~TESSA~
My Ryder was back.
He’d been silent since he entered the room, stripping off his shirt and tossing it onto the chair before walking straight to the bathroom.
I could hear the water running, steady and strong.
“Babe?” His voice came from inside, rough and casual, but it still made something inside me flutter.
“Yeah?”
“Could you grab me a shaving stick from my bag?”
“Sure.”
I found it by the dresser, tossed in with his cologne and a few tools.
When I walked toward the bathroom, steam rolled out like fog, curling around my bare arms.
“Here,” I called, stepping inside.
And then I froze.
Ryder turned just as I crossed the threshold — the towel around his waist slipped, landing soundlessly on the tiles.
He didn’t move to pick it up. Just looked at me.
For a heartbeat, neit
