Page 132 of Nyx

I look down at the duffel at my feet.

"The guys brought it," I explain. "Said you'd kick me out if I don't shower."

She chuckles, the sound having no less of an effect on me than it did the other times I heard it.

"I wouldn't kick you out," she says as she steps to the side to let me in.

I reach for the strap on the duffel and only make it a few feet back into the apartment before pausing for her to lock the door behind her.

"The shower's all yours," she says with a gentle smile.

"You're sure it's okay?"

She stares at me, eyes blinking slowly.

"Am I okay if you shower? Of course, I'm okay with it. Take your time," she says.

She hesitates to walk past me, making me wonder what her concern is.

"Cerberus has two guys out front and two guys out back," I explain.

"Sounds like you should probably get some sleep tonight, then," she says.

"Did they call you and tell you to say that?"

Her smile grows wide. "Did you just crack a joke?"

I shake my head. "No joke."

Instead of dropping the smile, she tosses her head back and laughs. The droplet of water has disappeared, but the urge to press my lips to her skin hasn't.

When she's done laughing, we spend a few seconds watching each other, and the same tension that built the other night starts to bubble right back up like a simmering pot that was only pulled from the fire for a few seconds.

She clears her throat, the first one to try to ease the growth of whatever is happening between the two of us.

"We have to get up earlier than normal in the morning," she says. "Victoria is going to be at the park for the fundraiser setup at seven."

I frown, wishing I could argue about her going in the first place, but I know I can't.

"I'll be ready," I say instead.

"Have a good night," she says before walking away.

I stand in the middle of her tiny living room, hearing the click of the lock on her bedroom door.

It doesn't feel insulting, just like wanting me to wait outside while she's vulnerable in the shower.

What feels weird to me is walking into her bathroom, the steam from her shower still in the air, the air coated with the delicious floral scent of her soap.

I'm not some creep who's going to jerk it in her shower, but that doesn't stop my cock from thickening a little as I strip off my clothes.

My shower is economical and fast. I don't waste a second spending extra time under the showerhead. I pull a towel from the duffel, grateful that Em thought about everything I would need because the last thing I want is to create laundry for Juliet to be responsible for.

I get dressed, use the towel to wipe the condensation from the mirror, and leave the bathroom, having been in there for less than ten minutes.

I don't know why I thought she might've come out of her room while I was in the shower, but her bedroom door is still closed.

The apartment is silent, making me realize just how much she lucked out with this place. A lot of the time, apartment complexes can be loud and stressful, with neighbors not respecting others' space.