VEE

I intend to talk to Heath, but when I reach the upstairs hallway, I spot Joss’s open bedroom door. He sits on his bed, staring out of the window with his back to me. I thought he was resting?

I sense something’s wrong—I did the moment we met up outside the storage units because he barely said a word and struggled to hide panicked emotions. He spent time in conversation with Xander, and the guys left Joss with me and Seth as they checked out a different area in the facility. When I asked Joss why he didn’t go too, he pointed at Seth and smiled. But something in his eyes remained distant.

Joss doesn’t move when I walk into his room. Only when I stand between him and the window does he look up. His face matches Seth’s for tiredness, exhaustion lines drawing his face. He regards me with dull eyes and forces a smile.

"I thought you were resting?” I ask.

"Nah, I just wanted a break from everything.”

I sit on the bed beside him and take his hand. "You’re cold. Are you okay? Do you guys get sick?”

"No. Must be the weather.”

I place a hand on Joss’s head and move to cup his cheek too. Cold skin. "Tell me the truth, did something happen earlier?”

He moves my hand and places it on my knees. "Nothing serious. I thought I saw someone or something when I was checking out the storage place, I passed out and Ewan found me.”

I take his hand again. "Joss! Why didn’t someone say something?”

"Because it’s nothing. We looked and there was nothing there. I must be tired, and my mind’s playing tricks.”

Joss swallows and blinks rapidly.

Hmm.

"Don’t lie to me, please, Joss,” I say in a quiet voice.

"I’m not. I genuinely thought I saw something weird in the air around, but Ewan didn’t. I was a bit dizzy, maybe overtiredness?”

I can’t imagine a Horseman suffering a dizziness to affect him like this. "Fine.”

"Vee...” Joss touches my face with cold fingers. "Sometimes I have weird dreams, and my mind plays tricks on me. We’ve been on the go for days, maybe there is a point of exhaustion we reach, and the dreams joined the daytime.”

Is he trying to convince me or himself?

"Was it me?” I ask. "Did us having sex do this? Did I hurt you?”

Joss laughs and holds my face in both hands. "Far from it. You know that.”

I hold his face in return and place a soft kiss on his mouth, but he pulls away. "I think I’ll rest.”

Joss is exhausted, but there’s more happening here. I can’t feel the same affection he had for me the night in his study. This isn’t like Xander’s deliberate closing down, but as if his interest in what’s happening around him is buried.

"Maybe you’ll feel better if you do. Xander has plans to meet up with Taron’s friends later. You might need your energy.”

Joss swings his long legs around on the bed and settles back, hands laced behind his head. Toned abs peek out from beneath his T-shirt and I bite down the desire to explore them again. Joss on the bed? Tempting.

"Tell him I’ll be down when I feel up to it.” His words and closed eyes shut down any chance of following my thoughts through.

"Talk to me if you need to, Joss,” I whisper and kiss his forehead. "I’m worried about you.”

"I will.”

He doesn’t open his eyes.

He will talk to me, whether he likes it or not. I know something’s wrong. I’m pissed off nobody told me everything about the incident, especially after Xander’s words about not hiding things. I guess that doesn’t include me. I grit my teeth. We need to work on the trust issue - on both sides.

My thoughts turn to Heath I shake my head at the situation. They love and care for me, always ready to step in if I need anything, but I do the same to them. I’ve seen them interact as a family unit rather than four guys sharing a house, and I add something different to the dynamic. I’ve become the glue holding them together; I’m not something to break them apart. Hopefully this will be accepted soon.

Loud music pounds through Heath’s bedroom door, and when I knock, he doesn’t respond. Another one who wants his own space.

Tired and stiff after the days on the go, I grab my towel and head to the bathroom. I pull open the shower screen and turn the taps full, watching the steaming water pour down as I strip.

Bliss. I close my eyes as I stand beneath the water jet, inhaling the soothing scent of my lavender and geranium bodywash as I lather myself. The house has a bath, and I often eye it up dreaming of bubbles and long relaxing soaks but haven’t had a chance yet.

The bathroom door opens and someone walks in. Annoyed, I rub steam from the shower screen glass to see who’s invading my privacy.

Heath. He stops, hand on the door, and we stare at each other. There’s no disguising I’m in here since I’m plainly obvious through bubble-streaked glass.

"Heath! I’m in the shower.”

"I can see,” he replies. "You should’ve locked the door.”

"You should’ve knocked.” Water continues to run down my hair.

The shower door opens and Heath grins at me. "Sorry.”

I splash water at him. "Sorry? You apologise by not leaving and instead take a closer look?”

Heath rubs the water from his face and draws a leisurely gaze from my breasts to my mouth. We’ve shared a shower before, and the memories dance happily into my mind as I attempt to stay cross with him. Impossible, especially when he pulls his T-shirt over his head revealing his too-hard-to-resist body and the promise of a repeat performance.

"I’ll leave if you want.” The water continues to trickle, and I stare back, lips parted. "Or I can join you?” He unbuttons his jeans. My pupils dilate and my nipples harden as he continues his slow steady look that tells me every intention.

"Depends what mood you’re in. I’m unwinding from the stress and conflict downstairs.” I push wet hair from my face.

"You could put me in a better mood?” he suggests, hands still on his fly.

Heath, the guy who does crazy things to my body when we’re in the same room and even crazier things when I’m in his arms, stands half-naked offering me more of a favourite addiction.

I move towards him and curl a damp hand around the back of his head to pull his face closer. "If you make it worth my while,” I whisper.

Heath laughs in a too cocky way as he slips out of his jeans and steps into the shower. He winds an arm around my waist, drawing me against him. I wait for a soft kiss, but the water splashes as Heath slams me back against the tiles, his hard mouth closing over mine.

My soapy body slides against his chest, as he pushes me harder into the wall, and kisses me deep and hard. My face smarts as his growth scrapes across my face, my lips swelling at the ferocity of his kiss. He lifts me and pushes one of his legs between mine, brushing against my slick centre. I grasp his shoulders and dig my nails into his skin as he grips beneath my legs, hands on my backside, as he circles his tongue around my breasts, teasing my already peaked nipples.

I grip his shoulders harder, and he looks up at me, the smug smile growing.

"I’m sure I can manage that,” he replies.

Water drips from his flattening hair and touches his lips. He licks the drops away, and the water plays over us as he assaults me with another toe-curling kiss. Heath slides his hand between my legs, and his mouth parts, his eyes filling with lust, watching my response as he strokes me. He pushes a hand against my sensitive sex, thumb on my clit, and I close my eyes, relishing the chance to fall away from everything happening outside this room and in our crazy world.

I grasp his hair in one hand and our lips meld, hot breath mingling. Heath swipes his tongue along my lip. "You taste so fucking good, Vee.”

The water runs down around us, and however hard we try to hide from the outside world, I know it isn’t far, for long. "Don’t stop.”

"No chance.” Heath roughly turns me around, and I almost slip before righting myself and pressing my hands against the wall. My head tugs back as he winds my damp hair into a ponytail around his hand. I lose my footing again, and he drops my hair, winding a strong arm around my waist to steady me.

Heath’s erection presses against my back, and the ache between my legs becomes unbearable. I push back against him, dipping my head forward.

"You’re so fucking beautiful, Vee.” He slides his hand between my legs again. "So fucking wet for me.”

He circles both my wrists in his other hand and holds my arms above my head, against the tiles, nipping and sucking at my skin along my neck and shoulders. He positions himself behind, and I shiver as I feel the tip of him against me.

Heath guides himself into me, and I tip my face upwards to the water pouring down on me. I can forget every other moment that happened today, every stress, every complication, and hang onto this perfect one with Heath.