That single word severed the last frayed thread of Nico's control.
A low, feral growl rumbled deep in his chest. He closed the distance in a split second, capturing her lips in a bruising, desperate kiss.
It wasn't gentle; it was a collision.
His mouth devoured hers with a hunger that had been building for weeks, tasting of expensive whiskey and raw, unfiltered need.
His large hands gripped the back of her wet thighs, and with an effortless, terrifying strength, he hoisted her up off the shower floor.
Instinctively, Mara wrapped her legs tight around his narrow waist, anchoring herself to him. Her bare back hit the cold, unforgiving tiles of the shower wall, sending a sharp, shocking shiver down her spine.
But the cold was instantly swallowed by the scalding downpour of the water from above and the blazing, solid heat of his chest pressing flush against hers.
