The following morning, James's hand shot out instinctively to catch Victoria's wandering fingers before they could travel any further past his chest and abdomen, heading dangerously toward a particular area where he was sporting what could only be described as morning wood. His body had reacted naturally to her proximity and warmth throughout the night, and he felt heat flood his face at the compromising situation.
He opened his eyes to find Victoria's gaze meeting his, clear and alert, seemingly without any ulterior motives written across her features. She moved closer with that same innocent expression and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
"Good morning," she said sweetly, as if nothing unusual had happened.
James sighed deeply and sat up in bed, running a hand through his tousled hair. He definitely had his work cut out for himself with this woman. The realization was both thrilling and terrifying in equal measure.
He covered his face with both hands for a moment, trying to collect himself, then looked up at Victoria, who continued to act completely innocent as if she hadn't done a single thing wrong. Her expression was so perfectly composed that he almost doubted what had just occurred.
"What exactly were you up to this morning?" James asked, his voice still rough with sleep but carrying a note of suspicion.
Victoria merely shrugged, her response casual and matter-of-fact. "I wanted to wake you up."
James raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying her simple explanation. "What happened to tapping my shoulder or giving me a little shake? You know, normal ways of waking someone?"
Caught red-handed and seeing that James wasn't going to let this slide, Victoria's innocent façade finally cracked. A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she decided to voice her true intentions.
"Okay, fine," she said, her voice taking on that boldly honest tone he was beginning to recognize. "I wanted to feel you up, and I've been curious about your upper torso. I want to see it...it's been disturbing my mind lately. Just how built are you?"
James stared at her in complete bafflement, once again amazed by the thoughts that seemed to constantly line her head. The directness of her confession left him speechless, wondering how someone could be so brazen yet somehow still maintain that air of innocence that made it impossible to be truly upset with her.
James knew Victoria liked lean men with a softer edge to his physically imposing presence, and while he wasn't exactly lean, he had well-proportioned muscles that fit his athletic frame perfectly. He was secretly happy that she liked what she saw, he had worked incredibly hard to attain what was considered a perfect body, and if he was being completely honest with himself, it had all been for her. It really was hard and rare to see such body types naturally, but thank God he was rather blessed in that department.
"There's no reason to be curious," James said, though his tone suggested he knew perfectly well that wouldn't be the end of it.
As if reading his mind and knowing she wouldn't let the matter drop, James acted quicker than she could respond. The moment Victoria moved closer, he reached out and tousled her perfectly neat hair into a complete mess, his fingers running through the silky strands until they stood at odd angles.
This unexpected action stopped her dead in her tracks, her hands immediately flying up to assess the damage to her usually immaculate appearance.
James, satisfied with his diversionary tactic, got up from the bed with a pleased expression. "I'm about to leave for the gym," he announced casually. "If you want to eat breakfast, I could whip up something real quick for you before I go."
Victoria perked up immediately, her hands still working to arrange her hair back into place. "No," she said decisively, "I'll go with you to the gym."
James smiled at how Victoria was trying to be close to him and spend time together, he really liked it. The thought of her wanting to share even mundane activities like his morning workout filled him with warmth.
He nodded in agreement. "Okay then," he said, then urged her, "Go get ready." He paused, a practical thought occurring to him. "Did you pack any gym wear?"
"Yes," she responded without hesitation.
Victoria climbed down from the bed and took James's hands, ushering them both toward the bathroom together. James went stiff immediately, his mind preparing to reject whatever scheme her little head was cooking up again, his guard rising as he anticipated another one of her bold suggestions.
But when Victoria turned around, she simply had two toothbrushes in her hand, his and what must have been a spare from her bag. She handed him his toothbrush with a perfectly innocent smile.
"Let's brush together," she said simply.
To that, James couldn't possibly say no. He quietly reprimanded himself for thinking such suspicious thoughts about Victoria's intentions as he began laying out his oral hygiene products on the counter.
Victoria watched with fascination as he placed each item on the sink carefully, his toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, and other dental care essentials, all arranged with methodical precision.
"You really do take care of yourself," she said, admiring his obvious dedication to personal maintenance.
They both brushed their teeth in comfortable companionship, and when they were finished, Victoria made another request. "Let's take a picture."
James nodded agreeably, but was startled when he saw her bring out her phone and begin taking photos of their toothbrushes sitting together in the cup on the sink counter.
Victoria noticed his surprised expression and clarified with a soft smile, "I just wanted to document such moments." She paused, then added, "Don't worry it wouldn't be our first photo as a couple."
James nodded in understanding, touched by her desire to capture these simple, intimate moments of their life together. He quietly questioned to himself if this was how people dated, documenting even mundane bathroom routines. He made a mental note of it for future reference, filing away this new insight into relationship dynamics that he was clearly still learning to navigate.
James left Victoria to change in the bedroom while he went to get ready in the spare room. When they met again in the living room, James was packed and ready with his gym bag slung over his shoulder. He looked up to see Victoria approaching, and his breath caught slightly at the sight.
She was wearing Alo sportswear that fit her like it had been custom-made, sleek leggings and a matching sports bra top that showcased her toned figure perfectly. She looked absolutely immaculate, every detail from her pulled-back hair to her pristine white sneakers speaking of someone who took her fitness routine as seriously as she took everything else in her life.