Violet
Ivore stood behind her, helping her hold the drill up to the wall. His hands dwarfed hers, but he made sure she was doing the work. He was just guiding.
“Now pull the trigger slowly, until it starts spinning the screw and digs it into the wall a bit.”
Violet had never used a power tool before in her life. Screwdrivers and even a few times a hammer, yes. But a drill? Never. She pulled the trigger excitedly, and the drill spun rapidly. The screw bounced and flew away and the drill would have plunged into the wall if Ivore hadn’t stopped it.
He was so strong. She’d known that, and she definitely wasn’t swooning over the fact, but she’d never really realized just how strong he was. They’d been working on some drywall for the front part of her shop. The kitchen area was still under construction, but the front was a lot easier, and they were moving steadily along on it.
“Okay, now, try that again,” he teased. “But this time let’s actually pull slow.”
“Yeah. That was a little much. I just don’t know my own strength.”
He chuckled, and she could feel it in his chest as he slipped another screw into place.
This time Violet did as she’d been instructed, the screw bit, and then she slammed it home. Pulling the drill off the wall, she blew across the tip of it. “Damn, I’m good.”
“That you are. Now only a few dozen to go.” He pointed at the other pieces of drywall they had to put into place.
Violet groaned. “Why do you have to kill the mood like that? That wasn’t very nice.”
“Maybe not.” He was laughing again. “But the look on your face was worth it.”
She stuck out her tongue and snatched up another screw. “I got this.”
It took her several tries to figure out how to do everything on her own, holding the drill and the screw in place, one hand on each. But Ivore stood back and let her work, and eventually she started to get the hang of it. She would never be a professional, but it only took her about fifteen minutes to get the rest of the wall done. Well, the wall she could reach. Ivore grabbed the drill and finished it off, moving along much faster than she had.
“There. I think that’s a good accomplishment for today, don’t you?”
“Yeah!” She’d not only used the drill, but also cut some wood for the contractors, and then helped Ivore measure and cut the drywall. “Construction is messy though. I’m filthy.”
“Yeah, me too,” he agreed, brushing at his clothing, drywall dust billowing up from his pants. “I was going to ask if you wanted to go on a date tonight or something, but I think we both need to clean up.”
She nodded. “A date?” That sounded…stressful. Could she handle that?
“Yeah. You know, like go out to dinner, but this time don’t make me have to disguise it as a business meeting?”
Despite everything Violet laughed. He was funny.
“So dinner? That’s it?”
“Yeah. Maybe a walk outside if you’re up for it. It’s looking like a gorgeous night.”
She had to agree with that. It was warm out, with almost no breeze and a perfectly clear sky. It would make a wonderful evening to enjoy the leaves changing colors.
“Can we go to a pasta joint?” she asked. “That would be the best way to convince me. I love pasta.” She leveled a finger at him. “But no judging me for how I eat it.”
He laughed loudly, grinning from ear to ear. “Done.” He stuck out a dirty hand. She took it.
“I just need to go home and shower first.”
Ivore shrugged. “You can just use the one in my place upstairs. It’s easier. Besides, I’m starving. I don’t want to wait that long.”
She hesitated. Use his shower? In his bathroom? In his apartment? “I don’t know, Ivore…”
“I promise, I’ll be good. This isn’t some sleazy ploy. It’s strictly about efficiency and getting us to food as quickly as possible. I’m not going to try anything.”
Violet’s initial reaction was still to disagree and go home. That’s what she should do. But a part of her, the part she usually ignored and shut down, was asking her where the harm in it was if he was promising not to try anything?
On top of it all, her stomach was telling her it was hungry.
“Okay. But I’m locking the door.”
He smiled and spread his hands wide. “Whatever you need to do to feel comfortable. I was just gonna use one of the other showers anyway, so I won’t be available.”
Trying to subdue the nervous twitch in her hands, she grabbed her bag with the clothes she’d worn earlier and followed him into the elevator.
“I do have to apologize. We don’t have any girly-smelling stuff at our place. So you’re probably going to smell like me.”
Violet shrugged. “As long as you mean freshly showered you, and not your current aroma, then we’ll be just fine.”
Ivore choked on his next words. He finally got himself under control. “Ouch.”
“You’ve been working those muscles all day. It’s only natural that you would work up a sweat as well.”
“I guess. But a guy never wants to be told by a cute girl that he stinks. We actually have very fragile egos, and this is one of those things that can harm them.”
She shook her head as the door opened, revealing a view directly into an apartment. A nice apartment she noted, looking at the gorgeous finishes and furnishings. Maybe she’d been wrong to question his wealth before. “Maybe if you didn’t have such a large ego, it wouldn’t get hurt so easily,” she told him, stepping out into the apartment. “Look at that view.”
“It is something, isn’t it,” Ivore agreed, ignoring her first comment.
Violet got the distinct impression from the tone of his voice that Ivore wasn’t looking out the window, but she didn’t want to go there, so she just ignored it. If he wanted to stare at her drywall-covered butt, then so be it.
“Which way is the shower?” she asked, tearing her eyes away from the landscape.
“My room is over here.” He gestured off to the right at a set of doors. Leading her through, he showed her the washroom, grabbing a spare towel from a nearby closet.
Then he snatched up a bottle from the shower and his towel and departed, leaving her alone, just as he’d promised. Without making a move of any sort, also like he’d promised.
Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that it was empty and that she’d promised it pasta. There would be little more patience if she delayed. Locking the door, she hopped into the glass-walled shower. It was huge. She could move in a circle with her arms outstretched and not touch any side of it.
The control knobs took some figuring out, and she got splashed with freezing cold water on two separate occasions, both of which prompted some high-pitched yelps. Eventually she got the shower going. It was amazing—not only was there a huge showerhead, but she could turn on some massaging jets and let them play across her back while she cleaned all the grime off.
All too soon she was clean, and any further time spent in the shower would just be delaying her stomach’s gratification. Reluctantly she turned it off and got out, drying herself off. Realizing she’d left her bag back in his bedroom, she opened the door and walked out into the room, stopping dead.
Across the room from her Ivore was pulling something out from one of his dresser drawers. It wasn’t his presence that caught her attention, but instead the complete lack of underwear. He was nude.
And she was staring at his butt.
It was rather cute. Tight and firm-looking, just like what she’d imagined it would, though maybe it was just a little bigger.
Two things happened at once as they both clued in to what was happening at the same time.
Ivore yelped in surprise, noticing her in the mirror and spinning around.
Violet meanwhile stumbled backward toward the washroom to try and hide, but her towel caught on the door handle and pulled itself free, tripping her up. She fell to the ground, hitting her arm off the tiled floor. “Ow!” she cried as pain blossomed up her arm.
“Violet!” He rushed over to her, kneeling at her side. “Are you okay?”
He was still naked.
Something brushed against her feet as she lay cradling one arm. It was the towel, sliding off the door handle. Violet shouted and thrashed, covering up her nudity. “What are you doing?!”
In her movements she turned her head back and forth, catching a complete look at what was hanging between his legs.
Oh God, why did this have to happen to her? She was so embarrassed.
“You cried out. Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, it just stung. But you’re naked.”
He nodded. “So are you.”
She adjusted her hands, trying to cover herself up. “Don’t remind me.”
“Okay.” He draped the towel across her. “I’m sorry.”
“What were you doing in there? You said you weren’t going to try anything.”
“I forgot to bring clothes. I’m sorry. I needed to get fresh ones. Somebody said I had an aroma they didn’t approve of. So I was going for a different approach this time. I thought I’d try clean everything.”
Despite everything she couldn’t help but snicker. That had been a good line.
“Okay. But you’re still naked. I can see your…well, everything.” She inadvertently looked when she spoke, another image of his dick implanting itself in her brain.
At least as far as dicks went, it was a good one. Long, thick, and just the right amount of veins when it was hard. Oh no. He was hard.
“Sorry about that. I’d use the towel to cover up, but someone decided they wanted to hog it.”
She rolled her eyes. “What, you think we can both fit under here? What exactly would that accomplish?”
“I could think of a few things.”
His voice sent tingles down her spine. Against her will the tips of her breasts hardened, her body responding to the unspoken thoughts and the hard cock sitting mere inches away from her left hand.
Violet knew she was at a crossroad. Things with Ivore were supposed to move slow, at a pace she was comfortable with, when she was ready. Taking a leap forward like this wasn’t something she’d actually thought would occur. After all, the more Ivore learned about her the more she was positive he’d want to distance himself.
Yet here they were, both naked, the only thing stopping anything from happening being a far-too-small piece of terrycloth draped over her body. Nothing was visible, and yet he was still as hard as a rock, kneeling at her side, massaging her right arm with his fingers. The pain had long since fled, but she didn’t want him to stop.
“Why are you hard?” she asked suddenly.
Ivore’s fingers paused in their motion as he studied her. “Is that a serious question? While I know you didn’t mean to, I saw you. All of you. Naked. Every curve and swoop, every valley and peak. I’ve never come across a more intoxicating sight before in my life. Have you any idea how badly I’ve wanted you this past while? How hard I’ve had to fight to ensure I behaved around you so that I wouldn’t drive you away?”
His voice grew deeper as he spoke, coming from his core, from the truth of who he was.
“But I’m not sexy,” she protested. “I’m just fat. I have rolls and bumps and—”
“You’re soft and luxurious and full of life,” he corrected. “So tender and delicious, tantalizing and erotic. I want to explore everything there is about you while showing you just how sexy you are, and how lucky any man should be to have you.”
His voice was practically a growl by the time he finished. Like before his dark blue eyes had become lighter, glowing with a feral light as he eyed her up and down, likely picturing what was beneath the little towel.
The arousal in his voice spoke to something in Violet, something deep that she’d buried and pushed away, refusing to allow herself to think about or feel. Her body responded sluggishly, working to remember just how it felt to be wanted, to be touched by someone.
Ivore seemed to pick up on the change. Maybe it was her breathing, or the way she kept glancing between his legs, try as though she might not to. His fingers danced across her forearm and then worked their way across her bicep, heading toward her shoulder. Each time he touched somewhere new she shuddered, struggling to draw in a breath.
The sensation of being touched was almost overwhelming, a stimulus her body had gone without for year after year. Now Ivore was not only reminding her of it, but taking everything she’d ever known to a whole new level.
She stared at the crossroad for a moment longer before making her decision. Hormone met brain, and one side emerged the victor.