room, finally landing on Candace. His expressio

a shard of ice. She refused to let him see the sting of

other word. He disappeared down the hallway to his "wing" of

ming. He hadn't asked if she had settled in. He hadn't asked if she need

he heard the faint sou

ngering scent of her aunt's house, wash away her anger at this c

a palace of marble and chrome, with a walk-in shower large

ld water sputtered from

temperature controls on the wall, but nothing worked. The water

area. Grabbing a fluffy white towel and her change of clothes, she padded quietly out of her room. The sound of runni

o flip the switch, not wanting to announce her presence. The sound of the shower

es adjusting to the dim light

en she

r of the shower, a tall, masc

uge. He was in here.

lently as she had come, when the glass door slid open. He was reaching for

er. His back was to her, a wide expanse of smooth skin and defined muscle

untary gasp es

ers. He was standing there, water sluicing down his lean, hard torso, an

p them, and her face flooded with a heat so i

er heart hammered against her ribs as she ran back to the safety of her room, the

tirred within him, a direct response to the shock in her wide eyes and her panicked flight. He clenched hi

a new, unexpected tension now

there was a soft knoc

hrobe, her hair still dry, hesitate

g low on his hips and a simple black t-shirt. His dark hair was still damp, curl

d. His voice was neutral, but she saw a glin

point of the wall just past his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I

. The simple movement stretched the soft cotton of his t-shirt, d

is better in that