She grinned. “I’ll look forward to it.”

He followed his brothers toward the dance of hell, pushing their conversation from his mind. Cal and Dalton were wrong. His marriage was perfect exactly the way it was.

No need to bring love into the equation and mess it all up.

chapter twenty-four

Sydney turned on the water and stepped into the shower, leaning against the Italian-tile wall. The mansion sometimes made her feel like she was Cinderella swept to the castle not to clean, but to live. The walk-in steam shower was equipped with so many jets she didn’t know how to work half of them. She groaned as the heat began to work her tired muscles. The wedding had been perfect, but she wasn’t used to staying out till two a.m.

Becca had barely roused when they transferred her from the car into her bed. Tristan volunteered for tucking-in duty, so Sydney had run straight to get changed and cleaned up.

She’d just squeezed bodywash into the loofah sponge when the door suddenly opened.

“Tristan?”

She squinted through the thick steam. Heart pounding, she waited, frozen, as he tugged off his clothes and stepped into the shower. His large naked body dwarfed the massive space, and her mouth went dry at the sight of his impressive erection and hard mass of muscle in full masculine glory.

What was he holding behind his back?

“Hey, baby. Thought I’d join you.”

Those golden eyes held a wicked glint that made her suspicious. She squirmed, hating the bright light that showed off her stretch marks and full thighs. Yes, she was comfortable in her body, and Tristan made her feel adored, but she’d never showered with him. It seemed extremely . . . intimate.

She crossed her arms over her breasts and tried to act casual. “Umm, maybe this isn’t a good idea? Becca could come looking for one of us.”

He ignored her, stepping closer so the spray hit his chest and they were an inch apart. “She’s fast asleep and won’t be waking up any time soon. I locked the door. Why are you covering yourself?”

She bit her lip. “I’m not. Umm, I’m done, so I’ll wait for you outside.”

He blocked her path, gazing down at her with raw intensity. “Are you shy?”

“No! No, I just have to—”

“You’re fucking adorable. But you’re not going anywhere. I owe you a punishment.” He turned quickly, giving her a view of his gorgeous, tight ass, and placed something on the low tiled bench. Then forced her arms down to pull her against him. Her hard nipples dragged across his hair-roughened chest, and she gasped.

“What punishment? I didn’t set up the Grease medley!”

“You were part of the plan and enjoyed it too much. If I find myself on YouTube, I promise you’ll regret it.”

She gave a hmmph. “What did you put on the bench?” she asked, trying to crane her neck.

“Something you’ll like. Something you’ve missed.”

She frowned. A warning rang out in her head, but she was foggy from hormones. Her hands opened and stroked his wet skin, kneading his shoulders and biceps, then moving to caress those eight-pack abs that made a woman drool. There was simply nothing as sexy as a man who dressed in a suit to reveal such glory underneath the civilized veneer. “I’ve missed you,” she admitted, squeezing his cock, fisting him slow underneath the spray of water.

“Missed you, too,” he murmured. He jerked in her hands and uttered a curse. “Too much. God, I love your scent. Sometimes, when I’m away from you, I swear I can smell orange blossoms, and I get hard as a rock, wishing you were there.”

It was more than he’d ever said before. His head lowered and he kissed her deep and hard and long. When her legs sagged with the effort to stay upright, he grabbed the sponge and soaped her up with thorough motions, then cleaned himself. Her body became sensitized from the sting of the spray, the heat of the steam, and his magical hands as he stroked and explored her naked flesh. Slowly he turned her around.

“Put your hands flat against the wall,” he commanded.

Her belly dipped to her toes. Swallowing, shyness long forgotten under burning need, she obeyed. He eased her legs apart and adjusted the sprays so each one hit her nipple, and a softer mist drenched her stomach, rivulets trickling down the crease of her legs and over her clit with a light teasing touch.

He tugged her wet hair to the side and bit her earlobe. “I have a surprise for you.”

“I bet you do.”

He chuckled, kneading her ass. She felt him move away, then he was wrapping his arm around her waist, holding her tight. Suddenly a low buzzing cut through the air. She froze, trying to turn, but he kept her still.

Oh, my God.

He had her vibrator.

The steam had nothing on the flush that hit her cheeks and body in sheer embarrassment. She’d panicked after the movers had left, realizing she’d left it hidden in her bathroom cabinet where anyone could find it. After unpacking, she’d been horrified to realize it was gone. She’d tried not to think of the missing article, telling herself it had probably just been thrown out by mistake.

Her husband had it the whole time.

“Where did you get that?” she squeaked, still trying to fight his grip.

His low laugh caused wicked shivers to race down her spine. Her clit pounded for attention. “Let’s just say I had it for safekeeping. It did bring up some interesting questions, though. For instance, do you like using a vibrator in the shower rather than the bedroom? Or was it strictly for noise-level reasons?”

She was going to die.

Sydney shook her head, face hot, and refused to answer. He ran his tongue down her neck and moved the hot pink vibrator down her belly to trace the line of her pubic hair, running ever so lightly over her throbbing center.

She stiffened, her hips arching of their own accord. “Why are you doing this to me?” she moaned. “I can’t answer that.”

“Sure you can. And I’m doing this because I’ve been fantasizing about playing with your toy for too damn long.” He ran the buzzing head up and down, then in small circles until her fingers curled and she rose on tiptoes, desperately trying to get closer. “Now, tell me.”

“I—I like it in the shower. Plus, Becca’s bedroom was right next to mine, and I didn’t want her to hear.”

“Understood. You won’t have to worry about any noise tonight—this room is practically soundproof.” He played with her breasts, still moving the vibrator in a steady pattern. “Besides, I intend to make you scream very, very loud tonight, baby.”