Dark Abyss by Kaitlyn O'Connor (classic novels for teens .txt) 📕

place, or remodel this one. Having only four bedrooms is going to get damned uncomfortable damned fast.”

Simon sent him a sour look, but frowned thoughtfully. “We need a lab and greenhouse. She spent ninety percent of her time in one or the other.”

Caleb stared at him blankly for a moment. “God damn it! You just had to suggest that before I could get it out! I was thinking the same thing!”

“What difference does it make?” Ian asked sardonically. “He’s right. It’s the one thing most likely to work.”

“Exactly!” Caleb snarled. “And it was my fucking idea to start with and now he gets the credit!”

“It’s going to take all of us chipping in to pay for it,” Joshua pointed out, “unless you guys have more credits than I do … or it’s cheaper than it sounds like to me.”

* * * *

Ian was sure he had himself well in hand right up until the moment he walked into the bathroom just as Anna stepped out of the shower. He halted as abruptly as if he’d hit a brick wall, too stunned to find her there, at first, to think at all.

It was his shower time. Everybody in the household knew he was always the first to hit the showers in the morning and it flickered through his mind, briefly, that Anna was there because she’d intended the encounter.

Even as the hopeful thought flickered through his mind, though, Anna, who was clearly as stunned as he was, sucked in a sharp breath, clutched the towel she had around her in white knuckled fists, and gaped at him with her eyes as wide as saucers. A red tide appeared at the tops of her breasts above the towel and slowly climbed all the way up to her hairline.

Turn around, Ian told himself. Just turn around and walk out.

His feet seemed glued to the floor, though.

Move or say something!

He swallowed convulsively several times, but to save his life all he could think about was the fact that everyone else was still asleep and Anna was standing in front of him warm, wet, and naked. “How are your ribs?” he asked a little hoarsely.

Anna blinked at him several times, like someone waking. She felt like she’d just awakened in a sense. Her mind tumbled the words around in slow motion as if she’d never heard them before. The air in the bathroom seemed super charged, electric. Her skin prickled all over.

He’d asked about her ribs. “Better,” she mumbled. Even as the response leapt into her mind, the inspiration to show him flickered through her mind, as well. She hesitated, struggled with her excruciating modesty, and forced her fingers to uncurl from the towel. He was naked. They didn’t think anything about strolling around completely naked, she reminded herself. She could always pretend she hadn’t done it in the hope of seducing him if he seemed appalled. “Still bruised,” she managed to say, “but it looks worse than it feels.”

His gaze followed the towel down to her ankles and climbed back up so slowly that she thought her knees would give out or she might pass out from lack of oxygen. He paused when he reached the juncture of her thighs, hesitating there so long that she felt her sex begin to spasm a little frantically, felt hot moisture seep from the walls. She began to feel embarrassment and uncertainty creeping in to her. The desperation to retrieve the towel she’d dropped had just hit her when he moved toward her, effectively preventing any possibility of retrieving it.

He stepped closer, almost like a sleepwalker and lifted his hand, lightly tracing the bruise along her ribs before his gaze moved to her breasts. Anna studied his face with a mixture of hope, desire, and sheer terror, both at her action and the possible consequences and the animal lust she felt radiating from him as he finally lifted his head and met her gaze.

She’d never seen that look on a man’s face before, let alone felt it directed at her and she was almost equal parts thrilled and terrified by what she might’ve unleashed. He slid his hand slowly from her ribs to frame her breast within the crook of his thumb and hand.

He swallowed audibly, his gaze flickering over her face. “I won’t hurt you, Anna,” he said hoarsely.

“I know,” she responded shakily.

He lifted his hands slowly, settling them on her shoulders and stroking her collar bone with his thumbs as if trying to sooth her. Just as slowly, he lifted them a moment later and stroked his hands along the sides of her hair. His hands shook. She felt the tremors when he finally settled them and slowly applied just enough pressure to urge her to move closer.

Still unnerved but eager, she swayed toward him, lifting her face hopefully. He released a ragged breath. The heat of it as it touched her skin, lifted goosebumps all over her. Her nipples, erect already, tightened almost painfully.

“Jesus, baby! I shouldn’t be doing this,” he muttered absently even as he drew her up and bent his head towards hers.

But he was going to, she thought dreamily, and that was all that mattered at the moment. She could worry about why he didn’t think it was a good idea later. She knew she would, but she was too thrilled with his attention at the moment to worry about later.

He seemed to forget his qualms and his anxieties about scaring her the instant their mouths connected. There was no slow building to explosion. She thought if he hadn’t reassured her, at first, by approaching her slowly, she might’ve taken flight instead of meeting him with eagerness. Even