Chapter 255 - Easing the Hesitation (1/2)
Jos held the towel Arei had placed around her shoulders tightly as they neared the bedroom. Her excited chatter about the many things they had seen had slowly faded the closer to the bedroom they'd gotten. Her mind played over their earlier exchange in the room that loomed just a few feet away now. There had always been something about the gigantic man beside her that had always made it hard for her to keep her hands to herself. Admittedly, in her younger years, it had involved a great deal of physical attraction and the fact that he'd been the first person to ever treat her like a human after discovering what she was. Now... now it was something much different... so much more. The return of her memories only enhanced what had always been there. It had shed light on what she had mistaken as hurt and abandonment. She cast a glance over to him. Hearing his side of things had cast out most of her doubts. Although she knew he was still concerned over all that had happened before and now with Zeus, she wouldn't give those memories up for the world. She swallowed down the nervousness that had been building as his hand landed on the doorknob.
He pulled the door open and held it out for her, a faint smile playing at his lips. ”You've gotten quiet, what's on your mind?”
She stepped into the dark room and waited as he closed the door behind them. ”I was just wondering what the plan was for the rest of the night. It's fairly late, I can't imagine being able to get much done.”
Arei smiled down at her as he closed the distance between them. ”I thought a warm bath would be nice.” He ran his hand over her wet hair as he studied her. ”I was going to call downstairs and check on Shelly and see if they've found anything else helpful if you'd like to go on in.” He nodded toward the attached bathroom. ”Do you need help with anything?”
Jos shook her head as she sent him a skeptical look. There was something about the way his eyes were dancing that unnerved her. She forced down the lump building in her throat as she murmured a verbal response. ”No, thank you. I'll be fine.”
He nodded, his smoldering gaze still locked on her as she turned away from him and moved to her luggage. He walked over to the bed and retrieved his dress pants from the floor, digging the cellphone out of one pocket without taking his eyes off her. He sent her an assuring smile when she glanced back at him before entering the bathroom. ”Hey, I was just calling to see if you guys were still down there going through things.” He sent Jos a wink as he spoke to Chary.
Jos waited in the doorway for the response. [We are still going. You wouldn't believe some of the things this girl wrote about! There's quite a bit about Jos in here too, you may be interested in reading. I know Shelly and Russ seem to be interested in it! Anyways, I have them on hold right now. I'll call you back when we're finished.]
Jos let out a tired sigh as she turned into the bathroom and closed the door, not waiting to hear his reply. {Of course, there was a lot about me in that book, we were best friends... I was always the one she ran to first... I just wish I'd given her the attention she deserved when she was going through so much instead of tuning most of it out for my own selfish reasons.} She let out a heavy breath as she pushed down the drain stopper and turned the faucet on. She retrieved a bottle of bubble bath she'd picked up at the market in Athens and poured a generous amount into the bath before tossing her towel over a dressing bench and tugging the strings of her bikini loose. Arei had been right, a warm bath was just what she needed after the four hours they'd spent exploring the submerged portion of the palace. She let out a satisfied m.o.a.n, her eyes automatically going closed with the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e as she settled into the deep tub and rested her head against the gentle curve of it.
”How is that masturbation going?” Arei asked from the door. When surprised eyes shot open and snapped over to where he rested against the doorframe, he forged innocence. ”What? You're the one who said you would be forced to finish yourself off in the tub... I was simply checking your progress.”
There was no doubt he was up to something, but she couldn't quite figure out what. She shook her head as she let it lean back against the tub and closed her eyes again, a smile curving her lips. ”At least I'm honest enough to admit you drive me insane...” She said with a low sweet purr.
His lips spread wider as he drew closer to the tub. ”Ah, so am I. Do you honestly think I've never thought of you while doing the exact same thing? And if memory serves me right, you used to enjoy watching that process.” He pulled the dressing bench closer to the tub and began gathering supplies he would need.
Jos shook her head not bothering to open her eyes. ”Is that your plan now as well?”
His grin widened as he sat a set of shampoo and conditioner down beside the tub along with a water pitcher, before taking a seat on the bench. He dipped the pitcher in the water and brought it up to pour over Jos's hair carefully avoiding her face and eyes. ”It's only fair that I get to watch you, isn't it? I mean as many times as you watched me?” He said teasingly as he began working a lather into her hair with the sweet-scented shampoo.
She tilted her head allowing him better access. ”I might be offended if I really thought you meant that... or turned on...” She shrugged. ”I'm not sure which.” She said as she lifted a hand from the water, arching her c.h.e.s.t out of the water, and ran her fingers teasingly over her own pert n.i.p.p.l.es.