Chapter Eleven
Having Gabe in her home felt…odd. Elle rolled her shoulders, trying to scratch without actually scratching. What she needed was a shower, but she didn’t particularly want to leave him wandering around her house, taking up too much space. She scratched the inside of her elbow and froze when he focused on the move. “You aren’t better.”
“It takes a while for the Benadryl to kick in.” But the reaction wouldn’t stop for good until she had this crap off her skin. “You want to watch some television while I jump in the shower really quick?”
His gaze skated over her, so intense it was as if he’d run his hand down the front of her body. Okay, wow. Maybe she needed to take a cold shower. Like, now.
“Living room is that way.” She waved at the doorway behind him and backed toward the stairs. “I’ll only be a minute.”
Gabe shadowed her retreat. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
Oh lordy. “I’m not alone. You’re here.” She motioned at the front room as she started up the stairs. “I mean, not here-here, but in the same house. If my throat starts closing, I promise to scream for help.”
“If your throat starts closing, you won’t be able to scream for anything.”
His words shouldn’t make her think of sex. They really shouldn’t. But, seriously, could anyone blame her? Here he was, stalking her up the stairs toward her room, and she couldn’t help but remember the last time they’d been in a bedroom together.
No. Bad idea. Really bad idea.
“Stop.” She held up a hand.
He didn’t stop walking until her hand rested against the middle of his chest. With her standing a stair above him, they were almost the same height. “I don’t need to be in the shower with you, but I’m not leaving you alone until you’re past this reaction.”
“You’re being paranoid.” Her voice came out breathy and low. Crap. Elle made an effort to sound normal. “And where, exactly, do you plan on waiting?”
Gabe grinned, the wolfish expression making the breath stall in her lungs. “The bathroom, of course.”
“Of course…”
She wasn’t sure how he did it, but the next thing she knew, she was sitting on the bathroom counter and Gabe was taking off her heels. “I really like these, by the way.”
“Oh.” Elle watched him unhook the second shoe, carefully sliding it off her foot. She could just imagine how he’d stand and pull off her shirt, then move on to each article of clothing until she was naked, all while using the same gentle touches. She shivered, trying vainly to keep her toes from curling.
“Are you okay? You aren’t having a seizure, are you?”
For a second she thought he was teasing her, but there was nothing except concern in his dark gaze. She pushed to her feet before she convinced herself that his stripping her was a fantastic idea. “I…” Her words trailed off at the look on his face, eyes gone nearly black with something like need.
Elle found herself holding her breath, waiting to see what he’d do. Would he insist on continuing to help her? God, what if he took her right here on the bathroom counter? She bit her lip, another shiver racking her body.
“Are you cold?” There was no mistaking the fact that Gabe knew exactly what the source of her shiver was. He braced his hands on her hips, his chest brushing against hers. “Elle, I asked you a question.”
He had, hadn’t he? “No, I’m not cold.”
“You need to get into the shower.”
“Yes, I do.”
His hands coasted up over her sides, taking her shirt off in a smooth move. As he tossed it to the side, Elle tried to come up with a protest. But what was there to protest? She wanted him to touch her more than she wanted her next breath. Gabe didn’t keep her waiting, tracing a single finger over the pink lace of her bra. “I like this better than your shoes.”
What was she supposed to say to that? “Thank you.”
Gabe moved back down to her skirt, undoing it carefully, the draw of the zipper unnaturally loud in the bathroom. Was she really going to do this? It was undoubtedly a mistake. A really big one. But, with her body practically quivering with need, Elle suddenly didn’t care.
He went to his knees and helped her step out of her skirt. Then Gabe sat back on his heels and just looked at her. “Christ, you’re beautiful.”
It didn’t mean anything. Words were less than worthless—easy to throw out there, even easier to take back. Oh, but how she wanted him to mean them, though. Elle bit her lip, waiting to see what he’d do next.
Finally, Gabe reached down and covered her hand with his own. Elle blinked. She’d been scratching without even realizing she was doing it. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against her knuckles. “You need to get this stuff off your skin.”
“You’re right.” She took a step back and her knees buckled. Gabe caught her easily before she fell. The heat of his hands on her bare skin felt so good. Too good. She didn’t want it to stop. Which meant she really needed it to stop. Elle steadied herself on his shoulders. “Jeesh. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“You’re having an allergic reaction and are doped up on meds. It’s understandable.” He stood and, keeping an arm around her waist, leaned into the shower to turn it on.
“What are you doing?” Elle watched, wide-eyed, as he took off his shirt. Whoa, those were some serious muscles. And, sure, she’d felt them the night they were together and had started painting them—not that she’d ever admit that—but they were so much more real now.
Not to mention all the tattoos. She couldn’t tear her gaze from the odd mechanical one taking up half his chest and arm. Gears and pulleys, it looked like. The bottom part of it traced the top of his abs, drawing her attention south. Good God, his body was overwhelming. She wanted to lick the edge of that tattoo, explore its intricacies with her mouth.
His hands went to his pants and her jaw dropped. “Gabe…”
“Relax.” He shot her a surprisingly playful grin. “I’m not going to take advantage of you in your moment of weakness. But I don’t want you collapsing and hurting yourself.”
She should probably argue, but then his pants were off and Elle couldn’t focus on anything but his thighs. Wow. Just…wow. The black boxer-briefs molded to his body perfectly, leaving little to the imagination, and she couldn’t help but notice how turned on he was. Gabe turned to test the temperature of the water and she actually whimpered at the sight of his butt.
“Is something wrong?”
Yes. No. Maybe? All Elle knew was that her ability to resist touching him was fading fast. She sneezed.
“Come on, babe. Let’s get you cleaned off.” He yanked back the curtain enough to step in and pull her in after him. Immediately, Gabe moved aside and shifted her under the water. It couldn’t have been all that warm for him with the one showerhead, but he didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he nodded at her shower caddy. “Soap?”
Elle handed him her body wash and tried really hard not to notice how the water had plastered his already-tight underwear to his skin. God, the man was temptation personified. For his part, he seemed all for keeping his word to not take advantage of her. While she was trying to decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing, Gabe soaped up his hands. “Arms.”
He moved from one to the other, his big hands sliding over her skin. First her arms, then shoulders, bypassing her breasts to her stomach. Each touch had the heat at her core winding tighter until she was almost panting with need. Then he was on his knees in front of her. Again. Elle bit her lip as she watched him, his brow furrowed in concentration, as if washing her were the most important thing in the world.
Once her legs were clean enough for his satisfaction, Gabe paused, hands on the outside of her thighs. Guess he’d finally noticed the fact the water had made her panties and bra darn near transparent. She could almost feel the stroke of his stare as he moved forward until his breath ghosted over her skin.
Would he kiss her there? Did she want him to? God, this had nothing to do with want. She needed him. Elle was already wound so tightly, she was half convinced that a single touch would send her spiraling over the edge.
But Gabe didn’t touch her.
He blew out a breath and pushed to his feet. “You should be good now.”
Good? There was nothing good about this.
Except…
He’d kept his word. Even when it had to be painfully obvious of how much she wanted him to break it. Elle moved so he could turn off the water and then accepted the towel he offered. When he pointedly looked the other way, she stepped out of the tub.
Gabe cleared his throat. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Yes, okay.” She nodded, eager to put some distance between them before she did something unbearably stupid, like throwing herself into his arms and begging him to make her come again. “Let me see if I can find something that will fit you.” Hopefully the task would keep her distracted long enough to calm down her hormones. Elle was pretty sure she had a pair of Ian’s sweats stashed somewhere in the back of her closet. She headed for her closet, trying to ignore the devastatingly sexy half-naked man in her bathroom.
God help her.