Poser Read Online Free PDF Page B

thinking, I turned my face into his palm.
    “Did I hurt you?”
    “No,” I replied immediately. Braeden was gentle when he touched me, and just then had been no different. “I—” I glanced away and then back. “I don’t know why I acted like that.”
    His brown eyes studied me, like he was trying to see everything I wasn’t saying. But there was nothing to see because I honestly couldn’t understand why I acted that way. It was like my body went into flight mode and only wanted to get away.
    Only there wasn’t anything to get away from.
    “I’m sorry,” I whispered, confusion and a little despair in my tone.
    Both his hands took my face and held me firm so he could stare at me intently. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You don’t need to apologize.”
    Goose bumps rose across my skin. Standing here out of the spray of warm water was making me cold.
    Braeden turned us and stepped back so he was far enough under the water to warm us both, but his broad shoulders kept it out of my eyes.
    “I should have told you I was in here,” he muttered, almost like he was scolding himself. He ran a hand across my shoulder and down my arm. “I’ll get out and let you finish.”
    “No.” I protested, feeling a little steadier. I wasn’t going to let some freak reaction ruin his first day back from training. “I need someone to wash my back.”
    “You sure?” His eyes searched mine.
    I stretched up and kissed him. “I want you to stay.” I reached around and grabbed the white loofah I used with my body wash and held it out.
    We took turns washing each other. He seemed a little more withdrawn than usual, and it made me worry. But once it was my turn with the loofah, my touch seemed to relax him, so I took my time and made sure my hands were extra bold.
    By the time I was done, he was back to his normal alpha male self. I wrapped my legs around his waist when he picked me up and pushed my back into the shower wall. Before descending upon my mouth, he hesitated. “This okay?”
    My heart squeezed at his genuine concern. “Anytime you touch me is okay,” I whispered.
    We made out until the water turned cold, but he never tried for more. He seemed content just to explore the inside of my mouth with his tongue and make me squirm against him.
    When the water was off, he wrapped a towel around me before himself and rubbed my shoulders vigorously to get me warm. He didn’t dry himself until after he’d lifted me out of the shower and stood me on the fluffy rug I’d bought for the floor.
    Once he was dry, he pulled on his shorts and then watched with hooded eyes and I blow-dried my hair. It was gonna have to be a braid or something kind of day because I didn’t feel like going to all the trouble straightening or curling it.
    Once it was dry and I applied lotion to my face, I reached for my clothes, but B beat me to it. The attentive way he helped me dress bruised my heart in some weird way. His tenderness was almost unnerving.
    “Are you okay?” I asked.
    He paused and glanced up. “I’m straight.”
    I rolled my eyes. Lord, he was talking in bro code. “I’m a girl.”
    His smile flashed. “I’m well aware.” To punctuate his sentence, he grabbed my boob.
    He was so stupid I smiled. “What the hell does ‘I’m straight’ mean?”
    Braeden stepped closer and slid his palm along my waist, caressing the dark-green silk halter-top I wore. “It means everything’s all good.”
    “I’m sorry I freaked in the shower. I guess you just scared me.” It seemed like a dumb explanation, but it was the only one I had.
    “Are you still having nightmares, Ivy?” His tone was a little grim.
    I glanced away. What did that have to do with anything? “I don’t know if I’d call them nightmares,” I hedged. Of course, the dreams were about Zach and the horrible mistake I made of sleeping with him, and any dream about Zach could be considered a nightmare.
    “Ivy,” he growled, a note of warning in his tone.
    This