Reaped

Chapter Eleven

It's been two months since the attack at the paper and the serial has been a great hit. I'm sitting at the coffee table, typing up the next three or so articles, when I feel Charos pop into the apartment. He slides behind me and wraps me in his arms.

"You need a break." His hands rub over my shoulders, paying more attention to the right that still had some healing to do. I'd been out of the sling for a week now, but had to stop typing about every half hour to stretch. At least I could use both hands to type now. That had been brutal when I couldn't get my laptop in a comfy position to use my right hand.

"I'm almost done and then I can take a break. I need a shower, too," I wrinkled my nose over my shoulder at him. "Do you want to watch a movie tonight?"

His lips grazed the back of my neck, making shivers go up and down my spine. "If that is what you want."

"Mm," I reach up and flick the edge of his hood. "Quit it. You're distracting me."

"I am trying to distract you." He nibbles the spot where my neck meets my shoulder, making me squirm.

I get about three more words on the document and save it. "I give. I'm done. Let me take a shower and we can watch movies or something."

When I stand up, stretching my right arm, his fingers trace along my legs. I look down and can just make out the edge of purple eyes around the hood before he moves. Reaching down with my left hand, I wiggle my fingers next to the hood and sigh when his hand slips into mine and he stands. I pull him with me through the apartment to the bathroom. "What is this?"

I let his hand go when we're in the bathroom and reach in to turn on the shower and let it warm up. "I want you in the shower with me."

His eyes flash wildly before settling on an odd mix of purple and orange. He rubs his hands together like he's nervous. "Rebecca..."

I pull my shirt off and let it fall to the floor. "You can keep your robe on if you want. Is there a rule against getting it wet or anything?"

"It is not a gremlin," he mutters, but his eyes are almost solid purple now. With only a trace of another color I can't make out at even the small distance between us. I tug the leggings down my legs and turn to check the water temperature and adjust it a little warmer. His hands find my hips before I can turn around, and then his naked arms snake around my body. He kisses my neck and when I lean back it's against a naked chest. I let my eyes close. "Now you are distracting."

For a couple minutes I just lean into him, letting myself feel his rough hands on my skin, his mouth on my neck. "Can I see you, Charos?"

"You have to open your eyes for that." I can feel his lips stretch into a smile against my shoulder. He nudges my hips until I turn around.

His body is just as hard looking as it felt under the robe. It's as if he's solid lean muscle, traced with countless scars, but I want to explore and try to count them. His skin is a soft bronze, his hair as black as his robe, and his eyes are swirling yellow now as his face darkens in a blush.

The scar I'd felt on his face looks a lot rougher than it felt under my fingers, and pulls his mouth up a little at the corner. I reach out and put my hand on his chest, feeling the hair under my palm. A sigh leaves him when I take the tiny step closer to press our bodies together.

Something in the mirror catches my eye, and I laugh. "That's a little freaky. Are you sure the robe isn't a gremlin?"

He turns and startles. Behind him, his robe is just sort of hovering off the ground as though he's still in it. "I did not know it would do that."