31. What Lies Beneath
31
What Lies Beneath
Victor laid on his back beside me, absently stroking my arm. Between heavy blinks, his dark eyes were unfocused and dreamy.
I hooked my heel around his calf and sighed. Did normal people feel warm and fuzzy after a good fuck? Or was this love stuff seeping in again?
“You kept your socks on,” he murmured with wonder, fingering the edges of my thigh-highs as if to check they were real.
I grinned. “Yeah. You didn’t notice?”
He furrowed his brow. “There are so many parts…”
I snorted a laugh. How much did we miss when blood rushed from the brain?
“I like all of them,” he said, palming my thigh.
“Oh.” My skin simmered under his fingertips. “You like all of me, huh? Even my toes?” I pawed at him with my foot.
“Yes.” He squeezed my leg and blinked affectionately. Did he like all of me? All he knew so far, at least.
My heart raced. “You haven’t even seen them.”
He shrugged. “So, show me.”
I giggled and sat up. “What if they stink?”
“I’ll still like them.” He rubbed a reassuring circle on my back.
Fuck, I really liked him. Getting naked would be easy. Telling him my feelings…that’d be truly scary.
I rolled my socks down to my ankles. “You know, I actually pictured our first time with more clothes on.”
“You did?”
“Well, we would’ve been in the theater. We couldn’t risk someone waltzing in to witness all that sexiness.” I stretched my leg in front of him. “See? Check out these ankles.”
“So indecent,” he growled, grabbing my leg. He nibbled and kissed along it.
I cackled and pushed him away.
“Wait, I still need to see your toes,” he protested.
“No. You still have your pants on.” I sat cross-legged and quirked my eyebrow at him. He could see my tits. I wanted to see some ass.
He chuckled and pushed his hair back. “Sounds like we should both strip.”
“And shower.” I scratched his deliciously stretched stomach. Part of me wanted to drag my teeth across his hip bones and suck the sheen of sweat off his skin. But then I’d want to fuck again, and I’d already had two orgasms. If I got a third, I’d be walking funny tomorrow. Plus, I’d never want him to leave. I had shibari rope and fuzzy handcuffs stashed away if I needed to tie him up. But what if I wanted him to use those on me? Keeping him forever was already too tempting.
I took his hand and led him to my bathroom amid our muffled footfall. While he disposed of the condom, I turned on the shower. The spray sputtered, then steadied, the metal shower head puncturing holes in my reflection.
I gasped at the black smudges on my distorted face.
Shit, my makeup. I wiped my under-eyes with my fingers. Waterproof, my ass. Was it not enough to cry during an orgasm? Now, I had to wear the evidence?
“Ugh, I really do look like a zombie,” I muttered.
Victor laid a sharp smack on my ass.
Shrieking, I whipped around. What was that for?
He pinched my chin and stepped so close I was forced to look up at him. “Don’t disparage my bride,” he rumbled. Eyes glinting, he dragged his thumb across my bottom lip.
Flames burst in my chest, and before I could stop myself, I licked his fingertip.
Why? For what? I was a depraved weirdo, a sex maniac. Or at least the beast breaking out of my chest acted like it. I wanted to suck on every inch of him. I needed to throw myself under scalding water until this unbearable desire melted away.
Victor’s eyebrows shot up. Then, he laughed. His delighted, dark gaze stoked my pride.
I licked my lips. “Sorry, Sir. Won’t happen again.”
He smirked. “If it does, I expect you’ll be fine with punishment.”
Oh, fuck. I rubbed my thighs together and smiled. “As long as there’s aftercare.”
He massaged my ass, his gaze trailing the black smudges under my eyes. “I love when you come undone.”
Then, he loved me now. I sighed happily. He loved me. Or at least my version of messy.
He kissed me so hard and fast that I swayed, dizzy on potential. What kind of punishments did he have in mind? Would he smack my ass? Tie me up in silk? Make me sit on the bed and touch myself?
“Is it okay if I still call you ‘Miss’ Silver?” he purred.
“Yes. I haven’t agreed to taking your name yet.” I grinned.
Whether he loved my vibe or my actual self, I had a desperate urge to believe this was my twisted, tender, happily-ever-after.
Fuck my brain for engaging in this kind of fantasy when we’d barely started dating. But there was nothing I could do about it now. Love would have to be its own thrilling mystery.
I tugged his belt loops. “Take off your pants.”
It was a lot easier to say than anything else running through my head.
He gestured to my legs. “First, may I?”
I nodded. I’d rather not wobble or sit on the toilet to take off my socks in front of him.
He knelt and edged my socks off with careful inspection to each foot. Steam curled around the bathroom and swelled in my lungs. What was he looking at?
I wiggled my toes as if to show him they weren’t that special.
He squeezed my sole. “Just as I suspected. I like them.”
Oh my god. This kinky Prince Charming shit would do me in. I loved him.
His featherlight touch skimmed my arches, veering from tender to ticklish.
“Ah, take off your pants.” I laughed, kicking him back.
“As you wish, darling.” He edged his pants down with agonizingly slow pride and smirked, his lips still swollen from our kisses.
Damn it, he knew I was staring. He liked it. But did he know I was infatuated?
I ran under the shower, then half-closed the curtain so spray didn’t escape. My heart raced and heat spread through my limbs. There was no way I wasn’t blushing all over the place.
Watching his blurry silhouette strip as I soaped up only emphasized how alien this whole thing was to me. I never showered with my flings. They left right after doing the deed. Once in a while, I’d send them home with a sports drink, and they’d occasionally give me the same courtesy.
Bathing with someone at this age was intimate. He’d literally washed my feet. Those were the least-sexy body parts for most people. I didn’t even think it was his kink.
On impulse, I twisted the shower knob. Freezing water pummeled my back. I gasped and bit back a scream. Fuck, that was fast. My recklessness made my teeth chatter.
He quickly twisted the knob to the middle and rubbed my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Y-yes.” I sniffled, shielding him from the spray. “I accidentally hit the thing and…”
He nodded and held me close. His cold fingertips bit my arms, but his chest radiated against mine. There was some secret power in his touch, in his mind, and hell, even under his gaze. Then, it hit me:
He was naked. He was listening. And beautiful. And mine.
I curled my hand in the damp, downy chest hair over his heart. “Victor?”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to watch a movie after this?” I asked.
He hesitated, his muscles tense.
“You don’t have to,” I hurried to say, lifting my cheek off him. “I know you might be sick of movies because of your job. We could try a TV show? Or, I don’t know, I should probably learn about more of your hobbies at some point and—”
“You know enough.”
I did? It didn’t feel like it. I wanted to bathe in his very essence. Was he cutting me off when I’d barely dipped my toes in?
He kissed my face and slow-blinked. “I love films, and I’d love to stay…as long as I’m able to. I like being with you, Kat.”
I exhaled and snuggled close, steam seeping into my bones.
He wanted to stay. I never wanted him to leave. This love was quickly turning into an obsession, but at least he was descending into it with me.