Page 57 of To the Chase

Worse? My knees nearly buckled.

I backed up, bracing myself against the tile wall. What did worse mean?

And why did I like the sound of it?

My thighs clamped together as heat swelled between them, and I slammed my hand over my mouth to stifle the whimper trying to escape. This was too much. I couldn’t bear it.

His footsteps slowed. He was in the bedroom. So damn close. He’d find me any moment. The door was locked, but this was his house. If he wanted in, he’d find his way.

“This house isn’t that big, Bea,” he said, his voice lower, amused, dangerous—so unlike the Tore I knew. A delicious edge of fear sent lava through my veins. “There are only so many places to hide. I’ll find you. And when I do…”

What? What would he do?

My jaw trembled from the massive rush of adrenaline flooding my system.

The doorknob jiggled. I squeaked and slid to the side until my shins hit the edge of the bathtub.

He laughed, like he could see me. Like he knew the wild mix of turned-on and panicked churning inside me.

“You locked me out?” Another laugh, low and threatening. “That’s cute, Bea. Really cute.”

I slapped both hands over my mouth to muffle a moan.

Oh my jumping junipers, by the time he made it into the bathroom, I’d be nothing but a puddle.

I’d barely had a second to accept my fate when the doorknob rattled harder.

Click.

Oh no.

No, no, no!

The lock gave way, and the door crept open with an eerie creak. As a sliver of his face came into view, my legs finally began working again, and I bolted.

I wasn’t thinking straight. Instead of trying to get past him, I ended up in the massive, glass-enclosed shower on the other sideof the room. It was big enough to fit a whole family. My heart wasn’t galloping so hard I failed to notice the built-in benches, steam vents, and multiple showerheads. I would have loved to partake in the luxury, but since I was about to meet my doom, I guessed that wouldn’t be happening.

I was a straight-up horror movie victim. Who closed themselves in a glass shower?The first one to die, that’s who.

Tore sauntered into the room, edging across the tile, his fiery gaze pinned on me. He’d taken off his glasses, adding to his fierceness. My Tore had been replaced by a hunter on the prowl.

He stopped on the other side of the glass, eyes locking on mine like a specimen to examine.

“There you are,” he uttered, low and ragged.

I raised my hand. “Hi.”

He shook his head. “Did you really think you could hide from me in here?”

I pressed myself against the tiled wall, trembling, giddy…so stupidly turned on I could taste it.

“Not really.” I licked my lips, parched. “I was hoping to delay the inevitable.”

Without warning, he lunged, yanking the door open.

I shrieked, jumping sideways, barely evading him as he grabbed for me. In my blind panic, I slapped the shower controls. Water exploded from every direction, soaking him in seconds.

He froze, while I had managed to position myself in the one corner the water didn’t reach.