When I turned, I found his gaze locked on that bench with the same hunger in his eyes that I felt in myself. I kicked my Vans off then pulled my black sweater up and over my head then tossed it to the floor by the door. His eyes scanned my bare skin like it was the sustenance he lived on. With quick movements, I slid out of my black jeans and kicked them to the same pile as my sweater and shoes. His chest rose and fell rapidly.

I smiled up at him then batted my eyelashes. I stood there in only my underwear. “See, a shower won’t be so bad, will it?”

He licked his lips but didn’t move. Didn’t speak. His fangs were poking into his bottom lip.

I grinned as I tugged on the drawstring that held his ruined black pants up. The second the knot was undone I gave them a gentle tug and the material dropped to the floor.

He hissed through clenched teeth. “Francelina-”

“Let me take care of my soulmate.” I pushed up on my tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “In case you forgot . . . that means you.”

His eyes blazed with a fire of a thousand suns. I gave him a little smile and kept my eyes locked on his. This wasn’t about my own pleasure, I just needed to take care of him. He’d been hurting inside for too long. This was the first step in healing the broken pieces inside of him. So as I took his hands I ignored all that naked skin beneath his waist and I kept my undergarments on and pulled him into the shower with me. The water was soothingly warm, just enough to comfort my muscles but cool enough to stand under the spray endlessly. He watched in riveted silence as I let the water soak my hair and wet my skin. He slowly waved his hand and the glass shower door slid shut, closing us in. Then I pulled him to switch positions so that he stood under the stream of water.