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The scrunching of bags pulled me out of sleep and I wiped the drool off my chin and turned onto my back, covering my eyes with my forearm. “What time is it?”
“It’s a little after three,” Steve’s voice announced from nearby.
“In the afternoon?” I tilted my head back, peering under my arm. Steve was seated in his recliner with the newspaper in his hands. He glanced in my direction and nodded. I sat up and rubbed my face. “Why didn’t someone wake me?”
“Valerie said you held a force field around the house until dawn. I figured you needed the sleep,” he said and folded the paper.
I scanned the kitchen for the noises that woke me and found it empty. I swung my legs over the side of the couch. “Where is everyone?”
“The girls just came back from shopping. Tom’s working out and I have no idea where Damian went.” He stared at me. “Interesting combination there.” He pointed his chin toward the folded clothing and tossed the paper onto the side table.
I didn’t say anything. Instead, I reached for the jeans and slipped them on before I got out from under the covers. “Do we know how long we’ll have house guests?” I asked, folding the blankets neatly. The answer would drive whether I stowed these in the washing machine or on the ottoman in the corner of the room for tonight.
“I don’t know, but Jen extended the invitation for them to stay until they close on their house. She seems to like helping with the babies.”
“Raven likes helping, too,” I said and headed to my room to get a clean pair of clothing. Without thinking I opened my door and got an eyeful of satin and lace.
“Get out!” Raven snapped, but it wasn’t her I was staring at.
Valerie turned towards me in only a bra and panties. I wasn’t sure if the dress she held was going on or coming off, but I didn’t care. The view was outstanding.
“Christopher James,” Raven said again, calling my attention away from Valerie.
I blinked and stepped into the room. “I need a change of clothes. Besides, she’s got more coverage than some of the chicks we see on the beach.” I didn’t wait for the okay, instead, I crossed to my dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans and clean underwear before walking out. It took everything I had not to try for another quick glance before the door closed behind me.
I dialed the shower into the warm zone and stripped, stepping in after brushing my teeth and using the toilet. The soap smelled fresher this morning than I remembered and I wondered if it was just the fact I had a good night’s sleep or if it was something else heightening my senses. I mused over that while I did my hair and then I just stood under the spray with my palms on the cool tile, letting the water cascade down my back, the sensation was hypnotizing.
The curtain rattled and my eyes snapped open. I stood, getting a face full of water and coughed out the spray that had gone into my mouth. Valerie tilted her head at me.
“Since you decided walking in on me was okay, I thought I’d take my turn at getting an eyeful.”
She went to close the curtain and I grabbed her wrist, pulling her under the spray with me before she could escape. The jeans and t-shirt she’d donned soaked through in seconds and I raised an eyebrow.
“Chris!” she shrieked and tried to break my grip.
“You made the questionable decision to come into the bathroom. You’re fair game now.” I pushed her into the corner and blocked her escape from the warm water by planting my arms on either side of her. “Want to play doctor?” I said and grinned.
She smacked my chest and the corners of her lips twitched into an unwanted smile. “Don’t be an ass. Just let me out of here.”
I glanced at her wet attire. “I think you’ll have to take that off in here. No sense in dripping all across the house.” I was beginning to thoroughly enjoy this game.
She reached for the controls and I gasped when the water turned frigid, jumping away from her and out of the spray.
“That was mean,” I said and she flashed a wicked grin at me and slid out of the shower, leaving me to dance around the cold spray in order to turn off the water. When I pushed the curtain aside, I fully expected an empty bathroom, instead, Valerie was in the process of peeling her jeans off.
She turned and threw the wet denim at me.
“You mind hanging those from the shower rod for me?” The grin that danced on her lips was enough to spark an interest, and it didn’t go unnoticed. I dropped the jeans on the floor and reached for the towel, but she snatched it off the rack first.
“Uh-uh. ‘Mr. I’m too sexy for my shirt’. Hang the pants first, then maybe I’ll give you the towel.”
Damn it all to hell. Now I was self-conscious and aware I was naked and responding to being near her. My lack of control was embarrassing and she was enjoying toying with me the way I had toyed with her in the shower.
I scooped up the wet fabric and wrung it out over the shower drain and neatly hung it from the curtain bar before turning back to her.
“You have an exceptionally nice ass,” she grinned and handed me the towel.
I chuckled and rolled my eyes even though her brazenness caught me off guard and my face flushed with heat. “So do you,” I said, and wrapped the towel around my waist.
She peeled off her shirt and tossed it to me. “Can you hang that as well?”
I wrung the shirt out and repeated hanging it neatly over the bar. When I turned back, she had a towel wrapped around her and two more wet garments that she deposited in my hand before leaving me with her soaking underwear. I slung them over the rod and shut the bathroom door.
This time I locked it.