Marriage of Inconvenience(Knitting in the City Book #7)(163)

I tugged on the bindings holding my arms and growled, frustrated. She was so close. She was right fucking there. And I couldn’t touch her.

Kat’s eyes flickered to my straining arms. Maybe she could read my thoughts, or maybe she took pity on me. Whatever it was, she came back to the bed and sat next to me.

Horrible and wonderful barbs of heat burst outward as she approached, making it hard to breathe.

“Kat,” I said. “You gotta untie me. I need to touch you.”

Christ. I sound like a junkie.

But something about it, the words or my tone, had her eyes turning soft. “Dan, I love you. And I need you to believe me. I know you don’t feel the same, but—”

“Are you fucking kidding me with this? Of course I love you. I love you. I love you.”

She reared back, blinking like my words were a bucket of water to the face, or something was in her eyes. “Wh-what?”

“I’m in love with you. You’re my fucking—fucking sunshine. My goddamn everything. You’re the center of my whole fucking universe. I’d give up swearing for you, I swear. If you asked, I’d never say the word fuck ever again, that’s how much I love you. I love you more than fuck, so that’s a whole fuckavalot.”

During my tirade, Kat’s expression changed a few times. At first, she was shocked, and then confused, and then she laughed, and then her face crumpled again and she hid it behind her hands, her shoulders shaking.

I watched her, trying to figure out if she was happy or sad. “Kat?”

She shook her head.

“Are you crying? Or laughing?”

Her hands fell away and she lunged at me, saying, “Both,” just before her lips landed on mine.

As much as I could, as much as the restraints would allow, I chased her mouth, needing more of her. I was so hungry for the taste of her, I was starving. I’d been dying, wasting away, and everything about this woman fed every part of me.

Her hands were on my body, pulling my shirt up, her fingers on my stomach reminding me again that I couldn’t move. I winced as the rope dug into my wrists, rubbing the skin that was already raw.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She pulled back suddenly, jumping from the bed and picking up the knife. “I’m sorry. That must hurt.”

“Stop saying you’re sorry and, please, cut the rope.”

She gave me an apologetic smile and worked on cutting the first tight strand holding me down to the bed. “I think if I cut these two, you’ll be free of the bed. But I still need to get the ones holding your legs and arms together.”

Once the two main lines were cut, she carefully sliced through those that held my ankles together, her eyes on her work.

“I need a shower. I have Wally slobber all over my face and I stink,” I said, knowing it was true, but grimacing at my thoughtlessness.

Real nice, Dan. Real smooth. You just told the woman you love her, and then announce that you stink. Romantic of the year award.

I was about to apologize when she moved to straddle me, reaching for my wrists, and saying quietly, “Maybe I could join you.”

I blinked at her. “What?”

“In the shower. Maybe we could . . .” She swallowed, her neck and cheeks growing a fantastic shade of pink.

“Okay,” I said, nodding a lot.

Not going to lie, just the thought of Kat, me, shower, naked made me dizzy. It also made my dick hard, which was likely the reason for me being dizzy. Also likely, Kat felt this new development, seeing as how she was sitting on my lap and a small, knowing smile curved her mouth, the blush receding.

As soon as my wrists were free, she darted away to the bathroom, pulling her shirt off as she went and calling over her shoulder, “I’ll start the water.”

I scrambled to free myself from the last of the tangles and then stood, getting my bearings.

Once I found my balance, I yanked off my shoes and socks. Tugging off my shirt, tripping over my pants, I paused just outside the door.

Thumbs hooked in my boxers, I stared at the sight before me. All the air left my lungs and I didn’t dare blink.

She was naked.

In the glass shower.

And she was wet. Wet all over.

Her back to the spray, her chin tilted up, her eyes closed, her arms lifted, her hands in her hair.

At some point in my life, I must’ve done something really fucking awesome to deserve this moment.

Sliding off my last piece of clothing, I didn’t take my eyes from her as I shut the door on Wally and walked across the bathroom to the shower.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my dog, but I didn’t want to share her with anyone right now.

I opened the glass door, my mouth watering, and she opened her eyes. Kat half-blinked, her arms moving slowly to her sides as she looked at me. Then her stare moved to my neck, my chest, stomach, hips, lower.