“THREE… TWO… ONE…”
When the voice finished the countdown, a warm spray hit her, an immediate balm to her aching muscles. Gemini used what she assumed was soap from a clear bottle, lathering her hair and body up and rinsing thoroughly. It had a gentle, clean scent, not the refreshing pine she’d smelled on Apodis, and she wondered if he had a special cologne he liked to wear.
After sitting for longer than necessary andenjoying the heated bliss, she told the shower to turn off, her command heeded a moment later.
“GIVE DRY SETTING INSTRUCTIONS,”the robot shower said, and Gemini asked for the options. “LOW, MEDIUM, AND HIGH SPEED. COOL, LOW, MEDIUM, AND HIGH HEAT.”
“Uh… medium speed, medium heat?” Gemini said, taking a guess, a gust of warm air hitting her a moment later.
The wind whipped her hair, and it wasn’t long before she was completely dry, raking her fingers through her tangled locks as she instructed the shower to turn off. She exited, finding the pile Apodis had left for her and sifting through the clothes.
There was a simple black shirt and gray shorts, made of a cozy material that felt similar to cotton. Both were much too large for her, but at least the shorts had strings she could use to tighten them, and she awkwardly put them on.
The neckline of the shirt slung dangerously low, wider than usual to accommodate his tentacles, she supposed. She still wondered what exactly they were and why only certain Oslieths had them, though the pain relief feature was pretty damn cool.
She adjusted the shirt one more time, chuckling at the vision of herself in the mirror, completely swallowed by the dark fabric. With a final glance, she limped over to the door, pressing the buttonto exit.
Apodis was in front of her a moment later, his eyes flashing dark blue.
“You shouldn’t be walking. I would have come in and carried you.”
He raked his gaze over her from her head to her toes, then slung his arm around her middle to support her. Zenith was nowhere to be seen as Apodis helped her to another door, letting it whoosh open and escorting her inside.
A massive bed was the focal point of the room, made of a white material that appeared to be hovering above the floor. Plush white pillows and blankets covered the mattress, the headboard butting up against a moulded wall that looked like an ocean, blue with white accents mimicking breaking waves.
There were white pedestals on either side acting as nightstands, lines of glowing light along the single, large window that was covered in gossamer drapes. It was stunning, like some sort of relaxing vacation spot, but Gemini quirked a brow in confusion as Apodis helped her sit on the bed.
“I don’t mind sleeping on the couch,” she said, looking up as he hovered over her.
Under no circumstances was she going to put him out after he’d been so helpful, no matter how tranquil this bedroom was.
“Nonsense. You’re injured, so you should take the bed. It’s quite comfortable.”
It sure was.
On impulse, she took his hand before he could escape, squeezing it lightly.
“I don’t mind sharing if you don’t. I mean, it’s big enough for two people.”
When was the last time she’d shared a bed with someone? Alongtime, at least since someone had actually spent the night instead of disappearing before the sun arose. Not that one-night stands weren’t fun, but the thought of cozying up in bed with this hot alien was actually kind of… exciting.
Apodis let out a huff, glancing around the room before nodding.
“If you insist. But I really don’t mind?—”
She shushed him, her heart thumping hard as she once again was shocked by her own audacity, but Apodis just grinned. She pulled on his arm, adjusting her shirt as the wide collar dipped low and threatened to expose her.
Electricity tingled her nerves as Apodis didn’t take the hint, still awkwardly standing over her.
“Are you going to get in or what?”
He shuffled his feet.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Who’s uncomfortable? I’m not.”
She certainly should have been, being half naked in bed with a strange alien male. But all Apodis had done was be helpful and sweet so far. Nothing was going to happen anyway. It was entirely possible toshare a bed with an attractive person and keep things platonic.
