Page 14 of Romancing His Heart

“Maybe the question should be, willyoumake it back to the bed?” He smirks.

Barely composing myself, I glance up. “I’ll be fine, but maybe you should hold off on your shower until I call Emory.” I take a step forward, attempting to usher him with me, but he holds his ground.

“I desperately need to shower, shortcake. I don’t remember the last time I took one, but I can promise you, we’re moving into official caveman territory here.”

“Oh, I do love a good caveman.” I grin before realizing what I said. “Ah, so … yup.” Changing tactics, I position him so he is at least leaning against the sink. “We’ve given you sponge baths, so hygienically speaking, you’re fine. But if you want to shower, we should still consult Emory first since you have that gaping hole in your leg.” I try not to look down. Blood and gore are not my things, but what keeps my eyes firmly on his face is the bulge I noticed when I walked in.

“Who gave me a sponge bath?” he asks, crossing his arms like we will be here for a while.

Good Lord, I wish it were me!

“Ah, well, I did your upper body,” I say evasively.

A slow, treacherous grin glides across Loki’s perfectly symmetrical face. His dark hair hangs low on his forehead while days’ old scruff glistens in the bad lighting. He has a dimple on his right cheek, and I imagine licking it.

“And what about my lower body, Red? Who sponged that?” His voice is low and sexy as hell.

The pads of my middle fingers and thumbs start tapping against each other as I look everywhere but at him. My body is itchy as the flush of a true Irish woman races across my skin. I pull the ends of my ponytail, tugging it tighter against my skull and buying some time as he lounges lazily against the vanity. His dizziness seems to have left the room, along with all the air.

Placing my hands on my hips, I narrow my eyes before answering. Loki thinks this is embarrassing for me, but he has no idea I’m about to flip his house of cards.

“Well, Ems and I started, but you kept mumbling about Red, and your lower half kept, er, waking up.”

Now it’s his turn to flush. Straightening his body, he responds, “As you said, it’s biology.”

“Yup, biology.” I mimic his stance. “That’s why we had to call in Preston.”

“That … Wait, are you saying Preston gave me a sponge bath?” His face distorts as he reconciles what he thought I was going to say and what really happened.

Crossing my arms and rocking back on my heels, I laugh. “Yup. I can’t say he was any happier about it than you look right now.”

“Preston washed my junk.”

“Dexter too.”

“What?”

I’m laughing so hard now tears are threatening. I know Loki has been friends with Dex, Trevor, and Preston since they were boys, but this goes above and beyond.

“Preston only agreed because Emory threatened to withhold sex. Then he told all the guys they would have to take turns. Dex drew the short straw the second time. Literally, they all drew straws. Ashton was up next, but then you woke up.”

“I don’t know what to say to that.”

Leaning in, I can’t help the insane urge to tease him. “Want to know if you got a boner with them?”

“Jesus Christ. No. No, I don’t,” he growls, and I swear, my clit responds.

Pushing away from the vanity, he turns to the door.

“No shower?” I laugh.

“Let’s not talk for a few minutes, okay?”

“Sure.” Falling into step, I wrap my arms around him in a U shape.

“Do you seriously think you’ll be able to catch me if I fall?” he asks, eyeing my arms skeptically.

“Listen, buddy. Before you hauled me into bed with you last week, I broke your fall, so yes, I think I can catch you. Or, at the very least, keep you from busting up your handsome face.”