Reality hit Nova like a wave, wiping everything out of her.
Even after a hearty meal that left her feeling physically much better, the conversation had drained her. All she wanted to do now was to curl into a ball and feel sorry for herself for a while before attempting to come up with an action plan that probably wouldn’t work.
It was a shame there wasn’t any tub of ice cream around to scoop her feelings out of.
"Get some rest," Yoa’s rumbling voice snapped Nova out of her little pity party of one, even if for a little while. She looked up, remembering that he was still holding onto her. How could she even forget he was holding her? The man was a giant with a presence that could make most people crumble at his feet in fear or awe. His hand was so warm and comforting as well.
Jeez, I’m such a mess. Nova nodded with a soft smile, hoping her eyes didn’t betray her thoughts. She didn’t want to keep being a pain for this man and relying on him so much. Yoa has done so much for her, but they were technically strangers.
"Thanks, Yoa," Nova said softly as he guided her to the bed, lifting the animal hide up for her.
Nova crawled back under the covers, feeling utterly spent. Yoa nodded once back at her in response, then turned away, leaving her to get comfortable.
Nova’s mind raced with possibilities about the lake. It exhausted her. She snuggled into the warmth of the animal hides, noting there was a familiar, somewhat comforting scent to them. There was a hint of an earthy smell with coconut and some sort of spice. Cinnamon?
After sleeping on Yoa in a tree, Nova knew it was what he smelled like. Until now she hadn’t thought much about it what with everything that has been happening. Now as she is being cocooned in the faint scent she realised just how nice Yoa smelled.
Jeez, was she really subtly smelling the animal hide? Yes. Yes, she was. She stopped but accepted that she was slowly losing it.
Nova rolled onto her side, watching the view, she completely forgot about the waterfall, acting as a shower. Yoa was in the ’infinity pool’ walking towards the sunset, his muscles on full display, reflecting along the water’s rippling surface. The waters calmed once his movements halted so he could gaze upon the wonders of the sea, it was then Nova realised he was completely naked.
She was so used to him wearing nothing but that little loin cloth that she was accustomed to always looking from his chest up. Of course, seeing his muscular form was not something she would ever get used to. It was still like a work of art, each muscle carved out like solid stone. But there was no way she could avoid staring at the firm backside.
It was just there. Right there!
Like at the tan lines of a beach goer in a bikini, Yoa had a small tan line due to his skimpy little loin cloth. There wasn’t much difference between the skin tones but it was there.
If she didn’t know him as she did, Nova would have stated he did it on purpose as a playboy or something. But Yoa wasn’t from the same civilisation as her and she was sure the loin cloth was easier to move in especially if he shifted back and forth between his human and jaguar form.
Unlike when Nova went to stand in the pool, the water was nowhere near Yoa’s chest. In fact, it barely grazed the bottom of that firm backside, and she had the urge to bite. Bite?! Jeez, she’d been in the wild too long to think about biting... But it was just plump, you know... Oh gosh, she was objectifying him so badly right now, and she should really look away. Like now.
Look away... Now. Now, Nova. But she couldn’t, not with the way her eyes were starting to droop and blink slowly. It was fine; she was falling asleep anyway. There was nothing wrong with watching as the sun shone golden and orange, setting sharply around those abs sliced like a sculptor had dedicated months to perfect. Or to see the glistening water droplets trickle down him, the sun making him look almost Godly right now with a halo effect behind him.
Or the way Yoa’s hand slid down his chest, along those abs with the Guava leaves. He was doing it so slowly. Was she meant to have done it like that? She blinked slowly, only then realising his hand was lowering more.
"Enjoying the view?" Yoa’s deep voice snapped her gaze back up to meet his.
Warmth bloomed under Nova’s cheeks as he smirked at her. His hair was completely wet, washed already. He was like some buff, wet model trying to sell shampoo or some fancy perfume in an ad.
Also, did I really watch him shower the entire time?!
Nova should have felt embarrassed by her blatant staring, but her foggy, sleepy-heavy brain couldn’t quite summon the emotion as she nodded slowly back at him.
Yoa chuckled as he turned around, wrapping the towel around his waist. He did it slowly, unbothered by his nakedness, but Nova didn’t get a glimpse at his manhood. Even in this sleepy state, there were some lines she couldn’t cross.
Yoa used another towel to dab at his hair, his arm flexing as he raised it, his other hand extending to grab his version of a toothbrush. Once he was done, he returned to the part of the cave where Nova was, the towel now replaced by his usual loin cloth.
He stopped at the foot of the tree trunk bed. "Do you mind?" His gaze flicked to the bed, silently asking if he could join Nova in bed.
Nova’s lips twitched as she pulled back the covers, chuckling. "I’ve slept on you in a tree before," she reminded him.
"You didn’t have a choice then," Yoa pointed out, drawing closer but not yet joining Nova, still hesitant, allowing Nova to still decline if that was what she preferred.
"I have a choice now?" Nova asked in amusement. "This is your bed."
"And there are plenty of trees I can sleep in if you’d prefer some privacy-"
"No!" Nova whisper-shouted instantly, her heart thudding wildly. She gulped before adding in a pleading whisper, "Please stay. I don’t want to be alone here." Her voice trembled and broke on the word ’alone’.