"Be out in a minute."
"Take your time. I'm going to dry my hair."
He shut off the water and dried himself off, realizing in his haste, he'd left his clothing in the bedroom.
"Dammit!" Now, he'd have to go to her room in a towel. Could he look like anymore of a desperate perv? It would seem like he'd done it on purpose to get her attention.
Blythe tried not to stare when Elam walked into the bedroom clad only in a towel. His body was lean and broad shouldered, a swimmer's build, with the strong legs of a surfer. He carried himself with a quiet confidence that made her weak. She continued to dry her hair as he walked out again, his clean clothing in hand.
Is that drool? Oh, you kinky darling. She laughed quietly at herself.
Elam came back again with his dirty laundry, putting it in the hamper without being asked. It was such a strangely intimate action, Blythe felt her chest tighten. Alec was a slob. Even the military hadn't really changed that aspect of his personality. He left his clothing lying around for her to pick up. Elam picked up after himself, with no prompting.
Elam was dressed in a form fitting black Bodyglove T-shirt. It emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist to perfection. He wore low riding jeans that fit well. No baggy, ass showing pants for him. He knew exactly how to show off his physique. Blythe couldn't help staring and almost caught her long hair in the drier.
When her back was turned, putting it away, Elam admired her outfit as well. She wore snug fitting jeans that rode low on her hips. Her shirt was blue, gauzy, with embroidered inserts in the front and on the sleeves. It laced up the back, tied with a ribbon at the base of her spine. She slipped a pair of chunky soled sandals on her feet, before grabbing some dangling, enameled earrings in the shape of a dark blue phoenix. She'd pulled part of her hair into a braid behind her right ear. The rest of her dark mane cascaded over her shoulders and down her back like a sable waterfall.
"You look beautiful," he said, his voice dropping an octave.
"Thank you. You look very handsome."
Elam took Blythe's hands in his, stepping close.
"We'd better get going."
"We've got time." His fingertips touched her cheeks. He leaned forward, kissing her lightly on the lips, his body nearly a foot from hers.
Blythe closed her eyes, drinking in the kiss. How could he make her body come alive with something so simple? He was tantalizingly close, yet far enough away that she longed for him. The kiss lasted mere moments, but left her breathless.
God, if he can do that much with a kiss—
Elam smiled. He knew what she was thinking. He'd done it on purpose, knowing it would make her wild. Of course, it had the unfortunate side effect of making him totally horny again. That was his constant condition around her, so it hardly made much difference.
"We'd better go, or Mom is gonna call."
"We've got fifteen minutes."
"Wait for it...." He held up his fingers, digging his phone out of his pocket. He counted down with his fingers as he spoke. "Five, four three, two—one." His phone rang. "Hello, Mother. We're on our way now. Just heading out the door." He picked up his wallet and keys from the dining room table as he followed Blythe out the door. "No, ma'am, we haven't eaten. Yes, ma'am, I kept my hands to myself." Mostly "No, ma'am, I'm not lying, though I may be exaggerating slightly. Right. On the way." He hung up. "My mother should have been a lawyer, or an FBI agent, or something. She's the queen of interrogation."
"It's handy being able to read your son's mind."
"She can't entirely, thank God. Or she'd have me drawn and quartered."
Blythe pressed the button for the elevator. "Oh, he's a naughty boy, is he?"
Elam stepped closer, murmuring in her ear as an elderly lady shuffled past. "I may be a naughty boy, but I'm a very good man."
"You seem very sure of your manly charms, Mr. Armitage," Blythe teased.
"Yes. Yes, I am." He looked very smug.
Elam held her around the waist, walking behind her as they got on the elevator. Blythe could feel his lean muscled body less than two inches from her back. His cheek brushed her hair from the left and she tilted her head so he would take the hint and nibble on her ear, or kiss her throat. He did neither. Instead, he let his breath tickle her invitingly.
Blythe's lips tingled. She wanted desperately to kiss him, rip his clothing off and knock him to the floor of the elevator so she could impale herself on his hot, firm, throbbing— The elevator door opened. Blythe's eyes flew open. Elam's knowing smile made her wonder if she'd unintentionally said something aloud. He said nothing, but his blue eyes twinkled with amusement.
They drove to his mother's house, not far from her condo, at one of the many golf courses that dotted the city.
"This isn't exactly the venue I expected to find your mother."
"She doesn't seem like the golf course type, but she played semi-pro, until a golf ball hit her in the head during a tournament, unlocking her powers. She quit after that, and devoted herself to healing."
©2022 Dellani Oakes
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