by Alicia Rae
“Where are you going so fast?” Damon laughed behind me.
“To catch the shower first, so you can’t steal all my hot water again!” I chuckled, my stride never faltering.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Damon yelled and barreled after me.
I entered the bathroom and turned to shut the door, but Damon was quicker than me. He carefully pushed it open with only the slightest effort. Wearing socks, I slid across the tiled floor.
“Boyfriends and girlfriends are supposed to share showers,” he said with a wolfish grin. He began stripping off his clothes. “So, quit being selfish,” he added jokingly.
That body was my weakness. My mouth watered on the spot, and my jaw dropped. I was amazed at how comfortable he was with his nakedness. He was definitely not the shy type.
“You’re evil”—I shook my head, making him snicker—“for trying to distract me and all.” I forced myself to drop my own clothes while ignoring his heavenly body.
I felt his eyes lingering on me, and I thought two could play at this game, so I spun around and bent forward to turn on the shower. I wiggled my ass at him because I knew he loved it so. I reached my hand under the water to test the temperature as his hands connected with my bare skin.
“Oh, baby, you can’t tease me like this when we’re on a time schedule,” he chided, his tone laced with a deep, raw lust.
In jest, I gently slapped his hand away.
“Who’s being the evil one now?” He laughed.
“Serves you right.” I winked over my shoulder before stepping under the hot water. It felt delightful on my cool skin.
Damon entered behind me as I reached for the shampoo. He grabbed the bottle out of my hands and gathered me in his arms. His eyes glowed with the happiness I felt. He bent forward and gave me a scorching, toe-curling kiss, one that I eagerly returned. His mouth dominated mine while his body gently pushed me beneath the showerhead, effectively drenching us, before I found my back against the cool tile.
Desire for him spread within me, and all essence of time disappeared. I threw my hands around his nape and reveled in the sensations he awakened in me. Damon broke away, leaving us both breathing deeply. His skin glistened from the water pouring down the wide expansion of his chest. He brought his hand between us, lifting it, and his eyes twinkled with mischief as he shook his head.
“We don’t have time, baby,” he said in a heated yet amused tone. “We are on a schedule.” He smirked.
“Jerk,” I muttered under my breath, knowing he could hear me.
“Serves you right,” he repeated my earlier words. He winked naughtily.
I tilted my head at him, my expression full of amazement. “Guess you got me there, huh?”
He grinned. “Yeah, I did,” he replied, pouring shampoo into the center of his palm.
Damon set the bottle down, rubbed his hands together, and placed them on either side of my head while gazing into my eyes, almost as if he was asking for my permission. All I could do was nod because a man had never washed my hair before, and I was so taken by his gesture. He started lathering the shampoo into my hair. For such big hands, I was astonished by their tenderness. He stepped closer and cupped my neck with one hand, and he gently tipped my head back with the other, guiding me under the water. Next, he lathered me with conditioner and repeated the process.
I returned the favor, stretching all the way onto the tip of my toes to reach the top of his head. His hair was smooth and soft to the touch. Afterward, we washed one another’s bodies with the same deliberate movements as though we were exploring each other in a whole new way.
Damon and I exited the shower, dried off, and wrapped our towels around us. I strolled into my room and dressed in a beige halter-top dress. I came to a stop at the doorframe as Damon walked out in a black tee and his signature blue jeans. The look fit him so well.
We both reentered the bathroom. I stepped in front of the small mirror to brush my damp hair. Damon stood next to me and lightly bumped into my hip, jostling me to the right from his strength.
“Mirror hog.” He began combing his hair as he chuckled.
“Hey!” I exclaimed.
I steadied myself and then booty-bumped him right back, except he did not budge.
He tipped his head down at me with a humorous expression. “That’s one of the many benefits of being an ox.”
“Then, I guess I’m going to need to start building some muscle,” I retorted.
“Nah, we just need to find a bigger mirror,” he countered, looking back at it.
“That might be doable.” I beamed.
Damon and I finished getting ready and took turns in front of the mirror, stealing glances at one another at every opportunity.
I smiled over at him, loving how domestic yet fun our morning had been so far, and I looked forward to having an afternoon with him by my side at my family’s house.
Just as any couple would…
My heart beat faster at the thought.
We pulled into my parents’ driveway, and Damon put his truck in park. After exiting the vehicle, the two of us made our way up to the front door.
I knocked once before entering. “Hello?” I said, walking inside.
Caroline was the first to greet us. “Gail!” She wrapped her arms around me for a brief hug and then drew back.
“Hi, Caroline.” I smiled affectionately at her. “How are you today?”
“I’m good,” she answered, looking over at Damon apprehensively.
“This is my boyfriend, Damon. He’ll be joining us for dinner.” I set my hand on his shoulder. “Damon, this is my dear sister, Caroline.”
Damon extended his hand to her and offered a kind smile. “It’s great to meet you, Caroline.”
Caroline shyly stared at Damon. After a few seconds, she shook his hand quickly before dropping it. “Hi,” she stated quietly.
Seeing my sister’s uneasiness from meeting someone new, I went to stand by her side, hoping to make her feel more comfortable.
“How was your swimming class this morning?” I asked as we entered the living room, knowing she always swam at the YMCA on Sunday mornings.
“It was fun,” she answered, looking between Damon and me before focusing her attention on just me.
I sat on the sofa, and Caroline parked herself at my left side. Damon took a seat in a nearby rocking chair, observing us intuitively.
“We practiced the breaststroke today,” Caroline added.
“Ah,” I acknowledged, remembering that difficult stroke. It was my least favorite of the four, but it was Caroline’s favorite. “You always have been good at that one.”
“Are you on the swim team?” Damon asked her softly.
“Yep.” She beamed over at him. “I have been on the team since I was seven years old.”
“That’s really great.” Damon smiled at her. “I swam on my high school and college team.”
Caroline’s jaw dropped in shock. “You were accepted on the college team?” she asked in amazement.
“Yeah.” He nodded with gentle eyes. “In my sophomore year of college, we even made it to nationals.”
“That’s awesome!” she cried. “Did you win first place?”
I gazed between the two of them with equal affection and awe. My sister never interacted with anyone she did not know very well, so seeing Caroline converse with Damon about a passion they shared made my heart blossom.
“Ah, not quite.” Damon laughed. “But we did get fourth.”
“Cool!” She smiled and then suddenly frowned. “I wish I could get fourth place someday.”
“You can do it,” he reassured her. “You just have to keep swimming every day to get stronger and faster.”
Caroline nodded thoughtfully as my parents came in the back patio door. Mom smiled brightly and set a platter down on the table before walking over to us.
The three of us stood.
“Hi, honey!” she said, coming over to hug me.
“Hi, Mom.” I squeezed
her. “I missed you guys.”
“We missed you, too,” she responded, pulling back. Her eyes danced over to Damon. “And who’s this handsome young man you’ve brought with you?”
“This is my boyfriend, Damon,” I said, keeping my voice as even as possible while my mind reeled over the term.
I stepped back, so they could shake hands.
“Hi, ma’am.” Damon smiled at my mom. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Bennett.”
“Likewise, dear.” She beamed, glancing between the two of us, as they withdrew their hands. Her eyes sparkled. “Gail, I didn’t realize you were even dating someone. How did you two meet?”
Oh, you know, we just live together.
Thank goodness Damon swooped in and saved me. “We met through Abbey. She is engaged to my brother, Jason Johnson,” he clarified.
“Oh, how wonderful!” she exclaimed.
“Hello there, young man,” my dad said, walking up to join everyone.
“Dad, this is Damon, my boyfriend.” I pointed over at Damon. “Damon, this is my dad, David.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Damon said, shaking his hand.
“Likewise.” Dad smiled. “I hope you came with a healthy appetite. Kathy and I have been cooking up a feast on the grill.”
“I did.” Damon let out a laugh. “Food is a man’s best friend.”
“Without question,” my dad agreed with Damon before turning to face me. “I see you chose a good man.” Dad grinned my way. “He can stay.”
“Glad to see you approve based on his eating habits, Dad.” I laughed, stepping forward to hug him.
“Well, how about we all go out back and relax a bit until the food is finished?” Mom asked, gesturing to the patio.
“Sure,” I responded.
Mom, Dad, and Caroline sauntered toward the door, and Damon and I followed behind them. I let out a deep breath now that introductions were out of the way, figuring the rest of the afternoon would go smoother now that I could relax.
“Thanks for saving me back there with my mom,” I whispered so that only Damon could hear me. “You’re my hero.”
Damon looped his arm with mine. “Anytime, sweetheart,” he murmured back. Then, he leaned into me. “So, I take it she doesn’t know we are living together?”
“Uh, that would be a negative,” I replied, stalling on the right side of the doorway.
My family was already sitting at the table, just out of sight.
Damon stopped to let me go ahead of him. “So, I have to keep a secret from your parents,” he said, making more of an assumption than a question.
His words hit me hard.
If I told my parents that Damon and I were living together, it would raise many more queries, and I was not ready for that. Not only because our relationship was new, but it would also lead to me having to explicate how our arrangement had started out as a financial one. And if my mom and dad were aware of my current money struggles, they would not want me to help out anymore. Caroline would suffer the ultimate price, and that was something I could not bear to be responsible for.
I kept my expression neutral while hating the notion of lying to my loved ones as I looked over my shoulder at him. “For now, that would be best,” I agreed.
Damon neared, and I spun on my heels to face him.
“Oh, you so owe me for this one, sweetheart. Big time,” he teased in my ear, not catching my inner turmoil.
“And how’s that?” I gaped at him, happy to play along.
He stepped toward me and pointed to his mouth. His eyes reflected mischief. “For starters, I haven’t had a kiss in hours.”
I threw my arms around his nape, stretched up on my toes, and kissed him senseless until butterflies fluttered in my belly. I could not believe he was here at my family’s house with me.
“Did that settle my debt?” I breathed against his mouth, drawing back.
He deliberated for a second and then grinned impishly at me. “Eh, it’s a good start.”
I pretended to be offended, and I playfully poked him in his rock-hard abs, which probably hurt my finger more than him. “No more kisses for you today then.” I smirked before walking off.
He laughed and headed outside after me.
Damon and I joined my parents at the patio table. Caroline was playing with a soccer ball in the backyard. Soccer was something she had always wanted to play as a child, but she never did, other than around the house, due to her hectic swimming schedule.
The four of us made small talk while watching my sister. My dad asked Damon about his job, and he told my dad about some of the projects he had worked on. The two of them then kicked off a conversation about sports while my mom and I chatted about some basic upkeep she was planning to start soon on the house.
After having a nice dinner outside, I kept my parents company at the table while Damon joined Caroline at her picnic table. I observed the two of them, and she appeared to be sketching in a white notebook. She tore a sheet of paper out for him, and she handed him her pencil. Damon started drawing while speaking softly to her, and she watched him intently. Once Damon finished, he handed the pencil back to her. With a huge smile on her face, she glanced between her paper and his while she mimicked the drawing on his paper.
“I’ve never seen Caroline take to someone so quickly before,” my mom said, her voice thick with emotion.
“Me either,” I agreed softly, keeping my gaze on Damon and Caroline.
“Don’t let that man slip away, Gail,” Mom said affectionately. “I hope he’s a keeper.”
I rotated to face her. “I hope so, too,” I admitted under my breath, allowing myself to think about the future for the first time.
~Damon~
Days had passed since visiting Gail’s family, and I really thought they were all truly great people. The only part that had irritated me was Gail keeping our living situation a secret from her mom and dad. I had questioned her several times about her reasoning for doing so, but she would dodge all my efforts. It made me feel as though she was ashamed of me, of us, or maybe she did not want to let me into her life that prominently. I also guessed it was due to her wanting to keep her personal life private from her family, which didn’t make much sense to me. But all be damned, I was going to get to the bottom of it and make her open up to me, so I could know what was going on inside that head of hers. We were dating, for Christ’s sake, and I would not tolerate any secrets between us.
I leaned my hip against the kitchen counter and crossed my arms over my chest while lost in deep thought, knowing she would be walking through the front door at any second since she had texted me before leaving work. Sure enough, Gail walked in and shut the door behind her. She looked sexy as hell, wearing her pink scrubs, but I pushed away the compulsion to go over and kiss her.
We were going to talk.
Then, I would kiss her.
Gail took off her shoes and slowly ambled to the kitchen counter, eyeing me with every step. Her expression showed that she seemed to know what was coming.
“Hello,” she said with nerves lacing her voice, halting in front of me.
“Hello,” I responded.
Gail’s eyes searched mine, and the mere sight of her took everything I had not to let my questions go and carry her off to my room.
“Everything okay?” she asked, placing her hands at my sides.
“It will be,” I murmured, reassuring myself more than her. “After you answer my questions,” I added.
She shifted her head from side to side with an exasperated sigh. “Not this again,” she said softly, leaning into me.
“Oh, yes, again,” I refuted, keeping my irritation in control. “This time, you’re going to answer me and stop being evasive about why you can’t tell your family that we are living together.”
Her brows rose at me. “And what makes you think that?” she said.
I wanted to throw her sassy behind over my shoulders and take her to bed. I loved that sweet mouth of h
ers. It turned me on, but at the same time, it drove me crazy. I admired the way she challenged me. It kept me on my A-game. I shook away the idea and reined in my dirty thoughts.
“Because there will be no secrets between us, Gail,” I replied matter-of-factly.
“I already told you, it’s not a secret,” she sighed.
“Then, why won’t you tell me what your reasoning is?” I countered, feeling pissed off that she was still not letting me in.
“We just started dating, Damon, and our living arrangement has nothing to do with our relationship.” She then frowned as if her answer did not make sense even to herself, but she had no other explanation.
“Yes, it does,” I disagreed.
“Oh, it does, does it?” Anger flared in her eyes. “Thank you for clearing that part up,” she added, turning on her heels to walk away.
Fuck. I gently grabbed her arm and pulled her to me, yearning to feel her body against mine.
“No, that didn’t come out right.” I shook my head in frustration. “You and I being roommates in the beginning was what led to us dating. It does not have anything to do with us now,” I explained, setting my hands on her waist. “What I want to know is why you won’t tell your parents that we’re living together,” I added, going back to my original objective, refusing to be deterred.
“Because of the fact that we are roommates. My parents won’t understand, and it will lead to more questions from them.”
Her effort to dodge my direct question made me wonder again if all this had to do with her finances.
Her hands came to either side of my face, holding it. “All I can tell you is that part has nothing to do with the way I feel about you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she replied ambiguously.
Her clarification didn’t help me. “That answer isn’t good enough though.” I lowered my forehead against hers and gently tightened my hands on her hips. “I need more from you.”
I gave her a moment as she looked to be debating with herself.
She was so strong and independent. While those traits were admirable in a woman, I fucking hated being in the dark and arguing with my girl. I needed her to be more forthcoming with me.