Chapter 672
"Thank you," Angelo stepped away when the last of the silk ties were undone, undressing right in the bedroom.
Nikolai’s hands were on the lapels of his overcoat but he didn’t take it off, his dark gaze riveted on the assassin. He swiftly got rid of his clothes, stepping into the bathroom after Angelo.
Although Angelo had invited him to take a shower together, he kept expecting the Omega to back out. He acted aggrieved but he didn’t mind being locked out, Angelo was cold and composed like the sharp edge of a blade, so his brief moments of shyness and tenderness were precious to him.
But they were both fully undressed in the shower and Angelo hadn’t tried to get rid of him, the assassin hadn’t even said a word to him.
He openly took the Omega in, his wild hair fell down to the small of his back, faint scars scattered on his pale skin. Angelo was still too thin, he needed to do better at fattening him up. Maybe he could take a page from Davian’s book and learn to cook, or— his eyes darkened —he could get his mate pregnant.
Unaware of the dangerous thoughts running through Nikolai’s head, Angelo busied himself with turning on the shower. The winter cold still clung to his skin although only a little rain had gotten on him.
Steam filled the glass shower, warm water lightly fell, slowly soaking through their hair and dripping down their bodies.
Angelo reached for the shampoo, there was still a faint imprint of his ribs visible through his pale skin, and a slight indentation of his hip bones prominent on his slim hips.
His hair was already wet from the rain and messy from Nikolai’s handling, he might as well wash it. He handed the shampoo over to the Alpha who had done nothing but stare at him, not even wiping the water from his face.
"Help me wash my hair," He requested, the gentle rush of water softening his voice.
Nikolai snapped into focus, taking the bottle of shampoo before even processing Angelo’s words. He stared at the bottle for a moment, there had been a noticeable change in Angelo ever since they exchanged mating bites.
Just that morning, he had to sneak into the bathroom, but now, Angelo invited him. And the request to wash his hair had been such an unexpected gift.
Angelo paused at Nikolai’s hesitation, about to take back his offer. He didn’t get far before his lips were claimed under the steady shower of water.
"Don’t speak," Nikolai’s hoarse voice cut him off.
Angelo was dazed and a little confused, obediently getting spun around so that the shampoo could be applied to his hair. The Alpha’s hand in his hair was so gentle, the tension seeping out of his shoulders like the warm water dripping down to the tiled floor.
He closed his eyes as his hair was lathered up, his other senses coming alive, so he felt every point that their wet bodies made contact. If he wasn’t getting his hair washed, he would have turned around so he could run his fingers over Nikolai’s scars.
Nikolai used a handheld shower head so that he could properly rinse out all of the shampoo, his eyes gleaming as he took in the length of Angelo’s silken black hair.
"I’m all done," He said quietly, turning Angelo around again.
The Omega still had his eyes closed, a faint dusting of red on his face from the warmth of the bath. Nikolai glanced down at those round lips glossy from the water and carefully wiped away the water from Angelo’s face.
"Thank you," Angelo appreciated again, reaching for the body wash this time.
They had been in the shower for a while now, while he was enjoying the warm water, he didn’t want his skin to start pruning up.
Showering with Nikolai was quietly intimate, and not at all as daunting as he had expected it to be. They cleaned up fairly quickly and in a short time were warmly dressed in matching night robes.
Well, saying it that way was a stretch. Nikolai wore the bottoms and proudly presented the robe to Angelo. There was heating and they had just come from a hot shower, so it was far from cold.
It was still raining outside when they rolled into each other’s arms in bed. It was already late when they got back to the manor, and by the time Angelo finished drying his hair, it was pretty much time for bed.
He shuddered in Nikolai’s arms when the Alpha pressed a reverent kiss to his mating mark, falling asleep in a cloud of his scent.
Morning came with a rarely seen winter sun. It was cold, but the skies were clear, a bright sun beaming down, providing miniscule warmth.
"Do you want to go to the amusement park today?" Nikolai asked before they even got out of bed.
The weather was particularly nice, they likely might not get good weather like this until the start of spring. "Alright, let’s go." Angelo agreed, already getting out of bed.
He had been content to laze in bed with Nikolai that morning, but at the mention of the amusement park he was brimming with energy.
Nikolai smiled wryly as he watched Angelo braid his hair so he could tie it up before cleaning up. He couldn’t decide if he was happy or not about Angelo’s clear preference for his amusement park and his casino over him.
He got out of bed as well, a hesitant curiosity in his eyes as he went into the bathroom. Angelo followed after him naturally, his hair hidden away in a shower cap.
"Will we go to check on the casino today?" Angelo asked as he walked into the bathroom, undoing the ties that kept his silk robes closed.
It was the start of the weekend, he was curious if the building would continue even over the weekend.
Nikolai’s smile dimmed slightly at the question, closing the distance to kiss the assassin. "If we’re needed, Fallon will reach out."