The Ties That Bind Us

CHAPTER 6: Tension

They were fine, but Selina smelled a rat.

They might not have been fighting anymore, but she wasn't about to singlehandedly put herself out there again only to be rejected a third time. Now that she had come to terms with the fact that there was no escaping him and his effect on her, it had become even harder to fight the attraction that drew her to him. Every little touch and movement of his around her seemed to be charged with sexual tension, and she had ignored that for long enough.

One day when she returned from a drive around the city, she came home to find him casually reading in bed wearing his bat suit. He'd said he'd thought it would be funny to see her reaction. Only he probably didn't know what that costume did to her downstairs, or how the husky voice sent shivers down her spine. She tried to brush it off and laugh, but eventually she just had to get out of there and so she ended up going for a run the second time that day. That tension had to be released somehow. He was left confused, but at that point in their relationship he'd gotten used to her unique reactions and her using escapism as a coping mechanism. It wasn't his favorite thing, but it was better than her staying and them turning it into an argument.

She'd usually revel in those moments of proximity and heavy atmosphere, but recently she had been avoiding them at all costs. If Bruce wants something, he might as well ask for it, she thought. She had made herself available, and so for now she was only going to wait. It wasn't easy not giving into those lust-filled instants, but she was now keeping a safe distance on her part and keeping her alcohol level always at a minimum. Those "innocent" moments, like when she cut his hair—when she had to bite her lip to keep her from doing something stupid—, their unusually long glances and their casual touching were going to be the death of her if she didn't put a stop to it. It was easier said than done, though.

Summer had almost arrived and they would now spend a lot of time at the beach or in the pool. One day after they had returned from a swim on the sea, they unintentionally entered the poolside shower together and Selina had to try with everything she had to not smash her body and face against his. Her hands were mad at her for not letting them roam freely on his abdomen and back. She could honestly say she had never experienced anything like that, never having desired a man so much. Not even Ted, which was saying something because that was all she ever did with him.

It hadn't been a piece of cake for Bruce either. His body was constantly on edge and with Selina backing away every chance she got, he felt it was only a matter of time before he'd burst. The day on the shower was the closest they had gotten in some time, and it had been only because the proximity was unavoidable so they could both stay on the water stream ratio. But as he felt her boobs stroking lightly against his chest, he immediately stepped away and went for his towel, in need to get as far away from her as possible.

The weather hadn't been helping either, because the european heat was no joke. Selina had been wandering around the house in less and less fabric, but that wasn't even the issue. He'd been practically feeling like a teenager every time she stepped out of the house in a bikini, specially then when she was exhibiting the most beautiful recently acquired tan. Looking at her body felt exactly like looking at the sun—it was so hot it burned his eyes and he'd never be able to reach it. And now every time he was distracted and closed his eyes, that was the first image that popped up in his brain—and so he knew that if nothing happened, and fast, he'd become even more obsessed with her, which already seemed impossible.

The only thing that was holding him back was her sudden change of behavior. She usually had no problem with their closeness, but after their fight she had become more distant, and he was afraid that if he pushed something she would back away for good. He was only waiting for a sign, something, anything on her part that indicated that she still wanted it.