The Return
Page 24
She froze in the jetted tub for a few seconds—seconds that felt like the longest of my life but still not enough time.
She was tucked into one of the rounded corners of the tub, her knees breaking the whirling water. Her hair was pulled up, but light-brown and blonde tendrils snaked around her neck, sticking to her damp skin. My gaze followed the longer strands that traveled well beyond the slope of her shoulders. As I tall as I was, I had a clear view into the tub. At that point, I should’ve looked away. Maybe apologized. That’s what a decent person would have done.
But I was not a decent person.
So I looked my fill.
I’d been right. She’d been hiding some major assets under the baggy sweaters. Gods, the top half of her was perfect. They were more than a handful, but not overly large, with creamy swells and rosy pink tips.
Sweet. That’s what came to mind. Everything about what I saw was sweet.
Then she moved.
Josie shrieked as her arms shot out and over her chest. Water flew like a little rocket had hit the tub. She curled up, pressing her knees against her arms, covering all that glorious skin. “Oh my God! What are you doing?”
Good question. For a moment I’d forgotten why I’d come in here. “I was making sure you didn’t drown yourself.” My voice was deeper, rougher.
Her wide eyes narrowed on me. “Well, obviously I didn’t drown myself.”
No. No, she had not.
“Have you ever heard of knocking?” she demanded, her gaze doing a quick scan of the room. “And I locked that door.”
“Knocking is…cumbersome. And locks are annoying.”
Her brows rose quickly, and I was fascinated by the way a pink flush spread across her cheeks and down her throat. I bet it flowed over her breasts too, but unfortunately, she had them covered. A moment passed. “You’re still in here,” she said.
“I am.”
Her lower lip thinned. “You shouldn’t be. It’s rude.”
“Is it?” I leaned against the doorframe, getting comfortable.
“Yes! I’m in a bathtub. And naked!”
My lips curved up. “You are most definitely naked.”
“That’s the point!” she shouted, and my grin spread. “What? Do rolly-pollys not have basic manners or any personal boundaries?”
“Apollyon,” I corrected absently. “And like I said, I’m not good with boundaries.”
“Whatever.” Her voice pitched high.
A chuckle rolled out of my throat, surprising me. I needed to get out of here before…before I did what? Stripped off my clothes and joined her? Parts of me really liked that idea, but that wouldn’t be smart.
Josie wasn’t some girl I had picked up for a few hours.
Forcing myself to move, I turned, but her voice stopped me. “Seth?” she called, and I looked over my shoulder at her. Her tongue darted out, wetting her bottom lip, and I swallowed a groan. She had no idea. “Your eyes…they’re kind of glowing.”
“They do that sometimes.”
She looked like she wanted to ask another question, but seemed to remember that she was naked in a bathtub. I really needed to get out of the room. Grabbing the virtually useless doorknob, I stepped out and shut the door behind me.
“Damn,” I groaned.
I was as hard as I was the first time I saw breasts, and that was a long time ago. I thought I might even be harder this time.
What was I doing here?
Adjusting myself sure as hell didn’t ease anything. I walked over to where I’d left the beer and grabbed the bottle. Taking a long drink, I wondered how I’d ended up in this place, at this very moment, with a naked chick a few feet from me, and I wasn’t in there with her.
My life was completely out of my hands.
Laughing out loud, I dropped back in the chair and kicked my feet up on the bed as I rested the bottle in my lap. That shit was funny. Since the day I’d been born, I hadn’t had an ounce of control over my own life. I’d been groomed to be an Apollyon, which meant I was trained like any other Sentinel.
Truth was, if Apollo released me tomorrow from the deal I’d made and told me I had control of my life, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. Hell. I didn’t know who I really was anymore.
The Elixir, a special brew that had been used to sedate halfs who went into servitude, was gone now. So were a lot of the rules, but I hadn’t been around the Covenants or in the communities to see how much things had changed. I doubted they’d changed very much at all. I guessed I’d be finding out soon enough.
I glanced over at the bathroom door, exhaling softly. She’d been in that bath long enough to be a prune by the time she climbed out. What a shame to wrinkle all that pretty skin.
Now I was thinking about all that pretty skin.
And I’d seen a decent amount of it.
Had I thought she was plain before? Plain and pretty? I was reevaluating that observation when the bathroom door finally opened and Josie emerged.
Oh for the love of the gods hiding in Olympus, she was wearing a robe. Not even one of those awful terrycloth, unisex robes a lot of hotels had. That wasn’t how this hotel rolled. She’d found a thin, silk one that had been hanging on the bathroom door. It was cinched tight in a way that drew attention to her small waist and rounded hips.
The robe was beige and damp in interesting areas, like right below her navel, above the belt, and in the valley between her breasts. She sucked at toweling off. Not that I was complaining. My gaze moved to her breasts. Her nipples were clearly visible, pressing against the thin material.
She was tucked into one of the rounded corners of the tub, her knees breaking the whirling water. Her hair was pulled up, but light-brown and blonde tendrils snaked around her neck, sticking to her damp skin. My gaze followed the longer strands that traveled well beyond the slope of her shoulders. As I tall as I was, I had a clear view into the tub. At that point, I should’ve looked away. Maybe apologized. That’s what a decent person would have done.
But I was not a decent person.
So I looked my fill.
I’d been right. She’d been hiding some major assets under the baggy sweaters. Gods, the top half of her was perfect. They were more than a handful, but not overly large, with creamy swells and rosy pink tips.
Sweet. That’s what came to mind. Everything about what I saw was sweet.
Then she moved.
Josie shrieked as her arms shot out and over her chest. Water flew like a little rocket had hit the tub. She curled up, pressing her knees against her arms, covering all that glorious skin. “Oh my God! What are you doing?”
Good question. For a moment I’d forgotten why I’d come in here. “I was making sure you didn’t drown yourself.” My voice was deeper, rougher.
Her wide eyes narrowed on me. “Well, obviously I didn’t drown myself.”
No. No, she had not.
“Have you ever heard of knocking?” she demanded, her gaze doing a quick scan of the room. “And I locked that door.”
“Knocking is…cumbersome. And locks are annoying.”
Her brows rose quickly, and I was fascinated by the way a pink flush spread across her cheeks and down her throat. I bet it flowed over her breasts too, but unfortunately, she had them covered. A moment passed. “You’re still in here,” she said.
“I am.”
Her lower lip thinned. “You shouldn’t be. It’s rude.”
“Is it?” I leaned against the doorframe, getting comfortable.
“Yes! I’m in a bathtub. And naked!”
My lips curved up. “You are most definitely naked.”
“That’s the point!” she shouted, and my grin spread. “What? Do rolly-pollys not have basic manners or any personal boundaries?”
“Apollyon,” I corrected absently. “And like I said, I’m not good with boundaries.”
“Whatever.” Her voice pitched high.
A chuckle rolled out of my throat, surprising me. I needed to get out of here before…before I did what? Stripped off my clothes and joined her? Parts of me really liked that idea, but that wouldn’t be smart.
Josie wasn’t some girl I had picked up for a few hours.
Forcing myself to move, I turned, but her voice stopped me. “Seth?” she called, and I looked over my shoulder at her. Her tongue darted out, wetting her bottom lip, and I swallowed a groan. She had no idea. “Your eyes…they’re kind of glowing.”
“They do that sometimes.”
She looked like she wanted to ask another question, but seemed to remember that she was naked in a bathtub. I really needed to get out of the room. Grabbing the virtually useless doorknob, I stepped out and shut the door behind me.
“Damn,” I groaned.
I was as hard as I was the first time I saw breasts, and that was a long time ago. I thought I might even be harder this time.
What was I doing here?
Adjusting myself sure as hell didn’t ease anything. I walked over to where I’d left the beer and grabbed the bottle. Taking a long drink, I wondered how I’d ended up in this place, at this very moment, with a naked chick a few feet from me, and I wasn’t in there with her.
My life was completely out of my hands.
Laughing out loud, I dropped back in the chair and kicked my feet up on the bed as I rested the bottle in my lap. That shit was funny. Since the day I’d been born, I hadn’t had an ounce of control over my own life. I’d been groomed to be an Apollyon, which meant I was trained like any other Sentinel.
Truth was, if Apollo released me tomorrow from the deal I’d made and told me I had control of my life, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. Hell. I didn’t know who I really was anymore.
The Elixir, a special brew that had been used to sedate halfs who went into servitude, was gone now. So were a lot of the rules, but I hadn’t been around the Covenants or in the communities to see how much things had changed. I doubted they’d changed very much at all. I guessed I’d be finding out soon enough.
I glanced over at the bathroom door, exhaling softly. She’d been in that bath long enough to be a prune by the time she climbed out. What a shame to wrinkle all that pretty skin.
Now I was thinking about all that pretty skin.
And I’d seen a decent amount of it.
Had I thought she was plain before? Plain and pretty? I was reevaluating that observation when the bathroom door finally opened and Josie emerged.
Oh for the love of the gods hiding in Olympus, she was wearing a robe. Not even one of those awful terrycloth, unisex robes a lot of hotels had. That wasn’t how this hotel rolled. She’d found a thin, silk one that had been hanging on the bathroom door. It was cinched tight in a way that drew attention to her small waist and rounded hips.
The robe was beige and damp in interesting areas, like right below her navel, above the belt, and in the valley between her breasts. She sucked at toweling off. Not that I was complaining. My gaze moved to her breasts. Her nipples were clearly visible, pressing against the thin material.
