Their mouths parted slowly.
A soft string of saliva connected them for a second. Then it broke. Jenny gasped. Big, uneven breaths. Her lungs burned. But she hadn't run. She had kissed him. Just kissed him.
The dress clung to her body. Every inch was wet. It felt cold now. Heavy too.Like it wanted to drag her down.
She hated the feeling. Sticky. Damp. Suffocating.
She shifted in the water. But the fabric only clung tighter. It rubbed against her thighs. It pulled at her waist. It stuck to her back.
It didn't help. It made everything worse.
She frowned. Her whole body buzzed. From the kiss. From the water. From him.
The cold water had shocked her earlier. It had cleared her mind. But that clarity was gone now.
Only heat remained. And frustration. And want.
She moved again and tried to pull the dress away from her skin, but it wouldn't budge.
Her hands slid from James's neck. She reached for her shoulder. Her fingers found the thin strap of her dress.
She pulled. Hard.
Rip.
The sound was loud. It echoed against the tiles. The strap snapped in her hand. The silk tore like paper.
James didn't speak. His eyes were dark. They watched her carefully and silently.
His throat moved. Once. Like he swallowed something, but he didn't say a word.
He didn't stop her.
That silence said everything.
She tore at the dress again. Her fingers dug into the fabric. She yanked it down. The wet silk clung stubbornly.
But she kept pulling.
It slid off her shoulders. Down her arms. Off her chest.
She peeled it away from her hips. Then her legs. Then threw it behind her.
It landed with a wet slap. Right on the cold tile floor.
Water splashed.
The dress lay there. Dark. Heavy. Useless.
She didn't care.
Now only her underwear remained. Thin lace. Soaked and nearly see-through. It left nothing hidden. Not to him. Not to her.
The air in the bathroom felt hotter. The steam hadn't left. But it wasn't just steam anymore. It was heat. Real heat. From their bodies. From their stares.
Jenny looked at him again.
James sat across from her. Still. Watching. Breathing, but barely.
His shirt stuck to his body. A tailored one. Handmade. Expensive.
Now it was soaked.
The fabric outlined his chest. Every muscle. Every curve.
She could see his skin underneath. Could see the shape of his abs. The strength in his shoulders.
The shirt didn't belong there. Not anymore.
Her hand reached for it. Slow. Deliberate.
She touched a button. Near his collarbone.
He didn't move. He just looked at her. Letting her lead.
She unfastened one button. Then another.
Her hands were shaking. But not from fear.
From want.
She lost her patience. Quickly. Too quickly.
She grabbed the shirt. Fistfuls of wet cotton.
Then she pulled.
Hard.
Pop.
Buttons flew. One hit the edge of the tub. Another dropped into the water. The rest scattered.
His chest was bare now.
It gleamed in the light. Wet. Warm. Firm.
Jenny didn't stop.
She pushed the shirt off his shoulders. Then off his arms. She tossed it away. It joined the pile on the floor.
Now nothing separated them. Nothing real, anyway.
Her skin pressed to his. His chest was hot. Hard. Alive.
She felt his heartbeat. Fast. Deep.
She let her face rest near his neck. She breathed in. He smelled like clean water and heat. And something more. Something only he had.
She exhaled slowly. It came out shaky.
Her voice didn't come. Only a soft sound. A low hum from deep in her throat.
She leaned into him. Her body curved toward his. Like she didn't want space. Like space was the enemy now.
But still—something in her wasn't done.
Her hand slid down. Lower. Across his ribs. Past his stomach. To his waist.
Her fingers found his belt. Cool metal. Slick leather.
She paused for one breath. Then unfastened it.
Click.
That was all it took.
She opened the clasp. Then undid the pants.
James still didn't stop her. He watched her. Eyes dark. Jaw clenched. Breathe shallowly.
She pushed the pants down. They fell easily.
He stepped out of them.
More clothes joined the pile. More layers gone.
Then her fingers found her own straps. Lace slipped away. Soft. Silent.
Now nothing remained.
The water in the tub rippled.
Their skin met. Fully. Completely.
The contact stole her breath again.
His body fit against hers. Heat pressed into heat. Water flowed around them. But nothing cooled it.
She looked up.
Her eyes found his.
His gaze was locked on hers. Heavy. Dark. Intense.
She saw something in it. Not just hunger. Not just need.
Something deeper.
His hand lifted. He brushed a strand of wet hair from her cheek. His thumb lingered. He didn't speak.
She didn't either.
Their eyes held.
Jenny felt everything slow down. The world. The sound. Even her own thoughts.
Her heart pounded. Loud. Strong.
She could feel his breath. Warm. Unsteady.
She moved closer. Her lips nearly touched his again.
Almost.
But not yet.
She let her fingers trail along his back. She felt the tension in his muscles. Felt the restraint. The holding back.
He was letting her lead. Still.
She pressed her forehead against his.
They stayed like that for a moment. Breathing together. Hearts racing.
Then she whispered his name.
And everything between them… Shifted.
She whispered his name again. Softer this time. Like it wasn't meant for the air. Just for him. "James..."
He didn't answer right away. But she felt the way his fingers curled slightly against her waist. Just enough. Just barely.
It was quiet now. Almost fragile.
Jenny didn't move. She didn't want to break it.
Her hand stayed at his back. She let her fingers move slowly. Up. Down. Tracing the lines of muscle, but not with lust.
With comfort. With care.
James finally spoke.
"Are you okay?"
She closed her eyes. Just for a second.
She nodded. Then she shook her head.
"I don't know."
That was the truth. She didn't know.
Her body was still humming. Still on fire from what they had just done. But her heart felt tangled. Like there was a knot inside her that wouldn't come undone.
James didn't move away. He didn't push. He just stayed.
That did something to her.
He didn't try to fix it. Didn't try to explain away the moment. He just... stayed with her in it.
The bathwater had gone cooler now. She didn't notice until a tiny shiver ran through her legs.
James felt it too. He shifted slightly. Pulled her closer. His arms wrapped around her, one slow inch at a time.
She rested her head on his shoulder.
His skin was damp. His heartbeat was loud. It calmed her.
For a few long minutes, they didn't speak.
She listened to the small sounds. Water lapping against skin. Breathes in and out. The quiet echo of the room.
Her thoughts wandered.
She remembered how she had gotten here. To this night. To this man. To this bath.
She hadn't planned any of it. She wasn't supposed to want him. Not like this. Not this much.
But she did.
And now she couldn't lie to herself about it.
James exhaled against her temple.
His lips brushed her skin. Not a kiss. Just a breath. But it made her feel seen.
"I didn't expect this," he said quietly.
She smiled. It was small. Sad.
"Neither did I."
They both laughed a little. Not because it was funny. Because it was honest.
Her fingers toyed with the edge of his wrist. She looked down at their hands under the water. How they floated together. Bare. Exposed.
Like them.
"You're quiet," she said after a while.
James tilted his head slightly. "I don't know what to say."
"That makes two of us."
They sat like that a little longer. The heat between them is soft now. Gentle.
She closed her eyes again.
For the first time in weeks, maybe months, her body didn't feel tight. Her mind didn't feel sharp. There were no edges here.
Just warmth. Just his skin against hers. Just the quiet hum of something unspoken but real.
She wasn't sure what this would mean tomorrow. She didn't want to think about tomorrow yet.
But for now—this was enough.
He ran his fingers slowly down her back.
She felt her body relax under his touch.
No words. Just warmth.
No pressure. Just presence.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Jenny let herself rest. Not just her body. Her thoughts too.
Right here. Right now. With him.
Their bodies finally spoke the words their hearts couldn't say. But beneath the warmth, shadows lingered—secrets waiting to unravel. In this fragile moment of trust and desire, one question burned brighter than ever:
Will their love be the spark that saves them or the fire that consumes everything?