“She and Grandpa Pete raised me after my mom died. She was wonderful.” She sighed. “Well, I really want a hot shower and then we should probably get to bed.” She glanced at him. “Do you want a shower too?”
“I wouldn’t mind one,” he admitted. “But you go first—unless there is more than one bathing facility?”
“Nope—afraid not.” Torri shook her head. “The problem with this place is that even though the design is so airy and it lets in a lot of natural light, there’s not a lot of room. That’s why Grandpa Pete built on the addition once I moved in with them.” She nodded to the side of one sloping wall, where a doorway led into the rectangular partition of the cabin. “My old room is through there. Come on.”
Vic followed her as Torri snapped on the light in her old bedroom. Nana had kept it just like she’d had it in high school. There were boy band posters on the walls and a small collection of bright nail polish bottles—their contents probably dried up by now—sat on a small silver tray on the dresser. The bed was queen-sized with one of Nana’s beloved patchwork quilts covering it.
“This is your room—where you are going to sleep?” Vic asked her.
Torri nodded.
“It’s going to feel strange sleeping here without Nana in the next room, but it’s nice to be someplace so familiar, you know?”
Vic nodded. He looked around the room at the boy band posters. “Do you know any of these humans?”
“Er…not personally. These are all pictures of musicians I liked when I was younger,” she tried to explain. “Please don’t judge me by the posters I picked when I was sixteen, okay?”
“Of course not.” Vic shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling. Where would you like me to sleep?” he asked.
“Oh, well…the only other bedroom in the house was Nana’s. I just…don’t like the idea of anyone sleeping in her bed, if that’s okay with you,” Torri said apologetically.
“I understand,” he said. “I can sleep on the floor if you like.”
“Oh the floor? Of course not!” Torri exclaimed. “I was thinking…” She felt her cheeks getting hot. “Well, I guess I thought you could sleep with me. I mean, not have sex or anything like that,” she added quickly. “Just sleep. If…that’s all right with you?”
Vic gave her a warm smile.
“More than all right, Torri,” he said softly.
Torri felt her cheeks getting even hotter.
“Okay, well—make yourself at home. I’m just going to, er, go take a shower and change into my, uh, nightgown.”
“I’ll wait for you here,” Vic murmured.
“I won’t be long,” Torri promised. Taking her duffle bag, she went back to the main part of the cabin and climbed the spiral staircase that led up to the small top area, which had been converted to an airy bathroom by Grandpa Pete.
Shedding her clothes, Torri stepped into the first really hot shower she’d had in months. It was a pleasure to let the steaming water rain down on her body and to wash her hair with shampoo that didn’t smell like medicine. She also took the opportunity to shave her legs, armpits, and pubic area. She hadn’t been allowed to use a razor of any kind at St. Elizabeth’s unless a caretaker watched her at all times, so she had gone without shaving for the past three months. It felt wonderful to be smooth again—which was how she had always preferred herself.
She finished by drying herself briskly with one of Nana’s fluffy white towels and blow-drying her hair so that it fell in dark waves around her face. There was still a half-full bottle of body lotion in the medicine cabinet which she rubbed into her skin. Then she put on a silky, white nightgown and looked at herself in the mirror.
I look like a bride, getting ready for her wedding night, she thought and smiled at her own silliness. Or maybe a girl getting ready for a hot date, added a little voice in her head, which made Torri blush.
Don’t be silly, she told herself. We’re going to sleep and that’s all we’re going to do.
But she was very aware of the way the thin gown molded itself to her breasts and hips to display her curves. The points of her nipples were clearly visible through the silky material and she wasn’t wearing any panties either, so the gown also clung to her freshly-shaven pussy mound. It felt cool against her bare skin and slid sensuously over her more sensitive areas.
She hung her towel on the rack and looked in the small linen closet to get another one out for Vic. She found another towel and a pair of old sweatpants, which she snagged as well.
Making her way back down to her old bedroom, she saw Vic sitting on the bed waiting for her. He sucked in a breath when she stepped into the room.
“Every time I think you cannot be more beautiful, you surprise me,” he murmured, his deep blue eyes running up and down her body.
“Um, thank you.” Torri felt herself blushing with pleasure. “Your turn in the shower,” she added.
“I’ll only be a moment,” he promised.
“Oh, I found an old pair of sweatpants for you—if you think they’d be more comfortable to sleep in than those tight scrubs.” Torri held out the worn pair of gray sweatpants along with the fresh towel. “They were my grandpa’s,” she explained. “He was a tall guy—not quite as tall as you, but they might fit.”
“Thank you—I’ll try them.” Vic nodded and took them from her. He frowned. “I hope you won’t be cold in such a thin sleeping outfit.”
“I’ll be okay,” Torri told him, though to be honest, she was already shivering. The heat was turned on but it was hard to insulate a space like the cabin. There were too many windows to really hold in the heat effectively.
“Get into bed and get warm,” Vic told her. “I’ll be back soon—try not to fall asleep before I can get back and join you,” he added.
“I’ll try,” Torri promised. Actually, she didn’t think falling asleep would be a problem. Despite how sleepy she had been while they were traveling, now she felt wide awake.
Which was just as well, since she didn’t want to fall asleep and have another Seeing Dream before Vic was also able to fall asleep and help her change the nightmare into a regular dream.
And that’s all we’re going to do—just dream together, Torri told herself firmly.
But she couldn’t stop thinking about the way his eyes had roved over her body or the way his voice had gone slightly hoarse when he told her how beautiful she was. It was clear the big Kindred was attracted to her…maybe almost as much as she was attracted to him.
The question was, should she act on that attraction or not?
Twenty-Nine
You are only going to sleep beside her and Dream Share with her, nothing more, Vic lectured himself as he stripped off his scrubs and stepped into the steaming shower.
But he couldn’t stop thinking of how the thin nightgown Torri was wearing clung to her full breasts and hips. She was what the Kindred of the Mother Ship called an “Elite”—a female the Goddess had blessed with fuller curves than most. Many Kindred males found Elites to be extremely desirable—especially the Twin Kindred who revered them above all other females.