Chapter 106: The Black Shirt (II)

Rosalie:

Absolute silence settled over the luxurious bathroom.

Zaiden simply stared at me. But not with annoyance or confusion. Just... complete, genuine surprise, as though I had asked him for something so unexpected that even someone as composed as him needed time to process it.

His gray eyes remained fixed on mine while neither of us spoke. The longer the silence stretched, the more my confidence crumbled. The realization of what I had just asked finally crashed into me like a tidal wave.

Goddess... what had possessed me? Why would I ask for the shirt he was wearing?

I could already feel heat rushing to my cheeks, and I hurriedly opened my mouth, desperate to undo the embarrassment before it buried me alive. "I-I didn’t mean-"

Before I could finish, Zaiden moved. Without saying a single word, he calmly reached up and unbuttoned his suit jacket. The expensive black coat slid from his shoulders before he neatly folded it over one arm. Then his fingers moved to the knot of his tie. With the same quiet precision that seemed to define everything he did, he loosened it before slipping it free and placing it beside the coat.

My breathing unconsciously slowed as my eyes followed every movement of his hands. And then... his fingers reached the first button of his shirt.

One... Two... Three.

Each button revealed another glimpse of warm skin beneath the crisp black fabric. I knew I should have looked away. I truly did. Instead, my gaze remained hopelessly fixed on him as more of his broad chest came into view. By the time he reached the final button and slipped the shirt from his shoulders, I forgot every coherent thought inside my head.

I had always known Zaiden possessed the physique of a warrior beneath those impeccably tailored suits, but knowing and seeing were two completely different things. His body was lean yet powerfully built, every line of muscle earned rather than displayed, carrying the quiet strength of someone who had survived countless battles. He didn’t seem the least bit self-conscious as he folded the shirt once before extending it toward me.

Only when the black fabric nearly touched my hands did I realize I had been openly staring.

My gaze shot upward, straight into his eyes. And for the briefest moment, I thought I caught the faintest hint of amusement hidden deep within those gray irises, as though he had noticed exactly where my attention had been lingering. The realization nearly made my soul leave my body.

Unable to bear another second of eye contact, I snatched the shirt from his hand, mumbled something that sounded nothing like actual words, and hurried inside the bathroom before closing the door perhaps a little harder than necessary.

The instant the door clicked shut behind me, I leaned my forehead against it.

"Oh, Goddess..."

I covered my burning face with one hand. Had I really just stood there admiring my mate’s body like that? The memory alone was enough to make me want to hide forever.

After several long moments, I finally managed to compose myself enough to look down at the shirt folded in my hands. The soft black fabric still carried his warmth, and when I instinctively lifted it closer, the familiar scent of cedarwood, rain, and something that belonged solely to Zaiden wrapped gently around me. My wolf stirred happily beneath the surface, and despite my embarrassment, a smile slowly spread across my lips.

Carefully setting the shirt aside, I stepped beneath the warm spray of the shower. The hot water washed away the sweat from the day along with a little of the heaviness that had settled inside me after everything that had happened with Alastor. I stood there longer than I normally would have, letting the warmth ease the lingering ache in my muscles before finally turning the water off. After drying myself, I reached for Zaiden’s shirt.

The fabric was unbelievably soft. It slipped easily over my head before falling almost to the middle of my thighs, the sleeves long enough that I had to fold them several times. More than anything, it smelled like him - comforting, safe, and... home.

My wolf gave a content little hum inside my head.

Taking one last steadying breath, I opened the bathroom door.

Zaiden was exactly where I’d left him. He had already changed into another dark shirt, though this time he hadn’t bothered putting on either his tie or his suit jacket. The open collar and rolled sleeves made him look far less like the feared Alpha of Nightfang and more like the man who had walked barefoot beside me on the beach during his birthday.

His eyes lifted.

Then stopped.

I noticed the subtle intake of his breath. His throat moved in a slow swallow and something inside those gray eyes darkened ever so slightly before he quietly stood from the sofa near the glass wall and began walking toward me.

Each step felt impossibly slow. By the time he stopped in front of me, only a small space remained between us.

Neither of us spoke.

He simply looked at me. Not at the shirt. But at me. The intensity of his gaze made my heartbeat quicken until I wondered if he could hear it.

My wolf nudged softly inside me.

Go to him.

The encouragement was gentle this time. Not demanding. Simply... hopeful.

For once, I didn’t hesitate. I had already surprised both of us once tonight. Perhaps I could be brave one more time.

Closing the remaining distance, I slowly wrapped my arms around his waist. The movement caught him completely off guard. And for one suspended heartbeat, he remained perfectly still. Then, his arms came around me.

He held me close enough for me to hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear as he lowered his head and buried his face lightly against the top of my damp hair.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself to simply exist in his embrace while the lingering scent of his shirt mixed with the warmth of his hug. My wolf purred in unmistakable satisfaction, and somewhere deep inside my chest, another tiny crack in the walls around my heart quietly healed.

Then I felt him inhale, and his embrace tightened ever so slightly.

A quiet, almost inaudible breath escaped him. And the next moment, his hands slid gently to my waist. Before I could ask what he was doing, the floor disappeared beneath my feet.

With effortless ease, Zaiden lifted me into his arms.