Time stops as I replay that thought in my mind. It sprang to mind so automatically, and feels so deeply good. Lynn is going to move in with me someday. Yes.
"We can talk while I shower, but you might have to yell a bit. Think of it as practice for when we come across forest wildlife that's a bit bigger than you expect."
She peeks into the bathroom and sees that the shower is far enough around the corner that I won't actually be naked in front of her. Placing a quick kiss on her forehead, I peel off my shirt as I walk away, giving her a clear view of the intricate Yggdrasil tattoo across my back.
"It's an old Norse symbol, the tree of life," I explain. "I like the symbolism of the cycle of birth, growth, death, rebirth. Like the way fallen leaves fertilize the soil for next year."
Turning on the water, I strip, then jump in and grab the soap. "What are some of your favorite symbols?" I call out, working conditioner into my beard so that I don't scratch her skin when we kiss.
By the time I'm clean, I've learned that Lynn loves graphic icons more than actual symbols, that she wants to be a full-time web designer, and that she dreams of having a massive vegetable garden. The pot of mint in her kitchen window is a reminder of that.
Her voice gets clearer, and I peek out to see that she has moved the stool right to the edge of the doorway. That feels encouraging. I want her to be completely comfortable with me.
Several people have described me as imposing, because of my size. My face is sterner than my brothers', especially withthe beard. That worked out well when I was negotiating multi million-dollar deals and deciding who would be given rights to our software, but now I worry that I might be too much for Lynn. She still jumps occasionally when I reach out for her, and sometimes thinks long and hard before speaking. I need her to be comfortable.
Turning off the water, I wrap a towel around my waist before stepping out, so there's no chance of her getting an eyeful of my semi-erect dick, even in the mirror.
"Should I go into the bedroom while you get dressed?" she asks.
I lean around the corner to smile. "For the moment, I have a towel protecting your delicate eyes." Stepping out, I'm delighted that she laughs loudly at my blotchy pink knee-length sarong.
"You mixed a red t-shirt with a load of white towels by mistake?" she sputters.
"Actually, it was board shorts. But I actually kind of like this tie-dye pink look." I shimmy my hips like an inexpert belly dancer.
Still laughing, she leaves the closet to go sit on the bed, and I'm not sure what she's expecting or hoping for. Pulling out some comfortable clothes, I'd rather stay bare. More to the point, I want Lynn to be bare, too.
"Fair warning, I'm about to drop my fancy pink towel. I don't care if you see everything, because I have nothing to hide from you. But I don't want to shock or offend you either. So you can look, or turn away and shut your eyes, your pick."
I pause for a second, watching her bite that perfect bottom lip. She's not turning away.
Stepping closer, my voice drops. "Unless of course, you make me stare at that sexy mouth, in which case I will have no choice but to come in for a kiss."
Lynn sits up straight, fingers tapping on her knee, but with a deep sparkle in her eyes. "You've cast some kind of spell over me to make me less shy. Do you think it's permanent?"
"I don't know. That's up to you." I take a step closer.
"Well, I hope it's permanent." She pauses, her eyes wandering down my bare chest. "Because I'm curious."
"About what?"
"Everything." She looks me dead in the eye, then sinks her teeth into her bottom lip while attempting to hold back a smile.
I couldn't imagine a clearer signal. Launching forward, I kiss her hard and deep and slow, wrapping my arms around her as we lie across the bed. Her graceful hands gravitate to my skin, touching and caressing as she explores every inch of my torso.
"I love the way you touch me," I murmur.
"I love the way you touch me, too."
I begin to untuck the back of her shirt slowly. "I could touch a lot more of you if we removed a few things."
She stares at her open palm in the center of my chest. "That's true."
"This is a big towel. I bet we'd both fit under it."
Lynn leans back, then pulls off her shirt in one smooth motion. It takes me a second to close my jaw, then I shake my head, attempting to look disgusted. "This is a perfectly clean bra without one drop of soup on it. How do I even know you went to work today?"
As soon as she's laughing, I slip my hands behind to unfasten it, and she helps me pull it off.
