She stepped into the water and groaned. “Oh my God. If I had one of these in my apartment, I’d never leave it.”

He was absolutely fine with her spending as much time as she pleased in his big bathtub.

“I only use this tub when I get my ass kicked. But with you around, I can see other, better uses.”

He joined her, settling her in between his thighs. Funny, he had this moment as they sat together, the steam from the water rising between them, he’d never realized how unsettled he’d been until she had walked into his building and everything had sort of clicked into place. Not even a full two days ago. Christ, how much in your life can change in such a short time.

For the first time in a long time, and certainly since she’d answered that call three days before, she felt…all right. Being there with him soothed her. Made her feel safe.

Which was silly. Of course she was capable of taking care of herself. But it was novel, being taken care of for a change.

It was probably stupid to like it. Certainly to get used to it. They all seemed to talk like she’d simply move up to Portland. Which she supposed meant he wanted more than a fun weekend with her.

She didn’t know what she wanted. She had a life in Roseburg. A job she liked but was growing increasingly unhappy with because of the attitudes of her boss. Being here made her realize maybe it wasn’t enough.

“Want to share whatever’s got you thinking so hard your muscles are bunching up? I know you’re worried about Allie.” He spoke softly, his hands sliding up her arms where he began to knead her shoulders.

“You’re really good with your hands,” she nearly purred, relaxing into him.

He laughed. That laugh men do when they’re really thinking about sex. It sent a thrill through her. It wasn’t that she didn’t think the next stop was bed. She was lying in his tub naked, between his thighs, his cock hard at the small of her back.

But he owned his sexuality in a way that rendered her a little breathless with anticipation. And that laugh, mmm.

“Restless I guess.” Which was the truth on several levels.

“Why do I get the feeling you mean more than just about Allie? Talk to me.”

“I’m not ready to yet. I’m mulling it all over.”

“When you’re like this, I realize how much I missed you all these years.”

That made her laugh. “How so? Naked? Between your legs?”

He laughed too, brushing a kiss at her temple. “I have not been like this with anyone. Not since you. Did you…never mind.”

“Did I sit in the bathtub and talk about my feelings with Mark?”

“I don’t have a right to know. It’s okay.”

“He was a good man. Is a good man. He loved me, and in my own way I guess I loved him too.” She paused, wondering about taking the risk of stripping herself bare. “But I couldn’t share a big part of my life with him. Or, well I could have, but I didn’t trust him with it. And I didn’t trust you with it either, back then. But I can be who I am when I’m with you, and that is something I’ve never had with anyone but Allie, and not…well not like this.”

The fingers that had been kneading stopped as he encircled her shoulders and pulled her close. “I’m surrounded by wolves every day. But until I looked into your eyes yesterday, I didn’t realize how lonely I was. I have missed you so much. Because I have always talked to you and you’ve always listened. But the adult Michelle? You’re beyond alluring. I know you have a case. And I know you have a life, but when this is settled, I want you to consider there’s something up here for you. I’m part of it.”

She wanted to accept. Wanted to spin and say yes and fall into his arms and be his. But sudden didn’t begin to describe what the situation was.

“This is moving so fast.”

“I’ve known you since you were twelve and I was fourteen. You were my first. My first everything. This isn’t fast. This is slow. Long and simmering. Until we were both in a different place. Enough to appreciate it maybe. I left in a dickish way and—”

She interrupted. “I understand. I hated you for it then. I thought it was about me. That I wasn’t worth it. Before I knew the why, I mean. But even at that, when I saw you yesterday none of it mattered anymore.”

He squeezed her a little tighter. “I’m sorry again that I gave you cause to think it was about you. It was about me but it was stupid how I did it. Your saying all this means a lot. Now that you’re here…if you walked out of my life I’d hate it.”

They were silent for some time. She was sleepy and warm, and it felt right there in his arms.

“I’d hate it too. I don’t understand it. The way you make me feel, I mean. I’m not a quick decision kind of person. It took me nearly a year to decide on what couch to buy.”

He snorted. “Witches are control freaks.”

“We are? Or I am?”

“Every witch I’ve ever met. I should have remembered back to what you were like in high school. Is your room still brutally organized?”

“If you put everything where it’s supposed to go, you can always find it later.”

“I love how prim you are when you say that. Water’s getting cold. Should I top us off with more hot or are you ready to get out?”

“I don’t know. What are your plans if we get out?”

He slid his hands under the water to take her breasts in his hands, flicking his thumbs over her nipples. “Depends on what you’ll let me do to you?”

“I’m pretty sure you’ve got a blank check in that department.”

“Hm. I have credit? Nice.”

He spun her, and she went to her knees as he caged her with those powerful thighs.

“You’re crazy-hot when you’re clothed, but naked? I’m not sure I’ll survive.” His grin was nearly a leer, and it filled her with a rush of emotion. Joy, lust, amusement, affection. She tipped her head back and laughed.

She wanted him. Even if it was only for a brief period of time before they both went back to their lives.

He stood, and she wrapped her legs around him to keep from falling. Not that she didn’t enjoy all that strength. Good gracious.

“A girl could get used to a man in her bed with werewolf strength,” she murmured as he wrapped a towel around them both and carried her through an adjacent doorway and into his bedroom.

He laid her on the bed and took her in from head to toe with so much raw desire on his features her breath got caught.

“So fucking beautiful.”

She blushed but soaked up all the attention in any case. His cock, wow, she really couldn’t seem to stop returning her attention to it. Rock hard and ready.

She licked her lips, and he groaned, tearing her attention from his cock to his face.

“I want to take my time with you and you go staring and it makes me forget the slow.”

“You gonna use that on me?” She nodded at his cock, and his grin made things south of her belly button tighten and get wetter.

“You wanted me to help you forget. It’s probably going to take a few hours.”

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth as he bent and took her left foot in his hands. His big, strong hands.

“Either you have a thing for having your feet touched or I did something else you really like. Your pussy smells so good, Michelle.”

“Hands,” she gasped out as he nuzzled her instep and his stubble scratched that sensitive skin in all the right ways. “I have a thing.” She moaned as he kissed her ankle and bent her leg, his lips moving along her calf.

“A thing about hands?”

He got to his knees on the bed and kept kissing her calf, pausing at her knee before switching to the other foot and leg.

“Yes.” A breathy gasp that meant more than just his question. Yes to whatever he wanted. However he wanted it.

She’d never wanted anyone the way she did right then. Not even back in the day when she had him. Things were different. They were different, and yet, he knew her in a way no one else on the planet did and it was enough.