Killing Me Softly: A Thriller Romance Novel

Chapter 25

The faint pleasant scent of damp cedarwood and citrus woke me the next morning. It came wafting through my bedroom door. It was the aroma of Theo taking a shower at—What time is it? I grabbed my phone and checked it with one eye open—6:30 in the freaking morning.

Damn that was early. But wow he sure smelled amazing! It was better than waking up to eggs and bacon in the morning.

Why the hell would Theo get up at six-something in the morning and get a shower? I wondered.

I didn't have to be at work until 8:00, and I usually liked to snooze at least up until 7:30 before forcing myself out of bed to get ready and rush to work.

I am not a morning person. Never have been. But, I could not resist greeting Theo first thing in the morning. I didn't want to be a bad hostess. I wanted to ensure he found everything he needed if he needed it, since I had not formally shown him where I kept everything.

I peeled myself out of bed and opened my bedroom door to wish him a good morning.

The bathroom door swung open about the same time I stepped out of my room. The aromatic moisture from his shower entered the air between us. Immediately stunned by what I saw, I froze up in the doorway.

Theo seemed to freeze up, too, at the sight of me. Standing not more than six feet from me, he was in nothing but a white towel wrapped around his narrow waist. His hair and skin was still moist from the shower as he stood and stared wide-eyed at me like he was not expecting me to be standing there.

"Uh...good morning. I'm sorry. I didn't, uh," Theo said deeply and pulled at the scruff of his chin awkwardly. "I didn't think you would be up at this hour. I hope I didn't wake you. If I did, I'm very sorry."

I did an automatic scan of his entire, gorgeous physique. Theo had not lost the toned muscles he'd had twenty years ago around his shoulders, arms, pecks, and abs. The guy still had six-pack abs, something most guys his age didn't have! At least not the guys I had dated in the past few years.

A happy trail of dark hair still trickled down the front of his flat belly button, all the way down just like I remembered. The rest of him was still honey-tanned and smooth, as if he had preserved his body, somehow, in a way that most people our age only wished they could do.

Theo seemed suddenly self-conscious. As if he were not aware that he had been standing there half-naked in front of me and that I had been eyeing him for far too long, like some kind of creep.

I seemed to finally realize what he was doing to me, and he immediately turned red in his ears and cheeks.

"Uh..." Theo nervously laughed and slowly stepped out the bathroom, holding onto the front of his towel.

"I forgot my clothes in my bag downstairs. Feel free to use the restroom if you need to," he said, backing down the stairs as I remained speechless and stunned, holding onto my bedroom door for emotional and physical support.

All of the blood had rushed out of my head, and I feared I might pass out from the pain of seeing Theo half-naked in my house. It was a good pain, but too much to handle this early in the morning.

A girl—any girl—needed a good cup of coffee first before she could handle something like that!

"Sorry," Theo said softly, giving me a small nervous grin and a wave before turning and disappearing downstairs.

I immediately shoved myself back into my room and threw myself against the door. I realized, I hadn't breathed or blinked or done anything worth a damn.

I panicked!

My blood started rushing back to my head, causing my head to spin and my eyes to flash. I felt like I had just had an out-of-body experience for a whole minute or two. I needed to sit down before I passed out on the floor.