Starfish

14.2

Ardus stretched out on his bed, warm and relaxed and smiling. It had been a good day aside from the short lockdown, and that brief moment this morning when he thought his heart was going to stop at the sight of that dress, and even that had been enjoyable. Now he felt significantly more settled, and he laughed at himself. I cannot believe I thought something was wrong with me. Completely normal behavior, taken too seriously. He laid there and thought about Nina again. Now that he knew for certain she'd been flirting with him, it was easier to let his mind wander into new territory. He thought about Nina's hips, how they swung when she walked. I have touched those, not bare but I have still touched them. Smug pride swelled in his chest, and a similar swelling throbbed in his belly. Ardus looked down, pressing down with one hand. The touch made him gasp. This again? He froze, a recent memory surging back. But this time he didn't feel quite so bad about it. Nothing wrong with it, just biology. Just a natural reaction to...her.

Ardus relaxed and closed his eyes. He thought about how Nina had leaned on the table, her arm pressing into the soft, round swell of her breasts and deepening her cleavage. He wondered if they were as warm as they looked. His mind traced the shape of them while his hand traced a more familiar shape. He pressed on his lower belly, concentrating on his breathing and releasing the tension in his thighs. Eyes closed he could see her, smell her and feel her in his arms, imagined her skin touching his, and he felt a twitch. Sea gods, what would she think if she knew what I was doing? Being a biologist, she would probably be fascinated. Nina didn't seem like the type to be frightened of something so basic as anatomy, in fact she was quite bold. 'I could use a challenge. The bigger, the better.' He imagined her reaction – her eyes growing wide, her mouth curving into a grin, her cheeks dimpling. His body responded to the idea with a warm tingle, starting down by his hand and rippling up through his belly and driving a shaky sigh from his mouth. He shuddered, thinking about how her skin had felt in his hands when he'd carried her, how she'd grabbed his wrists when he'd lifted her off her kitchen counter. He wanted to press his fingers into her hips, feel the warmth from her body sink into his palms while he explored her with his eyes, his hands, his mouth. Does she taste as sweet as she smells? Sea gods, I want her!

Breathing faster, harder, Ardus tightened his grip and released his mind. He imagined her weight on his chest, her smile, the soft thickness of her hips and thighs in his hands. She was so small, there would be no trouble picking her up and putting her anywhere he wanted – on top, beneath, any way he chose – but rather than use his size and strength to mishandle her, Ardus wanted her willing. The thought of Nina enthusiastically climbing on top of him, sliding under him, clinging to him sent a rogue wave of heat through his body and Ardus curled up on his side, moaning. Turning his face into the pillow he tasted her name in his mouth, shuddering as his hands stroked faster. Nina, in her human clothes that clung to her body like a second skin, in Dreen clothes with their bright colors that made her glow. Her long hair, beautiful and fascinating, spilling over her shoulder and waving down her back. Her smiling mouth, dimpling cheeks, and storm-grey eyes that flashed when she was angry and sparkled when she was happy. I want her, Omi knows. I want her body, her mind, her smile, her laugh, her hips... Aku, those hips! What he would do to touch them again! He throbbed at the thought, biting the inside of his cheek. Ardus imagined her beside him, reaching for him, snuggling her warm little body against his, envisioning burying his face in her hair and her neck and between her soft breasts and then her legs. He imagined her taking him in her hands, her mouth, inside her; her legs wrapping around his hips, his waist, his neck–

With a shattering moan Ardus felt the last of his restraint break and release washed over him, a heady tide of blissful relief. "Oh, Nina!" Quivering, he lay still and waited for his breath to catch. I have not felt like this in...how long? His brain felt foggy, his thoughts scattered like a troop of cliff-climbers caught stealing food. He felt better though, anxiety eased and earlier guilt dissipated. Not as good as the real thing, but satisfying enough. Ardus lay still until he felt his heart rate return to normal, his breaths evening out. He'd sleep better tonight, perhaps better than he'd slept in a long time. Then his eyes snapped open again, his chest thudding. Sea gods, I have to spend three days with her! Alone!