Strip Tease

Chapter 10

I'm hot.

And I don't mean in a conceited way, I mean it feels like my body is ten thousand degrees. I turned my head to the side and saw the clock on my bedside table read 2:00 PM. I've been asleep for a few hours thankfully, and other than being hot, I was starving.

That's when I heard it though. Deep even breaths and a barely audible snore. My eyes widened and I craned my neck to where the noise was coming from. On the inside I started panicking, wondering how I will escape the person lying beside me. What if he wakes up? What if we had sex? Oh god what if I met him at work last night? And that's when all my worry slipped away. Sort of.

That beautiful black hair fanned over his face, that tanned skin with the occasional freckle speckled on his cheeks, the strong jaw line, and the tightly muscled arm wrapped over my torso. Wait, what? No wonder I'm hot. Orion was sleeping soundly next to me in his all his glory. He was still wearing his black shirt, but the top two buttons were undone, he still had on his jeans, but his belt was lying over the desk chair. I gently pulled up on his arm to break free, but still trying to let him sleep. Not everyone is used to getting next to no sleep like me. After removing myself from under the comforting warmth that is Orion, I tiptoed to my closet, taking out a pair of shorts, tank top, and a new set of underwear.

I opened the door to my room and walked across the hall to the bathroom to take a shower. After working last night and waking up under Orion's furnace for an arm I was in serious need. I took my time washing myself and my hair just to stay under the beating water, but I started to think over everything that happened in the last 12 hours, not to mention the last few years. I quickly rinsed off and turned off the shower. Some of your deepest thinking was done in the shower, and I am just not ready to over analyze my life right now.

I quickly dried off and pulled on the clothes that I had set out for myself. I tugged through my deep red locks with my brush and decided to let it air dry. I opened to the bathroom door and made my way down the stairs and towards the kitchen. I wanted to make a pot of coffee before Orion woke up because I knew we both had long days ahead of us. I smiled to myself as I filled the back of the cheap coffee maker up with water and searched through the cabinets for my coffee stash, reaching on the tips of my toes to the far corners. I hummed a happy tune, because for once in my life things weren't going awful. I wasn't sure what this thing with Orion was, but whatever it is, I enjoy being around him. Maybe we could be friends. Like the kind of friendship I have with Lucy, where I could confide in him and not have to hide who I really am. It feels nice to have friends that I don't work with, I need more of that in my life. 

My hand landed on the bag of coffee grounds that I hid in the back. I pulled it down and smiled at it like it could return my happy mood and say good morning. I dumped a couple scoops into the container and pressed the little red start button.

"Hey Reagan."

I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up and my body went rigid. He was standing behind me, so close I could feel his body heat. My breathing quickened. The way he said my name, it wasn't like all the times before. It was different and not in a good way. Sure those times had been creepy but this time...I felt uneasy. I know I'm not safe. Orion, please wake up. Anyone, please.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" The way the last word rolled off of his tongue, I knew it wasn't my bed he was referring to. "Or maybe, you just got off work, seeing as that guy never left this morning. I bet you make a lot of money wearing clothes like that." I gulped so loud I'm sure he could hear it. I felt his hand brush my shoulder and down my arm, tracing the seam of my tank top. I felt bile rise in my throat and goosebumps rise on my skin.

"I see the way you look at me...The way your body reacts to my touch. I know you want me. I won't tell Becca...It can be our little secret." He put his hands on my hips, his finger grazing my bare skin and the touch just felt wrong. It wasn't the same as when Orion touched me, or anyone for that matter. Anyone else could have touched me and it would have felt better than this right now. Even the men at Temptations.