One Insatiable(29)

“Where are we going?”

“You’re covered in clay. Let’s go inside and shower.”

Damn, this girl. “Won’t your relatives… object?”

“Nobody’s home but me and Aunt Penny, and she goes to bed early when Dylan’s out of town.”

I watch as she steps into the jeans again and pulls them over her hips. That scrap of lace is in my hand, and when I stand and pull my jeans back over my hips, I slip it in my pocket. She doesn’t say anything. The button-up is back over her shoulders, but she only fastens the middle two buttons. I’m wondering how every single thing she does is so drop-dead sexy to me, when she reaches for my hand again.

Taking hers, I allow her to lead me across the lawn, straight up the massive white steps leading into their mansion. She doesn’t stop once we go through the door. I look around the expansive foyer. It’s as big as some people’s houses. Dark wood flooring leads to another room beneath the double staircase. It’s all painted wood, columns, and arches, with a round table and chairs in the center.

We go up the right staircase to the second floor. She’s still holding my hand as she leads me down the wide hallway to her bedroom. It’s a beautiful room, with vaulted ceilings of exposed wood. An arched window is off to the side beside a small fireplace, and an enormous king-sized four-poster is against the far wall.

“Sweet,” I mutter under my breath. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen luxury like this.

Mercy doesn’t even stop. She steps out of her clothes, leaving them in a pile beside a tall armoire. Only the sight of her naked ass could snap me out of inspecting this place. She’s gone into her large bathroom, and I follower her.

It’s all beige stone with an elevated, jetted bathtub in the center. Mercy goes to the glass-enclosed shower and steps inside, turning on the water. Three different showerheads begin shooting out streams of water, and curls of steam start to rise.

She turns to me, and my eyes move slowly down her body. “Slip off your clothes and put them over there.” She points to a small closet in the corner of her bathroom.

I follow orders and once my clothes are gone, I walk across the warm tile floor to the shower. “Warm floor,” I say.

She pulls the tie out of her hair, and it falls at once around her like a dark curtain. “Nice in the winter.”

Tossing the hair tie onto the counter, she goes directly into the spray. I watch as the water runs down her body, flattening her hair, making her skin shimmer. For a moment, I only watch as she smooths her hands over her head, arching her back and lifting her breasts. The sight of her, her movements are better than anything I’ve ever seen on film or television.

She stops moving when she sees me watching her and drops her arms, walking to the door and pulling me inside. “Get in here.”

She wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me under the spray with her. It’s warm, and I simultaneously relax and heat up when she presses her lips against my chest.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?”

I nod, cupping her breasts in my large hands and smoothing my thumbs over her nipples. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a place this nice. Never with someone like you.”

She places her hands on the ink of my arms, a panther on one, a network of symbols on the other. All remnants of my wasted career. Her eyes hold mine, and I know the truth. When she tasted my blood, she got the whole goddamn story. I don’t know how I feel about that.

“A few nights ago, you slept outside my window. Outside at the tree line.” She tightens her hold on me; her body is flush against mine.

I’m holding her, sliding my hands around to the arch of her back, thinking of all the things I wish I could give her. All the things I wasted when I had them in my grasp. Her statement isn’t what I’d expected at this moment.

“I wanted to be sure you were safe.”

Her expression warms, and she rises on her toes to hug me, moving her body against me the way she did in her little studio. “I’ve never slept so well as I did that night. I didn’t know you were there. I only knew I felt utterly safe, completely protected.”

“I’d never let anyone hurt you.” My head is lowered, and I kiss the side of her face.

She leans back, studying my mouth. “Not even poor Jim.”

“Oh, man.” I lift my chin, inwardly cringing again. “That was unexpected.”

That response seems to please her. She grins and speaks in that low purr I love. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know. I’ve seen you do it.” I nod. “You’re an ass-kicker.”

“Still…” she nips my lip. “I like knowing you’re watching over me.”

Sliding my hands down, I cup her ass. Our bodies are slippery against each other.

“I could make love to you all night,” I growl. The shower has washed all the clay away, and I want to carry her out to that enormous bed and spend the night doing just that. At the same time, I have something else nagging at the back of my mind. “But I can’t stay with you tonight.”

She makes a pouty face, and I lean down to kiss her long and deep. She hums in a contented way, and I grin down at her. “You’re pretty f*cking addictive, you know that?”

“You’re the first person I’ve ever wanted to say that to me.” She turns and shuts off the water, opening the foggy glass door and getting us both thick, white towels.