The Barter System (11 page)

Victor led the way to the
house, stopping every three of his giant steps to let her catch up.  He kept up
a steady stream of conversation and she suddenly realized he was much more
nervous than she was. 

He opened the front door she
doubted had ever been locked and she was ushered into a lovely great room. 
Wood floors gave way to braided rugs scattered around the open space, the
furniture was large and looked comfortable.  Strangely, there was also a lot of
pink and roses.  She’d ask him about that later.

Now Victor looked completely
unsure of himself and went utterly silent.  She’d been absorbing so much of his
non-stop talking that it was like someone cut the sound on a radio.  He stood
at the foot of the staircase and stuck his hands in his jeans pockets. 

She asked if there was a
bathroom she could use and he looked relieved to have something to do.  Up the
stairs, two at a time, her bag over his shoulder.  He paused at a door with an
old glass knob and pushed it open for her as she caught up. 

“This is the big bathroom. 
I’m sure you’ll want to freshen up and all so I’ll leave you to it.  Still has
one of the original lion foot tubs if you want a nice soak.  My mama swears by
those for tiredness and stress.  Sure you might have a bit of both.”

He pulled the door closed
behind him.  Riya decided to take him up on his offer.  A nice bath would be
lovely.  She started the water running and found an old bottle of Mr. Bubble
under the sink to add to it.  It was steaming up the bathroom as she located
towels and stripped out of her clothes.  Sinking into water almost too hot to
bear and sighing in happiness as she leaned against the back of the huge tub. 
She practiced clearing her mind and relaxing one muscle at a time.  As the
tension began to ebb away, she vowed to keep doing this until the exercise took
permanently.

It was time to put things in
perspective.  Sean was amazing but he was her first subject.  She had miles to
go before she’d sleep, so to speak.  The investment in her project was
literally years; she’d known Sean a week.  Not to mention, there was a
possibility of a long-term relationship for him with Alyssa who would be a
perfect fit in his current life.  She was going to do what she had to, what
everyone involved was aware of before she’d accepted a single application. 

Riya was pulled from her
thoughts by the sound of footsteps down the wooden hallway.  Spur of the
moment, she called out, “Victor, why don’t you come in and keep me company? 
You can talk to me while I soak.” 

The footsteps sounded like
they tripped then froze.  There was a definite throat clearing cough, and the
door knob was turning.  She took a quick glance at herself to ensure she was
covered with bubbles.  Something told her she had to baby-step this subject. 

The door creaked open and
Victor stayed just outside.  Clearing his throat again, he said, “Um, you
sure?  I mean, I don’t want to bother you.”  He was pointedly not looking
directly at her. 

With a smile in her voice
she replied, “I’m sure.  Why would you think you’re a bother?  Why don’t you
pull up that vanity stool and talk with me a while?” 

The big man moved stiffly
across the room and picked up the stool.  He didn’t seem sure where to place it
so she motioned him to the side of the tub. 

When he sat, it was with his
back rigid and his feet together.  “Tell me about yourself, Victor.  Not your
business or family, though all that is very interesting.  I’d rather learn
about you.  What makes you tick?” 

He looked truly taken aback
by her question and looked through the big window to gather his thoughts.  “I
don’t really know what makes me tick.  I mean, working and spending time with
my family is really all I got most days.”

Riya thought that was one of
the saddest things she’d ever heard coming from a grown man.  “Don’t you date
at all?  Isn’t there anyone special?  A woman, I mean?”

“Not nobody who’d have me,
that’s for sure.  I guess I’ve had a girlfriend or two, but they always go off
to some other guy.  I’m not real exciting.  I work six days a week and have
chores to do around my place.  Doesn’t leave much time for socializing, you
know.” 

He leaned forward and rested
his elbows on his knees.  It brought them much closer and it was a good sign he
was relaxing, Riya thought.

“Work is very important,
Victor, and you certainly seem to be a man who takes it very seriously.  But at
thirty-one, you need more in your life than just work.  Everyone needs
companionship.  Don’t you get lonely?”

He seemed to really consider
this before answering.  “Well, sure.  It’d be nice to have a girl to come home
to.  I guess sex is a big thing, you know, but I eat by myself most days and
that sucks to tell you the truth.  Nobody to watch television with at night or
talk to on the porch while you’re having a cold one at the end of the day.” 

Victor paused and met her
gaze for the first time since entering the bathroom.  “I’m kinda stuck in a
rut.  That might be the real reason I thought your website looked interesting. 
It was sure different than anything in my life.  My days are all the same, over
and over.”

Riya considered the big man
for a moment and smiled genuinely for the first time since stepping out of
Sean’s boat at the marina. 

She’d heard these same
concerns from single women.  People needed interaction.  Sex was a big part of
that, sure, but so was just having company while you plodded through the
necessary, often boring, parts of your life. 

Her self-doubts about
continuing the project evaporated.  Victor would be ideal.

Chapter
Six

She reached over the side of
the tub and held his hand.  The contact startled him but he gripped her hand
back just the same.  “I think you’re a good man, Victor.  You deserve the kind
of simple happiness and companionship you’re looking for.  I’m glad I came.” 
She sat forward in the tub and pulled the plug to drain the water.  “Can you
hold a towel for me?” 

Concealing the fortifying
deep breath she had to take in, Riya stood in the tub and Victor was completely
stuck in place.  Her firm breasts, dripping with soap bubbles, were at his
eye-level.  “Victor…a towel?”  He jumped up so fast the stool went flying
behind him.  She suppressed a smile. 

When he came back with the
huge towel, he made every effort to avoid looking at her but she was pleased to
see he was failing miserably.  She took it from him and held out her hand, as
though needing assistance stepping from the tub.  He gave it, as she knew he
would, and she stepped on the fluffy pink bathmat gracefully. 

Standing directly in front
of him, the top of her head barely came to his armpit.  She noticed a few
things about him physically that she’d missed before.  His hair was all choppy,
not in any particular style, but it was healthy and his features were very
attractive.  It was easy to picture him with a sword and shield in the Middle
Ages. 
Yum.

She’d never felt truly short
in her life until now.  She dried her body and he never budged an inch.  She
wasn’t sure he was even breathing.  “Victor, can you show me where we’re
sleeping?”  She took that question off the table to show him she was willing to
participate in their agreement.  “I could use your help carrying my bags
there.” 

He looked ready to pass out
when she hung up the towel instead of wrapping it around herself.  She waited
to allow him to lead her. 

He grabbed up her bags and
left the bathroom, glancing back once as if she was a ghost about to disappear,
before continuing down to the far end of the hall.  Following him naked took
all her courage and she tried to focus on the feel of the smooth wood floors
beneath her feet.  Victor’s bedroom was enormous and old-fashioned.  Heavy pine
furniture with a decidedly feminine décor…again. 

The first thing she did was
remove the rose quilt from four-poster bed.  “This is so pretty, but you can’t
enjoy sleeping under flowers.”  She took her time folding it carefully before
bending and storing it in the cedar chest at the footboard.  “We’ll have to
find some more masculine quilts for you.  I’m sure there are some around
here.”  He nodded in silence but she continued to pretend she wasn’t naked. 

Before their time was
finished, Riya decided she was going to help Victor settle fully into this
house.  He was still behaving like it was his grandmother’s and hadn’t made it
a home a man lived in.  A masculine touch was necessary for his happiness
here. 

First, she had to help him
relax.  She was naked and realized she was actually comfortable in her own skin
now.  Victor was fully clothed and not comfortable in his.  She crossed the
room to where he’d been standing since they entered and asked, “Do you think
anyone will stop by today?”  As he shook his head she smiled, “Good, then we
have time to ourselves.” 

She reached out to the hem
of his t-shirt and moved to pull it over his head.  She had to stand on
tip-toes and he had to bend for her to get it over.  Once it was off and
dropped on the floor, she had to appreciate the view.  His chest and shoulders
were wide and well-muscled from years of hard labor.  His skin was dark and
there was a triangle of soft hair across his chest. 

“You are a big man,
Victor.”  She tilted her head to the side and looked into his eyes.  All he
could do was nod in slow-motion.  “In excellent shape, too.”  She said it
absently in a quiet voice as if it was obvious and she was talking to herself.

The moment Riya’s fingers
touched his belt buckle, he shuddered.  She undid the belt and pulled it
through the loops.  “You’re going to have to sit down so I can help you with
your boots.” 

He walked like a zombie to
the cedar chest and yanked his boots and socks off before standing back up. 
She unbuttoned his jeans and slid her fingers along the waistband to slide them
off his hips.  His skin was hot to the touch, like he’d just come in out of the
sun.  Once his jeans were at his ankles, she stepped on them and he obediently
removed his feet.  He wore only white briefs now and there was something almost
like fear on his face. 

She ran her hands over his
shoulders and down his chest, ruffling the short hair, before massaging his
hard stomach and sliding down to the waist of his underwear.  She slid them
down to free him completely to her gaze. 

There was a lot to see. 
Victor was big all over.  She smiled, looking up at him, and said, “And you
don’t have a girlfriend,
why the hell not
, exactly?” 

Victor kind of choked then
managed a small chuckle before he actually sighed in relief.  “Most girls don’t
want, um, quite so much, I guess.”  As she watched, he slowly hardened and
there was no doubt this was a ‘handle with care’ situation.  The man was, quite
simply, hung like a horse. 

“I tell you what, I’m going
to show you a few tricks that should make it easier for any woman to take you
on.” 

Riya walked to her bag and
pulled a tube of over the counter lubricant from one of the side pockets.  She held
it up for him to see.  “This is lubricant.  Even a woman who’s excited might
need it for you if she doesn’t produce, you know, enough of her own.” 

She motioned to the bed and
was quite happy with the view of him walking, fully naked, across the hardwood
floor.  His back and ass was firm with muscle.  Very nice.  “Where are your
condoms?”  She absently wondered where the hell he bought condoms to fit his
massive cock.  He pointed at the bedside table and she opened the drawer to
find what she was looking for. 

He sat on the edge of the
bed and she stood in front of him, tossing the lubricant and condoms to the
middle of the huge bed.  Again, her breasts were at the level of his eyes. 
“You sure are pretty, Riya,” was all he managed to croak out.  His erection was
between them, a bit intimidating, she had to be honest.

“Thank you, Victor, you’re
very good-looking yourself.  You know, you can touch me.  I don’t bite…unless
you want me to, that is.”  She smiled at him and picked up one large hand, placing
it on her breast.