Regardless of the ghosts of the past, I wanted him more than I had ever wanted any man. I wanted him to be the one who proved to me that sex was physically and emotionally safe. That it could be a loving act between two consenting people.

But with the roller coaster of feelings rocketing through me, it was more about an all-consuming lust and desire.

When Rev stepped back from me, I rose to my feet. The dress slid down my body and pooled at my feet, leaving me in only my panties. Both empowerment and vulnerability raced through me.

“Rev, I want you to look at me.” He shook his head and kept his gaze on the floor. “I said I want you to look at me,” I repeated.

“That’s not what this is about. It’s about you getting warm before you catch pneumonia,” he countered.

“I could care less about getting sick. Right now what I care about is seeing the man I love want me sexually. To look at me like he wants to devour me.”

His eyes, which burned with lust and unfilled desire, snapped to mine. “How can you ever doubt even for a second how I feel about you?”

I threw my hands up. “Because I’m standing practically naked before you and you won’t f*cking look at me!”

“We’re both teetering at the edge of uncharted territory. After everything you’ve been through, I would rather die than hurt you.”

“You hurt me more when you won’t look at me or touch me,” I protested.

With an agonized sigh, Rev finally allowed his gaze to rake down my body. There was no feeling of embarrassment or inadequacy. Just the look on his face warmed me from head to toe. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured.

Tears stung my eyes from his adoration. “I am?” I questioned.

He smiled. “Every inch of you.”

Closing the gap between us, I took his hands in mine. One I brought to my cheek and the other I brought to my breast. Rev and I both sucked in a breath as his fingers closed over my nipple. I cupped his face in my hands. “Please don’t ever stop looking at me like you want me.”

He shook his head. “Not wanting you sexually has never been an issue, Annabel. Every morning you lay beside me, I was hard as a rock. But I didn’t want you to think I could only see you sexually—that I was some sort of animal like Mendoza. I wanted you to see I cared about what was inside.” His chin jerked at the shower. “You better get inside before all the warm water is gone.”

“Get in with me.”

Although his hand remained firmly on my breast, his brows shot up in surprise. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Warm me up, Rev. I need you.” My hands went to the jacket of his tux. When I moved to slide it off his shoulders, he didn’t protest. As my fingers worked at the buttons on his shirt, he began to unbutton and unzip his pants.

When he slid off his pants, he revealed that even with a tux, he was going commando. As I stood there, staring at him, my heartbeat roared so loudly in my ears I was sure Rev could hear it. God, he was so beautiful. A wall of muscle that was decorated with multicolored tattoos. My gaze slid down his washboard abs to take in the dark dusting of hair below his hips, but, more important, his already large manhood, which wasn’t fully aroused yet.

At Rev’s chuckle, I glanced up in surprise. “It’s surprising that a lady like yourself would be staring at my package.”

“I can’t help it. I’m impressed.”

His eyes gleamed with male pride. “I’m glad to hear that.”

After I shimmied out of my panties, I stepped into the shower. Rev followed close behind me. The scalding water didn’t feel nearly as good as having him so close or feeling his eyes on me.

We stood there, breathing hard and staring at each other, for a few seconds. “I swore if you took me back, I wouldn’t move fast with you,” Rev whispered to me.

“Once again, it’s me putting the moves on you, isn’t it?”

He flashed me a wolfish grin. “I would have to say I’m a very willing participant.”

“All I know is what is happening between us or what is going to happen feels right. That’s all we can go by, right?”