Victoria thought to herself, not for the first time, Victor is so pale.
She was still in bed, gazing at him as he dressed to return to the cannery for the afternoon. Sometimes he came home for a long luncheon. And sometimes he even had time left over to eat.
Victoria propped herself up on her elbow, chin in hand. The sheet was wound about her. Loose tendrils of her hair tickled at her shoulders where it had escaped her bun. Her tea gown was flung over the end of the bed where she'd swiftly discarded it earlier. Victor had draped his clothes neatly over the footboard.
For a brief moment between his rolling out of bed and pulling on his drawers, she could see everything.
He was very pale, she thought again, pale as milk. The kind of pale one read about in novels. And so lean. Thin and tall and elegant. She liked the length of him, the slope of his shoulders, the smoothness of his skin. He hadn't much hair. Only a thin little downy trail from his navel downward. Victoria let her eyes skim down that trail, much as her fingers had earlier. Then, her hand had been met by him at full attention. Somehow hard and soft all at once. Exciting and insistent. At rest it was so gentle. Like some small woodland creature all curled up in a soft bed. Even after many encounters she was still fascinated by it. By him. By the contours of his body, by the way he so openly shared himself with her, by the nearness and solidity of him.
Victor didn't bother to turn around as he pulled on his underthings, and she watched with affection as he tucked and adjusted.
Then he caught her looking. Victoria blushed and quickly averted her eyes to his face, which was amused. He gave her a very cheeky little grin and she hid her own smile behind her hand, still blushing. And then her eyes wandered again. Somehow he seemed more undressed in only his underdrawers than when he had nothing on at all. They were light and close-fitting. The barest hint of an outline of his manhood was visible through the fabric.
Victor continued to dress, his eyes flicking to hers every once in a while, still with that cheeky look brightening up his face. Why, he was flattered, she realized as he buttoned up his shirt. Pleased with himself. Victoria let her smile broaden without hiding it. It pleased her to make him feel desired. When he sat on the bed to put on his socks and garters, she reached out and ran her fingers gently across his back.
"You're very handsome," she told him. The words were inadequate to what she felt, but they were all she could think of. He smiled at her over his shoulder.
"You're very kind," he replied.
She watched him pull on his trousers and don his waistcoat and tie. He ran his hands through his hair, gave it a little shake. He'd need a comb before he left. Soon enough he stood before her, fully dressed, while Victoria was still unclothed under the sheets.
Attempting a cheeky grin of her own, Victoria slid out from under the bedclothes to stand by her side of the bed. She took her time putting her tea gown back on, allowing Victor the chance to watch as avidly as he liked.
Fair was fair.
Author's Note: For Sarah.C97, who made a request. :) Hope you enjoyed it! -PP