Reverently, Kate slipped her hands up to hold Tilly’s waist. Her touch was light, leisurely. “I know. I shouldn’t have said it. It just slipped out.”

The rain grew louder.

“I want to touch you,” Tilly said.

Kate wet her lips. “You don’t have to. I can take care of…”

Tilly’s touch swept across the taut muscles of her abdomen. Kate stiffened in anticipation. Tilly’s hand stilled, so close. “What do you like?” she whispered. Without waiting for an answer, she pressed her lips to Kate’s.

Kate’s need was almost deafening in its dominance, but the timidity of Tilly’s kiss set a lump in her throat. It was suddenly too dark. Kate needed to be able to look at Tilly, to know that her mind was here and only here, that she knew this was nothing but pure and good. She needed to be able to look in Tilly’s eyes and know she felt safe. She pushed Tilly back to rest on the pillows and pressed a gentle kiss to the dip of her collarbone. “Let’s shower.”

Incredulous, Tilly’s voice grew in pitch. “Together?”

Kate lowered her chest to Tilly’s, the contact lighting fires beneath her skin. Kate licked at the curve of her neck. “It’ll be nice.”

She could almost feel Tilly holding her breath at the suggestion. “I’m not sure…” she said shyly.

The mere thought of seeing Tilly’s body beneath the soft, kind glow of the bathroom light was enough to elicit a poorly concealed groan. “You don’t want to?” she whispered.

“I…” Tilly gasped sharply as Kate’s teeth linked around her earlobe lightly.

“You wanted to in the city,” Kate rasped. “In the hotel.” She skimmed a hand beneath Tilly’s thigh and lifted it against her hip. “Didn’t you?”

Kate played her body like an instrument. Tilly’s legs parted at her touch. She hummed a noise of agreement to Kate’s question.

“Please?” Kate implored as her mouth dipped to Tilly’s chest. “I want to see you, be with you…”

“You are with me,” Tilly breathed.

“But I want more.”

Tilly was quiet for a long moment. “Okay,” she finally whispered.

Beneath the hot spray of the small shower, it started slowly, languidly. Kate was careful, aware. She took her time, every touch calculated to soothe, not to push. She tried to ignore the slipperiness of Tilly’s skin against her own, to focus instead on smoothing the conditioner through the ends of Tilly’s long hair. But as Tilly leaned back into her, the tempo slipped.

Tilly stepped out of the spray, leaned against the tiles, and as Kate blinked water from her eyes, she found Tilly’s stare decidedly less demure. Her timidity that had urged Kate to invite Tilly into the shower, into the light, swirled away down the drain.

And it changed.

Their kisses grew ruthless. Their fingers wove together, frustrated, and before Kate could comprehend how to ease the ache that breathed between them, always wanting more and not quite certain how to take it, she was kneeling on the floor, staring up at Tilly. Tilly’s eyes were dark, her lip caught between her teeth. Kate’s cheeks burned at the desire that had flushed across Tilly’s skin.