Made of Matter

Chapter Nine

Stephen's bed was empty when I awoke. The sky outside suggested it was close to sunrise and there was a chill in the room which kept me awake. I shuffled around to try and find the bra I had discarded the previous night but couldn't find it and instead decided a hot shower would wake me up.

The rest of my clothes were folded up neatly at the end of my mattress on the floor and I knew it had been Stephen from the precise way in which he had made up his own bed. I wasn't exactly sure how it made me feel knowing he had stood over me and folded my clothes while I was sleeping but I figured that it was him just proving a point; passive-aggressively letting me know how he wanted things kept.

I made sure to pull up the covers on my own bed before heading to the bathroom behind the wooden dressing screen and jumped at the sight of Stephen standing before the sink with a razor in his hand, his neck coated in shaving foam, naked except for a towel hung loosely over his hips. I couldn't help but skirt my gaze up and down the length of him, droplets of water still clung to his shoulders and chest and down the flat planes of his toned stomach where my gaze dropped further to where the towel was folded over his hips, I could peek a line of hair creeping down into the towel.

The intimacy we had shared the previous night had disappeared and with the light of day, my confidence had slightly disappeared. What would Stephen do should I ask him to drop the towel? I wouldn't ask but the thought of him ruffled made me press my lips together to hide my smirk.

I glanced around the bathroom. There was a small shelf in the corner filled with towels and toiletries and a toilet beside it but behind Stephen, was the shower. There was no screen or curtain, instead only a singular shower head stuck out of the wall. My mind conjured up perverted images of Stephen standing under the shower head naked, his head thrown back, hands in his hair as the water ran down his face, his stomach and then lower as he reached down to hold the hard length of himself in his shaking hand.

Had he been in there while I slept? Was that why he had gotten up so early, hoping I didn't walk in on him naked? Exposed? Had I wanted to? God, yes. Especially after last night.

I'd allow myself to get lost in the sick little fantasies my mind played out of my master for now and then later I would play them out with Lee in hopes of gaining back my sanity. Stephen could stick to his celibacy but I sure as hell wouldn't. How had the smallest bit of kindness he offered me turned into me lusting after him? I had to get a hold of myself. Stephen's intentions were clear he had no interest in pursuing anything but a professional relationship with me and I didn't want to push him too far. I wouldn't jeopardise my apprenticeship for a hate-fuck. Or my supposed engagement.

'How'd you sleep?' Stephen asked me dragging me from my idiotic thoughts, unphased by my interruption on his grooming, icy eyes flitting my way and then over his shoulder to follow my gaze settled on the shower. He lifted a brow but said nothing before his gaze focused back on his reflection in the mirror and lifted the razor.

'Yeah, fine.' I offered quietly, making sure my voice didn't sound odd as I tried to pretend I wasn't unsettled by Stephen standing before me almost naked. His hair was still wet in unruly dark curls, my hands itched to touch him and see if this version of him was real. He was unguarded, almost polite and it made me wonder if it was because we were alone or because of our conversation the night before. I knew it wouldn't last long.

Stephen's hand shook as he raised the razor to his neck, his chin lifted and eyes downcast to watch himself in the mirror. I stepped forward as if he might cut himself but his free hand was pressed to the wrist of his hand holding the razor and a faint golden glow encircled the wrist.

His brow was pulled low as he concentrated on dragging the razor up his neck but his hand was steady as he did so. When he dropped his hand to rinse the razor in the sink with a sharp breath through his teeth, he looked at me expectantly.