Dawning of Light by Tami Lund

first place.
    He hurried through the back door and strode through the basic three-room cottage until he stood in the bathroom, and then he placed her on her feet in the tub. “What are you doing?” she asked as she braced one hand on the wall and the other on his shoulder.
    “Giving you a hot shower, to help get your body temperature elevated again.”
    “You should shower too,” she protested.
    He nearly groaned—had she just asked him to get into the shower with her? There was only so much a man could take of a naked Cecilia Druthers. How the hell he’d ever considered her too skinny was beyond him, now that he’d gotten a solid look at what she looked like without clothing. He’d never realized how incredibly beautiful the female body could be, and he’d seen plenty of naked women in his life.
    But there was something about Cecilia, something about her body. It was baffling for any number of reasons, not the least of which was that until that moment, he would have considered himself a breast man, the larger the better. Now, Cecilia’s small, pert breasts seemed utterly perfect to him.
    Her hips didn’t flare, either, like most of the shifter females he’d hooked up with. Whether it was true or not, male shifters often theorized that a female shifter’s hips were designed for grabbing, when a male was ready to mate. Suddenly, he didn’t much care for that theory. With Cecilia, she was tiny enough that he could wrap his arms around her waist and hold her tightly against him, while he pressed into her from behind, if he were so inclined to mate with her.
    Damn it, what the hell was wrong with him? He shook his head, pushed away thoughts of doing naked things with Cecilia Druthers.
    “I will—when you’re done,” he growled. He reached into the tub to twist the knob, and Cecilia hooked her arm around his and pulled. He stumbled and leaped into the tub to keep from slamming his head against the wall.
    “Fates—are you trying to kill me? Is that the thanks I get for saving your ass?” he snapped at her.
    “No,” she replied, far more calmly than him. “I’m trying to save your ass. I’m no healer, but I can tell that your body temperature is too low also. You need this shower as much as I do. We’re both already naked, and we’ve seen everything there is to see. So just turn on the damn water already.” Her teeth were beginning to chatter again. He cursed and turned around and did as she said.
    He nearly groaned out loud again when she sighed with utter bliss as the steaming hot water hit her skin.
    “Sorry,” he said when he realized how hot the water really was. “I like my showers really hot. Let me turn down—”
    She grabbed his hand as he reached for the knobs again. “No, it’s perfect.”
    He turned back around and saw that she stood under the spray, eyes closed, a small smile on her lips. The spray was beating on her chest, turning her breasts red and causing her nipples to peak. He had the most insane urge to dip his head and suckle one of those nipples. What would she do if he tried?
    What the hell was he thinking? He shook his head and then elbowed her out of the way so that he could get under the spray of water.
    Cecilia Druthers? Really? He’d rather…He’d rather what?
    “If you don’t stop touching my ass, Cecilia…” He ground out the words through clenched teeth.
    “You’ll what, Finn?” she challenged him. “This shower is helping, but maybe you were right earlier. Maybe there’s a much more efficient way to elevate both our body temperatures.”
    Was she seriously suggesting…?
    “I was experiencing a moment of temporary insanity out there on the beach,” he said. “This is as hot as it’s going to get between us, Cecilia.”
    “It doesn’t have to mean anything.”
    “It’s not happening.”
    “I’m okay with one-night stands.”
    “Shut up, Cecilia.”
    “Fine,” she snapped, and she angrily pushed aside the shower curtain and climbed out of the