Holliewood (Completed)

chapter thirty-nine

I felt the water cascade down my skin as I stood in the shower.

The warm steam enveloped me like a soft blanket as soap suds washed away and spiralled down the drain in a frothy whirlpool.

It felt like his hands were still on me.

After the experience we shared, I had fallen asleep in his arms and when I had woken up earlier I was still nestled in them. The warmth and comfort of his embrace made me feel very safe and secure. It had been a while since I'd felt a man's hold like that - so I had savored the closeness, letting the tranquillity of the moment wash over me.

I turned off the water, allowing the last few drops of water to roll off my skin before I wrapped myself in a towel and made my way into the bedroom.

Raymond was still sound asleep, his deep breaths filling the quiet room. I couldn't help but smile at how peaceful he looked.

I grabbed lotion from the nightstand and began applying it to my skin. As I worked the lotion in, I noticed Raymond's body shift slightly. He was stirring out of his sleep.

"Good morning," I said, applying the lotion on my shoulder blades and down my arms.

He blinked groggily, still caught between sleep and wakefulness.

"Mm," he mumbled, moving his limbs into a stretched position.

He followed that up by rubbing his eyes and giving me his attention, his eyes hanging low and lips spread into a thin small smile. 
There was just something about the way he looked at me. It wasn't just the way his eyes lingered on me; it was the depth of his gaze.

He managed to sit up in the bed and lean against the headboard, "good morning, beautiful," he finally said.

"Good morning," I smiled.

"How'd you sleep?"

"I slept well, how'd you sleep?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

He looked me up and down before he chuckled, "I slept real good."

I playfully rolled my eyes and squeezed some more lotion into my hand.

"So what are we getting into today?" He asked, uncovering the blankets and moving to stand up from the bed.

I got a full view of his nude body, appreciating how his skin looked in the morning sunlight. My eyes traced every aspect of his being until they landed on his face.

"You tryna go at it again? Cause if you keep looking at me like that we'll have no choice but to do so" He boldly said, approaching me.

I gently put my hand on his chest, stopping him from getting carried away, "woah there. I'm really hungry, can you please hop in the shower so we can get going?"

He looked down at me, "Why didn't you wake me up to shower with you?"

"Because of this right here," I said pointing out what I had just stopped him from initiating.

"Ah, touché," he said, moving his hands to hold the hand that had been placed on his chest, "Okay, let me get ready real quick."

"Thank you."

Without saying a word, he took my hand and kissed the back of it, instantly heading for the bathroom.