Chapter 285 A Dangerous Distance

Chapter 285: Chapter 285 A Dangerous Distance

Alpha Killian stopped outside Eira’s bedroom door.

For a moment, he considered knocking.

Then he stopped himself.

If she was asleep, she deserved the rest. After the night she’d had, the last thing he wanted was to become another person demanding something from her.

He turned away.

The door opened before he reached the stairs.

Warm light spilled into the hallway.

Eira stood in the doorway, backlit and half-hidden in shadow.

"Sebastian still hasn’t left."

"I know."

A pause followed.

"That’s why I stayed."

The words answered the question she hadn’t asked.

Eira looked at him for a moment."Did you need something?"

The question sent an unexpected flutter through her chest. Alpha Killian didn’t seem to notice.

"I need to borrow your shower," he said. "If you’re okay with that."

Eira’s fingers curled around the doorframe. "Yeah. That’s fine."

It was a simple answer, but it carried a warmth he hadn’t expected.

Alpha Killian’s expression remained controlled, though something eased in his chest.

Eira stepped into the hallway. "The towels are in the linen closet. The bathroom’s through the bedroom. When you’re done, come downstairs. I’ll ask Mrs. Jones to show you where everything is."

"I know where the stairs are."

"I’m sure you do."

The faint teasing in her voice made his mouth twitch.

Eira walked away, her footsteps soft against the hardwood floor. Alpha Killian waited until she disappeared around the corner before entering the room.

The bedroom was mostly packed. Moving boxes lined the walls, leaving only the bed and a few lamps in place. Her clothes had been removed from the closet, and the room smelled faintly of lavender and clean cotton.

He did not linger.

In the bathroom, Eira’s toiletries stood in neat rows beside the sink. A small glass tray held her skincare products, while a folded towel rested on the counter.

Alpha Killian set his phone near the door and locked it before removing his clothes. He turned on the shower and stepped beneath the spray.

The water hit his shoulders.

He immediately stepped back.

"Damn."

The shower was hot enough to sting.

He adjusted the temperature, tested it with his palm, and tried again. This time, the heat settled over him without burning.

A few minutes later, steam clouded the mirror.

Alpha Killian stood beneath the shower, but the tension in his body refused to leave. He was in Eira’s bathroom, surrounded by her scent, her things, and the quiet evidence of her daily life.

Her shampoo sat within arm’s reach. Her robe hung behind the door. A few strands of golden hair clung to the edge of the sink.

He had entered countless rooms in his life without giving them a second thought. This one was different.

The thought of Eira standing in the same shower, touching the same bottles, made his pulse jump. Heat spread through him that had nothing to do with the water.

His wolf stirred, alert and possessive.

Alpha Killian shut his eyes and braced one hand against the tile.

"Get a grip," he muttered.

He was only borrowing her shower. That was all.

But his body reacted as if he had crossed a far more intimate line.

He lowered the water temperature and forced himself to focus on anything else.

The meeting. Sebastian outside. Tomorrow’s move.

None of it worked.

--

Downstairs, Eira sat on the sofa, slowly picking at a bowl of sliced strawberries while Mrs. Jones hovered nearby.

"Want me to make you something hot?" the housekeeper asked. "Toast? Soup? Maybe a grilled cheese?"

Eira shook her head. "No, thanks. If I eat any more, I’ll be wide awake all night."

Then she remembered Alpha Killian had come straight from work.

"Mrs. Jones, could you put together a plate for him? He probably skipped dinner."

"Of course, sweetheart."

Mrs. Jones turned toward the kitchen, trying and failing to hide her smile.

Eira picked up her phone.

Lila had sent her at least a dozen pictures of manicures.

[Please come with me. I’m thinking sheer pink. You won’t even notice it, I swear.]

Another message followed.

[Eira, please. I need moral support.]

Eira thought of Isabella’s ridiculous diamond-covered nails. They were pretty, but useless in a lab. She opened Lila’s voice message.

"Please, please, please, Eira. Just keep me company for an hour. I’ll buy you coffee!"

"What is Lila trying to talk you into now?"

Alpha Killian’s voice came from the stairs.

Eira looked up and forgot what she had been about to say.

His hair was still damp, strands falling over his forehead. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves pushed to his forearms and dark slacks, the collar open at the throat. Even in borrowed slippers, he carried himself like he owned the room.

Alpha Killian crossed the room and sat beside her. Heat radiated from his body. Eira shifted a few inches away, her back straightening before she could stop it.

He noticed.

A faint smile touched his mouth.

He leaned back, one arm resting along the sofa behind her. From the kitchen doorway, it looked almost like he had pulled her into his side.

Mrs. Jones appeared with a plate, set it on the coffee table, and quietly backed away before either of them noticed.

Eira swallowed. "Killian."

"Hmm?"

His low, rough voice did nothing to settle her nerves.

"You’re still wet," Eira said, reaching toward the small hand towel Mrs. Jones had left on the arm of the sofa.

"You’re warm," Alpha Killian said at the same time.

They both stopped.

Eira blinked. "I meant your hair."

"I know."

He had never crossed a line she had drawn. That was part of what made him so dangerous. He made her want to draw fewer of them.

"And I turned down the water," he added. "Do you seriously shower in water that hot?"

"It was scalding."

"Scalding?"

"Different bodies. Men usually have more muscle mass and retain heat differently. Women tend to lose heat faster. It’s basic thermoregulation."

Alpha Killian stared at her.

"What?" she asked.

"You’re explaining shower temperature like you’re presenting research."

"It’s accurate."

"It’s also adorable."

Eira’s face warmed. "There’s a blow-dryer upstairs."

"I don’t need one."

She stood anyway.

His hand closed around hers.

Her thoughts stalled, but she gently slipped her fingers free before the contact could become something else.

"Mrs. Jones reheated your dinner," she said, keeping her voice even. "Eat something and get some sleep."

She turned toward the stairs.

"Good night, Killian."

He caught the faint panic beneath her calm tone.

"Eira."

She paused but didn’t look back.

"Good night," he said.