It was too late to stop my momentum. I took her down but managed to twist so she’d land on top of me instead of the other way around. The impact stole my breath, otherwise I would have laughed. In order to not crush her, the paint brush ended up in her hair.
“Sorry,” I said.
She narrowed her eyes at me but hadn’t otherwise moved. “No, you’re not,” she said with amusement. “Get this out of my hair.”
I tried, but when she winced, I gave her the handle of the brush.
“Your plumbing better work,” she declared.
“Depends on who reaches the working bathroom first.”
Before I could roll her to her side and get to my feet, she rolled the brush over the left side of my face. “Oops,” she said and leveraged herself off me. She was gone in an instant.
Now paint was in my hair too. “I’m going to get you,” I called after her while laughing.
She was up the stairs, having guessed right where the working bathroom was. I reached the bathroom door just as she closed it in my face.
“My turn, first,” she said. Her voice traveled through the wooden door.
“If you want to play it that way, you’ll find there aren’t any towels in there.”
“Ugh,” she cried, knowing I’d ultimately won. Yet, a second later, the water turned on. “I’ll figure it out,” was the last thing she said.
Now I was hard, painfully so as I heard clothes hitting the floor. Emma Hawkins was in my bathroom naked. Not wanting to feel like a teenager again, I walked to the hall closet where I stored towels. I got out two of the three sets I owned. I hadn’t thought much about needing more for guests. It was a good thing I’d done laundry the other day.
I went into the bathroom attached to my bedroom and took in the paint job. I looked like an extra on Vikings ready for battle. I took a selfie to commemorate the moment. I’d probably delete it after I showed Emma.
I peeled off my clothes and turned on the water. I’d lied to her just a little. The tiny bathroom worked but the pressure was low. Pipes creaked as the water worked its way out of the faucet. I heard a scream and grinned. I wasn’t sure because I hadn’t tested, but now I knew that the plumbing was prioritized to the master first. I’d just stolen the hot water.
It took a while to get all the paint off with the water that seemed to trickle out of the pipes. I needed to call a plumber to get it fixed, but it wasn’t a priority.
I was putting the towel around my waist when I stepped into my room. I wasn’t alone. Emma stood there drying her hair with one of the sets of towels I’d left on my bed. She wore one of my LAPD T-shirts, which hit her just above the knees. The rest of her shapely legs were bare as were her feet.
She shrugged. “I improvised.” She glanced down to where I was looking. “Thanks for the shirt. I assumed you wouldn’t need this one.”
I wasn’t that guy who got hard when I saw any half-naked woman. If Darcy stood in my room dressed as Emma did now, my dick wouldn’t stir in the slightest. Darcy was arguably a very attractive woman. Emma was different, and a towel wasn’t going to hide my reaction.
“I uh—need to get dressed.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Oh sorry.” She bent and wiped away wet footprints before leaving the room. As she did, the damn shirt slid up her thigh giving me a flash view of the naked curve of her ass.
I groaned inwardly and sighed when she was gone. Only then did I realize she must have walked naked from the shower into my room.
It was late and I couldn’t let Emma drive home. It was going to be a very long night.
Chapter 13
Emma
Holy smoke show. Aiden was a five-alarm fire which would explain why he was still dripping wet, or I’d have to call the fire department myself.
When Aiden came out of the bathroom with only a towel around his hips, I almost swallowed my tongue, literally. I covered the choking noises I made by acting like I was clearing my throat. He hadn’t seemed to notice, thank goodness.
When I’d peeked my head out of the bathroom, I’d heard running water down the hall. He’d lied about only one working bathroom, but I wouldn’t hold him to it as we’d been joking around.
I took my chance and ran to his room while he was in the shower to find something to dry myself with before he got out.
There on his bed I’d spotted a towel and snagged it. His shower seemed endless, so I’d taken it upon myself to rummage through his drawers for a shirt to borrow. I assumed he wouldn’t mind given he was insistent I wear one of his shirts earlier.