A Shade Lighter {Sequel To A Shade Darker}

{Chapter Twenty One}

Mumbler

May 1st, 2017

Billie

The water was running, and just beside it she sat on the edge of the bathtub still in her shift.

Her hands messed with the tie at the neck, loosening it, the shoulders fell away halfway down her arms.

"I'll show him, that inconsiderate mule faced excuse of a man. Who does he think he is? Talking to me that way, resisting everything he's ever wanted from me when I'm laying there with arms wide open. The man should be ashamed..."

Her mumbles carried over the water and straight to me. I found myself smiling at the insults rather than being angered by them.

I loosed my shirt at the collar, started on the buttons at my chest.

"Most people sing in the bath, you mumble"

Her gasp was loud and I knew that I had fully surprised her. Her face grew red and I only caught a glimpse of it before she had lost her balance sitting and fell back in the water.

I rushed to her side, laughed and found her supporting herself on her elbows. Her white shift was drenched and clung to her skin, her hair wet and covering her eyes. Her mouth was open, her lips dripping water.

"How..." She wiped the hair from her eyes, sat up with my help and then pushed me back "Dare you!"

"What?" I laughed, grasping her arm and helping her out.

She stumbled on her feet, water made sound as it dripped from the end of her shift.

"You frightened me, Billie! Don't you know it's not very gentlemanly to barge in on a woman bathing"

"You invited me as I recall. Besides, I heard you talking to yourself"

She turned away from me, her face blazing as she groped for a towel.

"I was not"

"You were"

"Well do you blame me? I tried to give you everything you ever wanted from me in there, Billie, offering myself for you to take. And all I got was rejected"

I shoved my hands in my pockets.

"You weren't ready"

"What?"

"You weren't ready, Lenore. I can tell when a woman wants me, and maybe you do with your feelings...but you were trembling under me. You would've regretted it in the morning"

Her face was red, and not with anger I had concluded. She stepped away from me, let out a long breath as she went next to the bathtub again and sat on the floor.

Her hair still dripped as she pulled her knees to her chest.

"Lenore..." I walked to her side, sat beside her in the puddle of water that was already cold. She shivered once.

A mixture of water and tears ran down her face.

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything. I've embarrassed myself, Billie...now I just have to own up to it"

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about"

"What do you mean?..." She lifted her head, a pitiful chuckle left her lips. "I showed up intoxicated to our wedding, then tried to force myself to seduce you and just get things over with...I thought that if I didn't offer myself up that you'd be angry with me"

I grasped her hand, brought it to my lips and kissed her palm.

"Look at me"

Lenore

I didn't. I was a coward, hid behind my tears and stringy hair. How could he even stand me? How could he still want to be near me?

He grabbed my chin, tilted my head towards him.

"Did I really make you feel like you'd have to force yourself to do it?"

A shudder ran along my spine. Did I? No, I suppose not. I knew he would've taken his time. And although I knew that if we were both ready he wouldn't have hesitated. I knew he cared about me. I let out a sigh.

"No, I guess not. I don't know why I said it...I don't know why I thought I had to"

He smiled.

"Good, it's good that you know that" He pulled me close, kissed the top of my head and pulled slowly at the strings of the tie on my shift.

My heart hammered, my voice trembled.

"W-...What are you doing?"

He sent me a confident smile, a rich one full of promises and secrets all together.

"I'm going to undress you, then put you in the bath. Your skin's cold and you're shivering"

I don't know why I didn't object. I felt scared, nervous, embarrassed. Why hadn't I pushed him away? Tell him that I didn't want it? Did I want it after all?

The top of my shift fell away, started sliding down my arms until I was naked to the waist.

I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, feel it vibrating throughout me.

His stare unnerved me, made me want to crawl back into my wet clothes and hide. When he grasped at the waist and started to push, I put mg hand on top of his.

His eyes flashed up to mine and he gave me a smile that made my heart beat faster.

"Now, you're not going to shy away over a thin piece of see through fabric, are you?"

"See..." I looked down, the white shift was indeed wet, sheer, and sticking to every place of me.

He grabbed the split side of the fabric, gave a jerk and before I could stop him, sent the whole thing ripping away.

I looked up with anger in my eyes.

Billie

"You....you imbecile! Have you no manners at all for a woman? First you sweet talk me, butter me up and make me feel like you were just perfect, and now you go ripping my clothes off!"

"You're welcome to put the back on if you'd like" She scowled. "No, really. It'd give me great pleasure to see you stomping out of here completely in the nude"

"I'm sure it would you no good, deceiving, I'll mannered, excuse for a man"

I laughed as I stood up and brought her with me. I spun her around in my arms.

"Oh, I do love it when you call me names, Mrs. Armstrong"

"Don't try and flatter me now, Billie, because it won't work" Her voice was high, satisfied with herself. I wasn't surprised to see her chin in the air when I set her back on her feet.

I ran my hands down her bare back, felt her shudder, and rested my palms against the curve of each side of her bottom. Her eyes narrowed.

"Take your hands off of me"

"Make me" She shuddered again, but with pleasure when I lowered my mouth to hers in a firm kiss.

I pulled back before she could accept more of what i was willing to give.

"I-I'll scream" I laughed before hauling her over one shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sure you will"

Satisfied, I threw her down in the tub and got exactly what she had promised, a scream.