Chapter 20 What was I doing? What in the hell was I doing? I had no clue, but sweet baby lizards, it was fun. My blood hadn't pumped like this since...ever. Ditching my heels to go stealth mode, I tiptoed along the dark, empty hallway upstairs, searching for a hiding spot. I couldn't outrun Tore. I wasn't built for speed. Come to think of it, I wasn't built for crawling into small spaces either. Oh my god, what was I doing? I chose a door at random, and it turned out to be a bedroom. Of course, there was no furniture inside. Trying to conceal myself behind the curtains seemed a little obvious. "Bea?" My name echoed through the cavernous space. He'd discovered I was missing. Goose bumps prickled my flesh as I desperately searched for a hiding spot. Somewhere that would take him time to find me. Build his frustration to the boiling point. Excitement flooded through me, pushing me toward a closet. "Bea? Where are you?" I shoved myself into the farthest corner, my chest rising and falling in rapid waves. What would happen when he found me? More importantly, what did I want to happen? The next time he called out, it was different. Animalistic. A threat. "I'm coming for you, Beatrice." He'd found my note. The game had truly begun. I had nothing to be afraid of, but I was terrified. I bit my inner cheek to stop myself from squealing as his feet pounded on the stairs. Hiding in the closet suddenly didn't seem like a great idea. It would be the first place he'd look, and the game would be over. Heartbeat thrumming in my throat, I crept out just as Tore called, "Come out, come out, wherever you are." He was getting so close, there was no time to waste. I lurched for the first door, hoping to find a new hiding place and not some secret tech server room full of blinking lights and webs of wires. I'd found the en suite bathroom. Thank goodness. I threw myself inside and closed the door as quietly as I could, locking it with a soft snick. "Keep running, sweet Bea. You'll only make it worse when I catch you." Worse? My knees nearly buckled. I backed up, bracing myself against the tile wall. What did worse mean? And why did I like the sound of it? My thighs clamped together as heat swelled between them, and I slammed my hand over my mouth to stifle the whimper trying to escape. This was too much. I couldn't bear it. His footsteps slowed. He was in the bedroom. So damn close. He'd find me any moment. The door was locked, but this was his house. If he wanted in, he'd find his way. "This house isn't that big, Bea," he said, his voice lower, amused, dangerous-so unlike the Tore I knew. A delicious edge of fear sent lava through my veins. "There are only so many places to hide. I'll find you. And when I do..." What? What would he do? My jaw trembled from the massive rush of adrenaline flooding my system. The doorknob jiggled. I squeaked and slid to the side until my shins hit the edge of the bathtub. He laughed, like he could see me. Like he knew the wild mix of turned-on and panicked churning inside me. "You locked me out?" Another laugh, low and threatening. "That's cute, Bea. Really cute." I slapped both hands over my mouth to muffle a moan. Oh my jumping junipers, by the time he made it into the bathroom, I'd be nothing but a puddle. I'd barely had a second to accept my fate when the doorknob rattled harder. Click. Oh no. No, no, no! The lock gave way, and the door crept open with an eerie creak. As a sliver of his face came into view, my legs finally began working again, and I bolted. I wasn't thinking straight. Instead of trying to get past him, I ended up in the massive, glass-enclosed shower on the other side of the room. It was big enough to fit a whole family. My heart wasn't galloping so hard I failed to notice the built-in benches, steam vents, and multiple showerheads. I would have loved to partake in the luxury, but since I was about to meet my doom, I guessed that wouldn't be happening. I was a straight-up horror movie victim. Who closed themselves in a glass shower? The first one to die, that's who. Tore sauntered into the room, edging across the tile, his fiery gaze pinned on me. He'd taken off his glasses, adding to his fierceness. My Tore had been replaced by a hunter on the prowl. He stopped on the other side of the glass, eyes locking on mine like a specimen to examine. "There you are," he uttered, low and ragged. I raised my hand. "Hi." He shook his head. "Did you really think you could hide from me in here?" I pressed myself against the tiled wall, trembling, giddy...so stupidly turned on I could taste it. "Not really." I licked my lips, parched. "I was hoping to delay the inevitable." Without warning, he lunged, yanking the door open. I shrieked, jumping sideways, barely evading him as he grabbed for me. In my blind panic, I slapped the shower controls. Water exploded from every direction, soaking him in seconds. He froze, while I had managed to position myself in the one corner the water didn't reach. "Oops," I tried, going for innocent, hoping I'd get out of here without getting drenched. He looked down at himself then back at me, his nostrils flaring. Soaked to the bone, he still managed to look sexy as hell. His shirt plastered to his heaving chest, pants stuck to his long, lean thighs and the thick bulge behind his zipper. His dark hair was black, flattened to his head in messy pieces. "Now you've done it," he rasped. I raised both hands like a shield. "No, no. It was an accident. I didn't mean it. Besides, you look-" "Like a drowned rat?" I giggled. He really had no idea what kind of thoughts were racing through my mind. "Not even close." He cocked his head. "If I'm drowning, you are too." Seeing his intention a mile away, I tried to run, but I was laughing too hard, and the floor was too wet. I slipped and nearly went down when a strong hand caught my arm, saving me but putting me directly in the line of the rain shower. "Got you," Tore murmured as he pulled me against his chest. "Nowhere to run now, sweet Bea." I tilted my head back, blinking away the drops clinging to my lashes. "Oh no, you've caught me." There was zero disappointment in my statement. I'd spent a lot of time on my hair and makeup, and my dress had cost a pretty penny, but I had absolutely no problem with all of it being doused with water. The menace in his gaze fell away as his eyes bored into mine. "Are you-is this okay?" My mouth opened then closed. I thought it was obvious I was delighted by the turn of events, but Tore needed my words. Seemed what was obvious to me might not have been to him. I nodded. "Can we keep playing?" My nose crinkled. "Or do I look like too much of a drowned rat-" He cut me off with a kiss. Hot, wet, urgent. Licking into my mouth and groaning as he flattened me to the wall. Rubbing against me, his hands roaming over me, my body softened, molding to his. He kissed me with such soul-shaking intensity, I had to grip his soaked shirt to keep from going down. "This isn't how I pictured tonight going," he murmured against my lips. My head was light and dreamy. "You didn't picture me ambushing you in your own house?" "No." He laughed breathlessly. "I should know to expect the unexpected from you." "Always. That's one of my best features." I couldn't stop giggling as his mouth lowered to my jaw and throat, the adrenaline rush making me feel silly and alive. Tore glowered at me, amusement dancing behind his menacing expression. "Do you think this is funny, Beatrice?" "I really do," I whispered. He caught my lower lip between his teeth for half a second then kissed me like he was making a point. My knees tried to give out, but he had me secure in his arms. "You're not going anywhere," he warned. "I don't want to-not unless you're there too." Tore growled again, lower this time. Possessive. His hands explored, needy and confident, as if he'd finally stopped holding back and started claiming. My dress clung to me like a second skin. If I'd been less turned on, it would have been uncomfortable, but I liked that the barriers between our bodies had been thinned. We could touch, feel, know one another in an entirely new way. But, like the idiot I was, I couldn't stop laughing. Every time his mouth left mine, giggles burst out of me. Tore's answering chuckle vibrated against my flesh, spurring me on. Water thundered around us, heating me to my bones. Each time Tore kissed my throat, I gasped, arching into him. My belly ached with desire, and my head was lighter than a feather. His fingers went to the zipper at the back of my dress. "Can I take this off?" I nodded, breathless. "Please." He unzipped me. Slow. Torturous. And when my dress finally fell open, he dragged it off me at the same agonizing pace. It got stuck on my hips, and I laughed. "I think I might be too wet." His eyes darkened, flashing to mine. "Then we'll have to dry you off. You can't stay in this dress." He shut the water off, and we climbed out, clinging to one another. The tile was warm, but the air pricked at my wet flesh. I huddled closer, trying to work my way beneath his skin. Exhaling, his forehead dropped to mine. "Shit. I just remembered we don't have towels here. They've already been moved to my new place." Snorting a laugh, I wrapped my arms around his waist. "Oh no. I guess we'll have to dry each other. How terrible." He raised his head, checking in with me again. "Are we still good?" "Yes. We're terribly, awfully, crazy good." Pushing back, I shoved my dress the rest of the way off, letting it land in a squelching puddle at my feet. "Now catch me!" I bolted out of the room. 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