Had I?I gave myself a mental shake.“No, it’s fine.”
She narrowed her eyes but let it pass.“We can do it in the powder room down here.Easy to clean up after.”
Smallest room in the house.Sure.
I walked into the tiny room and leaned against the wall, waiting for her to join me.She brought her stuff in, setting out the clipper set that must be hers.“You have clippers?”
“Uh, yeah.I do this for clients, and I also cut Arne’s hair.”
Suddenly I was jealous of those other clients, and we needed to finish this ASAP because I was a mess.And I didn’t mean the beard.
“Where do you want me?”As soon as the words slipped out, my mind went to a lot of places, and none of them were connected to being professional.Having her this close, smelling her shampoo—it was stirring up a lot of memories and emotions, all jumbled together.
“Sit on the toilet.That puts you at a good height.”
I sat.She took a towel and wrapped it around my neck.I stayed absolutely still, desperately not looking down her top.
Fuck.This was torture.
When she stood up, she was flushed.Was the room warm?It felt warm.
She turned with a pair of scissors.“I’ll get rid of some of the length first, and then even it up with the trimmers.Okay?”
I nodded.There was something stuck in my throat, and I didn’t want to draw attention to it by speaking.
“Okay.Good.Right.”She shook out her hands before taking my chin in her left hand, gently bringing my face up.
I met her gaze.Her eyes were the same.Exactly the same.Tawny brown around the pupil, melting into green with a darker line of green around the outside of her iris.There was a fleck of brown in the green on her left eye, something I’d tracked the first time we’d made out.There were fine lines around the outside and faint shadows underneath.What did she see, staring this closely at me?Had I changed?I was eleven years older.I had to show signs of that.
She cleared her throat and swallowed.“Are you nervous with scissors around your face?”
I couldn’t shake my head with her hand on me, so I managed a terse “No.”
Her eyes left mine and focused on my cheek.I felt her fingers gently moving, the scissors snicking.I closed my eyes and recounted my stats from last season, then Cooper’s, and then as many of the team’s as I could.Because pulling her down into a kiss was not what I should do.I’d remember the reasons later.
It was the sweetest torture.I could block the sight of her, but not the wisp of shampoo teasing my nostrils, the feel of her fingers on my skin, the warmth of her knees and hand pressing against me as she worked her way through my beard.It seemed forever before she stepped back and I heard the buzz of the trimmer.
I wanted her to hurry, and I wanted her to never finish.In this bubble, in the small room, it was a moment out of our regular lives.Just the two of us, the past behind, the future out of reach.It was heaven.
“So, um, does this look okay?”
I blinked my eyes open, realizing the trimmers were off and the job done.Mia stepped back into the doorway so I could stand up to see the mirror over the sink.
My reflection looked better than what I’d been seeing the last few weeks.The wild hair on my cheeks and chin was gone, and what was left was smooth and followed the shape of my jaw.I twisted my chin from one side to the other.It was different, but I liked it.
I turned, and even with her standing in the doorway, there was no space between us.“It’s great.Thank you.”
Her eyes flickered from my face to the mirror to the sink.“Okay, good.Now we need to shave the…” She waved her hand at me and almost hit my nose.“Sorry!”
I was glad she was flustered, that she couldn’t treat me like just any client.But this wasn’t why we were here, and I sure as fuck didn’t need her nervous while she used my razor on me.
I sat again and she gave me another towel to wrap around my neck.Then the excruciating lathering of the soap, her soft fingers spreading it on my cheeks and my neck.It was erotic, and blood started to rush south.I was rigidly still as she scraped the blade over my skin with gentle care.When she finished, an eternity later, she rinsed the blade and used the towel to wipe off my face.The torture was almost over.
I stood to my feet, desperate to get some space.
She bumped back into the sink before her eyes widened and her hand moved to my cheek.“Did I—” She stopped, eyes dilating, as she stared at me.
I didn’t know what expression was showing on my face, but she was right there, fingers still on my cheek.Her lips parted and I couldn’t control myself any longer.I leaned down and pressed my mouth to hers.