six | taking measurements

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AUGUST'S SHOWER IN HIS guest bedroom was just as to-die-for as the one in the main suite

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AUGUST'S SHOWER IN HIS guest bedroom was just as to-die-for as the one in the main suite. Natural wood combined with soft blue and white tiles made it feel like the island was alive right here in this bathroom. If I could live in this shower, I would; that was how much I loved it.

There were not one but two shower heads–a feature I loved until I turned them both on simultaneously, and they sprayed ice-cold water on me, causing me to let loose a high-pitched shriek of surprise.

Shivering, I jumped back out of the shower and tried to reach in to adjust the temperature. But before I could figure it out, a loud bang on the door made me jump, slipping back into the shower as I shrieked again. Luckily I was able to catch myself before I toppled over and wound up on the floor.

"Castle!" August's rough voice echoed in the bathroom, even through the door. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" I called before sputtering when I got a mouth full of ice-cold water. Squeezing my eyes shut to shield them, I reached blindly for the shower dials but ended up groping the air instead. "Just–ugh. How do you–"

"I'm coming in," he announced.

I didn't have time to protest before August burst into the bathroom, and all I could think was how relieved I was to still be in my swimsuit. But all that relief vanished when I wiped the water out of my eyes and looked over to see a jaw-dropping sight.

August Fletcher wearing nothing but a towel draped around his waist.

August Fletcher wearing nothing but a towel, draped around his waist with rivulets of water running down his broad, glistening chest.

"Are you okay?" he croaked. He'd marched across the bathroom and now had one hand on either side of the shower door, sweeping his gaze over me as though searching for the problem. The first pass of his eyes was frantic and assessing. And then the second, once he realized there was no bodily harm, was slower and downright appreciative.

His gaze was the only bit of heat in this bathroom.

I wrapped my arms around myself as another shiver wracked through me. But I couldn't say for certain what caused it.

"You sank a lot of money into this beach house for it not to have hot water, Fletcher."

"Jesus, Castle." He hung his head momentarily. "You screamed bloody murder and scared the shit out of me."

"It startled me," I said defensively. "It's freezing."

Fumbling with the temperature dial again, I bounced on my tiptoes to stay warm as the cold water continued to rain down around me. August was blocking my way out of the shower, and I didn't dare step closer to him when I was half-naked and he was almost entirely naked.

August did not hold the same reservation. He stepped into the shower, crowding me against the wall as he batted my hand away, spinning the dial the opposite way. Then instead of getting out of the shower, he turned toward me while letting the water drench the towel around his waist.

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