here fella.” The cat looked over its shoulder, considered him for a second and went on about its business. Like naming a cat means a damned thing. He laughed, realizing he would have been disappointed if it had come immediately.
He stretched and scratched his head, trying to think of something to do. A shower, I haven’t had a shower since . . . God, I don’t know how long. He wandered back to the master cabin and considered the massive shower stall. With a shrug he peeled off his clothes and stepped in. It was marvelous, the warm water flowed through his hair massaging his scalp and running down his back. He just stood there sighing in contentment.
“Martin.” Maria’s voice preceded her. She looked into the steamy room.
“Hi Maria. Just a minute. Man! I haven’t had a shower in so long.” He started to shake the water out of his hair and turned to shut it off. A cold blast of air caught him unprepared. “Whoa, damn.” He turned back just in time to see her step into the stall. “Ahh, damn girl.” He stammered trying not to stare at the vision that had joined him.
“Well, move over.” She laughed.
He slid aside and she stood under the spray, head thrown back, letting the water run through her hair just as he had done. He stared down at her in frustration; it had been a long time since he had shared his bed. And it’s been, been . . . lord knows how long since I made love to a woman as beautiful as her, if ever. I wonder if I slit my wrists in a virtual world if it’d kill me? Maria looked at him and smiled.
“Martin,” Maria smiled, looking up into the staid eyes, echoing a sadness of a tormented soul, “there’s one more little thing I need to show you. Hold up your hand.”
With a defeated sadness, he did as she asked and watched as she put her hand inside his. It was strange to see their hands mingled together and feeling nothing.
“Concentrate on my hand Martin.” She frowned a little, and chewed her bottom lip. She studied the earnest face in front of her for a second then smiled. She made the right decision.
Martin did as she asked, not questioning, just accepting. It started as the old familiar tingle and rolled into an almost painful burning. He watched as she slowly pulled her hand back and gritted his teeth at the eeriness of the sensation. She stopped when all that was touching were the fingertips. The tingling wavered for a second. A look of fear, almost panic gripped her. She bit the tip of her tongue and her face showed a constrained horror. Then there was a jolt like static electricity that made him flinch. Before he realized what happened she slid her fingers between his and had a death grip on his still relaxed hand. Her eyes were smashed shut as she threw back her head in a silent scream, the tendons in her neck looked like a bundle of cords, every muscle in her body was rigid. She let go of his hand, threw her arms around his ribs crushing herself to him until he could hardly breathe and buried her face in his chest. Martin stood paralyzed, his mind rebelling against the impossible. Slowly he wrapped one arm around her smooth quivering shoulders and the other around her waist to her hip. He looked down and nuzzled the wet hair on top of her head. Through his own delirium he heard her whisper, thank you, several times then listened to her soft sobbing. He started to shake and thanked God that the shower hid his tears. A minute later she relaxed her hold and settled into heavy regular breathing. Martin eased her head back and looked into her eyes. “Damn girl, you ok.” He whispered, studying her face. Her fingernails were still lightly stroking his back making it hard for him to think straight.
“Oh yeah,” She was totally relaxed and snuggled a little closer. “I’m just fine now.”
“Any more surprises?” He grinned. “I damn near didn’t live through this one.” He unconsciously arched his back and gritted his teeth as her nails softly raked down his back.
He stretched and scratched his head, trying to think of something to do. A shower, I haven’t had a shower since . . . God, I don’t know how long. He wandered back to the master cabin and considered the massive shower stall. With a shrug he peeled off his clothes and stepped in. It was marvelous, the warm water flowed through his hair massaging his scalp and running down his back. He just stood there sighing in contentment.
“Martin.” Maria’s voice preceded her. She looked into the steamy room.
“Hi Maria. Just a minute. Man! I haven’t had a shower in so long.” He started to shake the water out of his hair and turned to shut it off. A cold blast of air caught him unprepared. “Whoa, damn.” He turned back just in time to see her step into the stall. “Ahh, damn girl.” He stammered trying not to stare at the vision that had joined him.
“Well, move over.” She laughed.
He slid aside and she stood under the spray, head thrown back, letting the water run through her hair just as he had done. He stared down at her in frustration; it had been a long time since he had shared his bed. And it’s been, been . . . lord knows how long since I made love to a woman as beautiful as her, if ever. I wonder if I slit my wrists in a virtual world if it’d kill me? Maria looked at him and smiled.
“Martin,” Maria smiled, looking up into the staid eyes, echoing a sadness of a tormented soul, “there’s one more little thing I need to show you. Hold up your hand.”
With a defeated sadness, he did as she asked and watched as she put her hand inside his. It was strange to see their hands mingled together and feeling nothing.
“Concentrate on my hand Martin.” She frowned a little, and chewed her bottom lip. She studied the earnest face in front of her for a second then smiled. She made the right decision.
Martin did as she asked, not questioning, just accepting. It started as the old familiar tingle and rolled into an almost painful burning. He watched as she slowly pulled her hand back and gritted his teeth at the eeriness of the sensation. She stopped when all that was touching were the fingertips. The tingling wavered for a second. A look of fear, almost panic gripped her. She bit the tip of her tongue and her face showed a constrained horror. Then there was a jolt like static electricity that made him flinch. Before he realized what happened she slid her fingers between his and had a death grip on his still relaxed hand. Her eyes were smashed shut as she threw back her head in a silent scream, the tendons in her neck looked like a bundle of cords, every muscle in her body was rigid. She let go of his hand, threw her arms around his ribs crushing herself to him until he could hardly breathe and buried her face in his chest. Martin stood paralyzed, his mind rebelling against the impossible. Slowly he wrapped one arm around her smooth quivering shoulders and the other around her waist to her hip. He looked down and nuzzled the wet hair on top of her head. Through his own delirium he heard her whisper, thank you, several times then listened to her soft sobbing. He started to shake and thanked God that the shower hid his tears. A minute later she relaxed her hold and settled into heavy regular breathing. Martin eased her head back and looked into her eyes. “Damn girl, you ok.” He whispered, studying her face. Her fingernails were still lightly stroking his back making it hard for him to think straight.
“Oh yeah,” She was totally relaxed and snuggled a little closer. “I’m just fine now.”
“Any more surprises?” He grinned. “I damn near didn’t live through this one.” He unconsciously arched his back and gritted his teeth as her nails softly raked down his back.
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