There she goes.
Moving through the house naked as if she's not the most distracting damn thing in the world to me.
Never mind that this happens every day because it's early morning and she works for a living. Never mind that she has no idea I'm watching her from the hall. Never mind that even if I were in the same room, she'd likely be lost in thought and not notice me anyway.
Never mind any of that.
No explanation justifies the havoc it wreaks on me when I see her without clothes, especially when she's unaware of being watched and moving in the way most natural to her. Maybe it's the vulnerability, rather than the nudity itself, that makes it so damn sexy. I mean, if all I wanted was to see a beautiful naked woman, I could certainly satisfy that need without standing at the end of our dark hallway holding my breath, silently praying this show never ends.
Maybe it's none of that.
Maybe it's the fact that when I see her like this I'm flooded with memories. The sound of her laughter bubbling up inside until it shakes her entire body. That look in her eyes after a passionate kiss. The gentle pressure of her fingertips against my temples when I can't tolerate a migraine any longer. The love in her voice every time I ask her to marry me and she responds the same way every time.
Maybe that's it.
Maybe it's the fact that after fifteen years of discretely (and not so discretely) watching this woman, I never tire of it. I've seen her almost every way imaginable, and the same damn thrill courses through me. Every. Single. Time. I keep expecting the thrill to fade, but it just never does.
Whatever the reason, I lean against the wall and revel in the full experience of my Jasmine readying herself for the day. Inadvertently holding my breath at intervals, I smile as a hint of lavender wafts down the hall, tickling my nose at the same moment her indiscernible whispers reach my ears. Loving the way my body responds to watching her, I long to taste her, to feel her warm, damp skin beneath my fingers.
Unaware that my legs are carrying me to her, my eyes squint hard as I step into the bright bedroom from the dark hallway. She startles, reliably, and cocks her head to the side ever so slightly. A gesture I recognize is meant to express her mild irritation. It doesn't last. It never lasts when I reach for her in apology, the beginning of a smile tugging at my mouth.
"How long have you been watching me?" She asks, half serious and half touched. Something has alerted her to the fact that I've been watching her. I've never been able to figure out what gives me away, but inevitably, something does. She can always tell.
"Not long enough, sexy," I say, pulling her to me and placing my lips against the side of her elegant neck.
"You're such a stalker," she chides before a soft moan vibrates in her throat.