Chapter 111: [111] Different Bodies, Same Secrets
Xavier turned to find Naomi already on the bed, propped up on one elbow. She’d shed her robe completely, leaving only the thin nightgown. The candlelight played across her face, casting half of it in shadow while illuminating the curve of her cheek, the hollow of her throat, the outline of her body beneath the fabric.
"It’s freezing in here," Xavier said, unbuttoning his shirt.
"I noticed," Naomi replied, her eyes tracking his fingers as they worked down his chest. "Nessa doesn’t seem to own many blankets, but the bed’s warm enough once you’re in it."
Xavier pulled his shirt off, the cold air immediately raising goosebumps across his skin. He rolled his shoulders, adjusting to the temperature. The body he inhabited was different from his own—leaner, though still well-muscled. He wondered what the original owner had done for a living.
"See something you like?" he asked, catching Naomi’s stare.
She ran her tongue across her lower lip. "Just comparing notes. This body’s different from the one you had back home."
"Better or worse?"
"Different," she repeated, then patted the space beside her. "Are you going to stand there freezing all night, or are you joining me?"
Xavier sat on the edge of the bed to remove his boots. His headache had dulled to a distant throb the moment he’d entered Naomi’s home, and now it receded further. The constant pull toward Calypso remained, but it no longer felt like needles behind his eyes.
"Your headache’s better," Naomi observed.
Xavier glanced over his shoulder. "How’d you know?"