ROSE CALLOWAY
I didnโt go back to sleep. I decided to take a shower before the rest of the house wakes up. The bathroom is my hell. I think itโs the third or second circle. Scott Van Wright, a devil in disguise, stands firmly in the first.
A chest-high tiled wallย barelyย separates one shower from the other. As though we need to high-five while weโre shampooing our hair.
I wash quickly, but I have a particular routine: scrub beneath my nails at least twice, rinse, shampoo, wash, condition, repeat. Iโve already finished with those steps. But I still have others to do.
I prop my foot near the hot-and-cold knob and shave my leg. I slow down to avoid cutting my ankle or knee.
And then the door swings open.
I drop my leg, warm water dousing me from the showerhead.ย Please be Connor.
I process that sudden realizationโthat Iโd want it to be him, out of everyone, thatโd Iโd hope for it. Even if it would pull him away from his business project.
I hate that Iโm attracted to a man who thinks love is nothing but a weakness. But I also adore that thereโs no one else remotely like Connor Cobalt in the world.
And Iโm the one who has him.
When I look back up,ย Scottย is already halfway inside, heading to one of the sinks in the center. He barely acknowledges me, just turns on the faucet and starts brushing his teeth. I solidify to stone. And I only move to cover
my chest with my arms, standing underneath the showerhead, as though the downpour of water will clothe me.
I should ignore him and just go back to shaving, but I canโt reawaken my taut muscles.
I shouldnโt watch him either, but I find myself scanning his features quickly. Messy dishwater blond hair, scruffy jaw, and reddened eyes from the early morning.
He spits into the sink, and his gaze meets mine as he wipes his mouth with a towel. โYes?โ
โI didnโt say anything.โ My voice is not even a little kind. I donโt know how to defrost the ice that clings to each syllable, even if I wanted to.
โYouโre staring.โ This fact gives him permission to lower his gaze to the misted shower glass.
I donโt look away. I will not come across as a frightened bird.
โI wondered if you were a bush kind of girl. Now I know.โ He tops it off with a half-smile.
I purse my lips. He canโt seeย thatย much detail through the glass. โYouโre a pig.โ
He tosses his toothbrush back in a cabinet underneath the sink and leans against the porcelain rim. โAnd Lo calls me Mr. Hollywood. Do you all
have a thing with nicknames?โ
โLoren also told you to eat shit in the same breath, so I wouldnโt gloat.โ
His grin never falters, in fact it widens. โYou forget that every curse word, everyย pigย and insult is another notch for ratings. So keep โem coming, honey.โ
He prefers to provoke Loren since heโs fishing for drama. Heโd like for me to curse him out too. Maybe I should seal my lips shut and let him deal
with the silence. We could still have great ratings without being nasty. But itโs harder for me to be nice than mean. However awful that seems.
Scott steps closer to the showers, and my eyes tighten as I glare so hard. I continue to hide my breasts with my arm, but everything else is exposed. I could reach for the towel, but surrendering is not an avenue Iโll take. Iโll look foolish and scared, whichโll sit like dead-weight in my stomach.
Heย slowlyย steps out of his pants. โWhat are you doing?โ I ask.
He cocks his head. โTaking a shower, Rose.โ He motions to the
available โstallโ beside mineโthe one so close that we could practically high-five. โDo I need your permission?โ
โYes.โ I straighten my shoulders. โAnd youโreย notย getting it.โ
He laughs. โI was just being a dick when I asked. I donโt really care about your permission.โ
I donโt really care about your permission. His words gnaw a hole in my brain. I hated him before. I think Iย loatheย him now.
He removes his white shirt, and my eyes linger on his abs for point-two seconds. Theyโre okayโฆ Defined, but more โI lift too many weights and drink a shit ton of protein shakesโ sculpted than the natural โthis is my body. Iโm just fucking hotโ look. Which all three guys in the house possess in spades (even if they allย doย work out together).
My loyalties lie far, far away from Scott Van Wrightโand even a simple compliment about his body feels like kissing a pig who shit in my yard.
I catch a glimpse of his red briefs. This is not okay.
Fuck it.ย Whereโs my towel?
I go to reach over the glass door to retrieve the cloth off the hook, but Scott snatches itโand it slings right out of my grip.
You have got to beโ โThatโsย myย towel.โ This isย notย okay.
โNow itโs mine.โ Scott acts modest all of a sudden, tying it around his waist so he can shed his underwear.
I fume. Outwardly. Steam may as well be blowing out of my ears. โWhat no peep show this morning?โ
โWeโll save that for the bedroom,โ he says. And winks. Heย winksย at me.
My insides shrivel in repulsion. I think he just poisoned my uterus.
He takes off his briefs, all while keeping the towel snug around his waist, and then he kicks his underwear to the side. His eyes pin to me, a smile playing at his lips. Yes, he is naked underneath that towel.
And yes, I am very much naked in the shower right now. Iโm not quite sure things could get much worse.
โSorry that phone call took so long, darling.โ Connorโs voice emanates from the doorway. โThe partners wouldnโt stop talking about finger paints.โ
A sudden wave of relief crashes into me. My teammate has arrived to tag me out of this disaster. Somehow he saw or heard Scott in the bathroom and came to retrieve me. Maybe he finally realized that I can finish his projectย forย him.
Thank you. Iโm out of here.
And then Connor says, โMy shampoo, is it in there?โ
That relief is squashed by anxiety. I understand now. He wants to come into the shower. He plans to beat Scott this round and push our relationship to a place where it should already be. I try to pump my chest with more confidence, but he still wants to hop in here with me. And in order for Connor to win, I canโt be shocked by his arrival. I canโt push him away like heโs less than my boyfriend. I need to be as comfortable around him as I should be. I canโt say โwaitโ like I did downstairs. I have to let him keep
going. Full speed ahead. No fucking brakes.ย Grow some bigger balls, Rose Calloway.
Yes, I think I can do this.
I scan the shelf with an arrangement of female and male hair products. I find his black bottle that costs more than my conditioner and body wash put together. โYour precious shampoo is here,โ I say in my usual biting tone.
โYou shouldnโt insult my shampoo. Iโve been told my hair is my second best feature.โ He ignores the fact that Scott still stands outside the second shower, his hand on the glass door, frozen as he watches.
I only notice Scott from the corner of my eye. He waits for one of us to acknowledge his presence. And I refuse to entertain his snide comments.
Even though, really, itโs more than rude to be bathing in a communal shower together. I know Lily has already done itโฆthough in her bathing suit. And I wouldnโt be surprised if Daisy has too with her new boyfriend (that no one has met yet).
I want to not care and just โgo with the flowโโIโve never really been like that.
Connor quickly unbuttons his shirt and tosses it aside, now only in black slacks. As he nears my shower, heโsย clearlyย taller than Scott.
Connor combs his hand through his hair. โItโs thick, fullโsomething to grab onto.โ
Is he still talking about his hair? My eyebrows rise at him in question, and he shows off a million-dollar grin. I stare at his crotch, unabashed about looking now.
โAnd whatโs your first best feature?โ I challenge.ย Your cock, most definitely.
โMy ass.โ His smile widens. And with this, he steps right out of his pants and boxer-briefs. Completely fucking naked.
The glass door still separates our bodies, but Connor has just shed his clothesย rightย in front of Scott. And he doesnโt even care. He acts like the producer deserves none of his attention, as though heโs as low as weeds in cracked pavement.
Connor is the sexiest heโs ever been.
He opens the shower door confidently, and I try not to shy away. No man has ever seen meย thisย naked and thatโs all about to change.
And in order to give Scott the middle finger, I canโt be alarmed when Connorโs naked body comes into contact with my naked body.
Thereโs just a whole lot of naked in this scenario. With no room for fear.
Fearless nudity. I do like the sound of that.
I pull my shoulders back and drop my arm as Connor steps inside, careful to block my exposed body from Scott. He closes the door behind him.
His tactic to neglect the third-party works for the most part. Scott stands outside of his shower stall, justย watchingย us in curiosity, as though heโs considering grabbing a video camera. If he does, I will snip his fuckingโฆ
My thoughts trail off as soon as Connor nears me. His eyes drop, climbing from my bare legs and rising higher and higher. His gaze momentarily pauses on the spot between my thighs, and I swear he smiles ever so slightly. Places that no man has ever touched ache for hard pressure. All because of his stupid smile. And those eyes, I suppose.
They heat me as much as the shower steam, his blue irises ascending
once more from my feet to my breasts where he lingers. I check the state of my nipples. Erect.ย Of course.ย My pulse speeds crazily, and each bead of water scorches my skin.
And yet, I donโt want to move. I want to stand right here and burn with this fire.
Connor closes in, and his hardness brushes against my belly. I feel so short without high heels on. I look up. The water rains down on his body, where his muscles curve in hard, defined lines, leading to his cock. Just seeingย thatย stirs something deep inside of me, the heat and his body numbing my brain.
A strongย needย heightens, the kind that would like a real dick and not a rubber oneโthe kind that Iโve snubbed for a long, long time. This is something I would have fantasized about at sixteen in my bedroom. Connor Cobalt entering my shower like a dominant god, his intelligence trouncing mine for a long, stimulating moment.
He reaches over me, grabbing his expensive shampoo, and his arm rubs against my shoulder. My chest collapses. Just like that.
I donโt breathe.
I canโt move.
Iโm surprised my brain hasnโtย completelyย shut off. But then I would really be pissed. My brain has never ditched me before, and like hell the first time would be because of a penis.
Fearless nudity. Right. I suck in a breath and command my confidence to return.
โYour project,โ I whisper to Connor. He needs this time to work, not guard me from the sleazy producer. Normally I would protest against the backup, but I wish, more than anything, heโd stay right here.
โI finished it,โ he says, his face naturally unreadable. It could very well be a lie, but Iโd rather not reignite that argument.
The other shower turns on, and I hear the water splash against the tiles. Scott decided to make this situation more awkward. Iโm about to look over
and shoot him one of my signature death glares. But Connor rests a hand on my bare hip and maintains my position here in front of him. He stands between me and Scott, the chest-high wall also adding a bit of a barrier between us and the producer. I pull a wet strand of hair off my lip. Despite being shielded by a six-foot-four muscular man, my fury ejects. โNice of you to wait ten minutes, Scott. If my shower ends up being cold, Iโm going toโโ
โWhat? What are you going to do?โ Scott says in amusement, most likelyย smirking.ย โAssault me with your nails? Claw me? Please do. And be sure to forget the towel when you come into my shower.โ
Uhโฆfuck.ย I suddenly realize that giving Scott attention is the equivalent of kicking Connor to the ground.
My boyfriend can be the bigger person in most situations. I tend to take the low road.
Connor lets his annoyance pass through his features. His jaw sets tight and his eyes flash hot atย me.ย Just when I wonder if heโs going to punish me, as he once said heโd do, he returns to his shampoo, actually washing his hair.
Disappointment floods me. Is it bad that I wished he punished me
somehow? I guess I should go back to my routine thenโฆ I bite my gums, trying not to be distracted as I grab my razor. But heโs much larger than anything Iโve put inside me, and heโs only semi-hard.
โSo whatโs your job title at Cobalt Inc.?โ Scott asks Connor.
โInterim CEO,โ he replies civilly. I think Scottโs just trying to provoke Connor.
โSo itโs temporary?โ
โProvisional, momentary, brief,โ Connor lists with a casual tone. โMore synonyms for interim in case you need them.โ
Scott snorts but has nothing to fling back in my boyfriendโs face.
I concentrate on bathing. I still have to shave my leg. And that means bending overย in frontย of Connor. He continues to hide me from Scott, so I
have no clear view of himโthankfully. I donโt want Scott to see my ass. He can look at Connorโs all dayโyou know, since itโs hisย best feature.
Maybe I can skip shaving. I shudder.
Fuck it.ย Iโve come this far. Iโm naked in a shower with a naked man. I can bend over a little. I lather soap on my leg, and then I lean over to finish shaving. My bottom rubs against his dick, and I go to stand up and scoot forward, away from him, but Connor puts a hand on my back, forcing me to stay down.
His other palm caresses the soft flesh of my ass. And then he squeezes me hard, and I hear the warning in his gripย donโt give Scott anything of yours.
I wince and canโt help but smile, loving that he cares. He alternates between a forceful grip and a soft one, rubbing and clenching, nearing the spot between my legs. Not yet entering. My arms shake as I attempt to shave, especially when he massages my bottom and then slaps it.ย Ahhโฆfuck meโฆ
Why does that feel so good?
He releases his hand on my back, allowing me the option to stand, but his fingers perilously dip to the crease of my ass.
He lowers them. And I yelp, a sound that hasย neverย left my mouth before. Iโve just been startled out of my fuckingย mind. Holyโฆ I knick my kneecap, drawing blood, and stand up straight, causing Connorโs hands to fall from me.
Scott laughs. Heโs fuckingย laughing, which only pummels me with more guilt and shock. I just rejected Connor right in front of Scottโis that what it looks like? I slowly turn around and meet Connorโs complacent, composed and most importantlyย unreadableย expression. I channel so many apologies through my face. Iโm using facial muscles that have been static for the past twenty-three years.
Scottโs chortles still scald my eardrums. Out of haste, I try to turn on the producer and curse him out, to ineloquently explain how it wasnโt just Connor. If any man tried to do that with me, they would have been met with the same alarmed response.
But Connor pinches my chin and forces my gaze on him. Our eyes connect on a different level. The world becomes small.
No Scott.
No shower.
No rush of water or nakedness. Just me. Just him. Just us.
Together again.
Desire blankets and pulses and shrouds me in its heady web. Wants and urges bubble, feelings that have been caged since we moved to the townhouse. It all springs to life, and I see the longing swim in his deep blues.
We havenโt gotten off in a while. I havenโt masturbated in our bed, fearful of the noises catching on microphones outside the walls. And Connor used to masturbate in our shower, which has become complicated with the communal style here.
Weโre both horny as hell.ย Especiallyย after arousing each other downstairs.
And then his thumb brushes my jaw, my lower lip, and slides into my mouth.
An audible noise of consent, of yearning and delight escapes. Itโs a moan that I am not so quick to catch this time.