Chapter 236 - Undressed (1/2)
Arei smiled as he felt Jos finally loosen her grip around his waist. He hadn't wanted to say anything, but his left leg had begun to go numb about twenty minutes ago. He slowly released his own hold on her, stroking his hand up and down her cool arms. When she wobbled slightly on the six-inch heels she wore, he asked. ”Would you like to change into something more comfortable before we go downstairs?” Troubled aqua eyes met his as she nodded. He slid one hand down to take one of hers as he pushed himself away from the desk. ”Do you have anything in mind you'd like to do before we leave?”
Jos thought it over as they walked toward the room, she'd been sharing with Arei. ”I would like to explore around more... There is so much that I remember now from our first trip here and things that have caught my notice recently as well.” She paused at the door as he pulled it open for her.
He watched her with curious eyes as she entered the room. ”Oh really? Like what?”
She turned to face him as he walked in and closed the door behind him. Embarrassed at some of the things that were now coming to mind, she forged concentration on undoing the straps of her heels as she replied. ”Well, a night swim with those creatures we were watching from the windows the other night for one... Chary mentioned some of the underwater sections of the palace that I should also see before I left...”
Arei watched as each heel hit the floor enticingly. He could feel his c.o.c.k stir in his tight designer slacks as he watched her maneuver in the tight pencil skirt. He walked over and offered her a hand for balance. ”I'm going to miss these outfits of yours once we are back in our own home on the island.”
Jos's eyes moved up to his as she arched her brows. ”Our home?” She stood as she continued studying him.
Arei smiled, nodding toward the folder of papers on the bed behind her. ”Yes, our home. Those papers sign everything over to us... well, everything except your old home. Ry and I decided to keep it solely in your name to do with as you'd like. Everything on his side is completed, he must have dropped them by while we were going over the sentencing. I asked that he have it finished before he left.” Arei released her hand and stepped over to the bed, bending to retrieve the papers. He placed the folder in her hands. ”I know it may be a bit presumptuous asking that both our names be put on the house, but I didn't want you to feel like it was anything less than home.”
Jos flipped through the paperwork, noting Ry's signature and initials on all the doc.u.ments. Not only was her name on the vast property surrounding the lagoon, but it had also been added right beside Arei's name on the main beach house he and Ry had built all those years ago. Her brows furrowed as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. She shook her head as she handed the papers back to Arei and met his gaze. ”Arei, this is too much.”
Arei's smile only fell slightly as he took the papers from her and set them back on the bed. He took both her hands in his as he held her turbulent gaze. ”If for some reason, after your sentence is over, you decide you don't want to be a co-owner with me... I'll simply sign the whole thing over to you.”
”Why would you do that?! You and Ry have shared that property for years now.” Her wide eyes searched his.
He shrugged, ”What good is it to me without you? What good is it to any of my siblings, without you? The attached property will always be yours.” When she continued to stare at him as if he had just declared insanity, he gave her a weary smile. He brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles before pressing her hand against his c.h.e.s.t. ”Don't think about it too much now, give it some time.”
Jos reluctantly nodded, shifting her confused, skeptical gaze from his to the folder on the bed. She carefully pulled her hands away from him and turned, quickly making her way to her luggage by the window seat. ”We should probably hurry and get changed. I don't want to leave Shelly alone for too long, if your dad and Ry have already left.” She made it a point not to include the other individual in that particular party.
”Alright, I'll step out if you'd like some privacy.” He said as he squeezed at the tension building at the back of his neck. When she didn't respond, he took that as his queue to leave. He tugged the band free of his hair and let it fall down around his shoulders, hoping to ease some of his tension. When she still continued to ignore his presence, he let out a sigh as he tugged the tie around his neck lose and tossed it on the edge of the bed following it with the tight, fitted vest. He began unbuttoning his cuffs as he walked toward the door.
Jos's hands hovered over one of the silk nightgowns she'd packed. Noticing the quake in her hand, she quickly squeezed it to her c.h.e.s.t. With her eyes tightly closed, she asked in a low voice. ”Arei...”
He paused directly in front of the door, frozen in his tracks. ”Yes?” He asked turning his head to her.
Jos shifted in her squatted position in front of her luggage, trailing her gaze up over his thick t.h.i.g.hs and sleek white button-up. He somehow looked s.e.xier like this. His button-up still tucked in his tight slacks but now unbutton at the neck with the sleeves rolled up exposing his many tattoos on each arm. His now tousled lose hair only increased the appeal. Her brain instantly thought of the several e.r.o.t.i.ca novels she'd read over the years with handsome CEO's and mobster bad boys... His current appearance could have given any of the cover models a run for their money.
Concern colored his words as he turned back into the room and began walking over to her. ”What's wrong, kitten?” He asked as he searched her clouded expression. Heated aqua eyes met his only briefly before turning away, refocusing on the clothes.
”Could... could I borrow a tee shirt? I hadn't expected to spend more time here so I didn't have my laundry sent down... It's kind of weird having someone else wash my personal things...” Jos could feel the blush that had begun creeping up her cheeks when she realized she'd been checking him out... intensely.
Arei chuckled. ”Of course.” Running his hand through his hair in relief, he walked over to the dresser. ”I thought something was wrong...” He pulled out a soft solid black tee and held it up for her inspection. ”Will this work?”
Jos nodded as she stood. She focused her gaze on the rippling of muscle beneath the tight white shirt as he walked over and handed her the shirt. Biting her bottom lip as she took it, she asked. ”Could... um... could you help me unzip this?” She pulled her low bun to the side as she turned, revealing a zipper that ran from the back of her neck down past the small of her back.