wearily. “I really wanted to wash up, but I just didn’t have the strength to do it.”
He fell silent for a second before his eyes lit up. “I can bring you some warm water and soap, a towel maybe, and you can wash up right here. Would you like to try?”
Embarrassed at needing assistance for such a simple yet personal matter, she avoided eye contact. “If you’ll help me, yes.”
“Of course I will. I’ll be right back.”
Jack eyed his patient one more time, then quickly returned to the bathroom, filled up a basin and opened a fresh bar of soap. He grabbed a clean towel and carried it out to her. “So, how do we go about this?”
“If you could help me to sit up and wash this dry blood away, I’d feel much better.”
I’m such an idiot…of course the crusted blood would be uncomfortable to say the least. “I’m so sorry. When I brought you home, my main concern was to bandage you up and keep you warm.”
He gently helped her to sit, and propped a couple of pillows behind her back. When she unbuttoned the pajama top, he turned his head, not wanting to add to her discomfort.
Jenna tapped his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to get all naked.” Her laughter was cut short by a big yawn. “Oh my, as you can see, I’m beyond tired, so sex is out of the question.”
Her silliness eased his tension, but did little to stop the heat warming his cheeks. She sat with his pajama top pooled around her waist, her arms folded modestly across her pink lacy bra. The firelight played up her creamy skin, making it appear deliciously…edible.
He swallowed, hard, wishing she hadn’t said the word sex, even in jest.
“Let me wash your back and neck first.”
Jack welcomed the reprieve to rein in his wayward libido. He kneeled on the couch behind her, lathered the face cloth and brought it up to make circular moves up and down her back. He rinsed out the cloth with shaky hands, and then parted her hair to expose her neck, holding the warm cloth over the caked on blood for a second before gently washing it away. Her body shivered under his touch.
A desire he thought never to be ignited again sparked.
Easy does it big guy. Now is definitely not the time.
In his mind, he knew this, but the increasing tightness behind the zipper of his pants told just how attracted he was to this woman.
Then she purred.
“I can’t begin to tell you how good this feels.”
Ditto. “I’m glad.” He smiled; surprised at the degree of pleasure her reaction brought him. “I’m going to go change this water for you.”
He picked up the plastic tub and left without waiting for a response. In the bathroom, he dumped the dirty water down the toilet and went about re-filling the basin with warm water. He opened the hand-made wooden cabinet and frowned at his reflection in a mirror affixed to the back of the door.
Blushing? How old are you, for God’s sake? You’d think you never saw a pretty girl before. Though, it had been a very long time since ….
He splashed water in his face and patted it dry with a housecoat hung on the back of the door, then filled his lungs and blew the air out slowly. “Grow up,” he scolded his reflection.
Jack returned and set the container down within her reach, handing her a fresh face cloth. “I’ll leave you to take care of the...er...front,” he stammered.
Her slight giggle drew him to her emerald green eyes. The instant her gaze met his, she quickly turned away. It brought him a certain degree of satisfaction in knowing she appeared to be as uncomfortable with the situation as he.
“I’ll be in my room. Give me a shout when you’re done.”
She flashed him the slightest of smiles before picking up the facecloth and swishing it around in the water with a soft, “Thank you.”
Jack took long strides to his bedroom and shut the door behind him. He flopped back on his bed and closed his eyes, breathing in and out, nice and slow until he regained some semblance of
He fell silent for a second before his eyes lit up. “I can bring you some warm water and soap, a towel maybe, and you can wash up right here. Would you like to try?”
Embarrassed at needing assistance for such a simple yet personal matter, she avoided eye contact. “If you’ll help me, yes.”
“Of course I will. I’ll be right back.”
Jack eyed his patient one more time, then quickly returned to the bathroom, filled up a basin and opened a fresh bar of soap. He grabbed a clean towel and carried it out to her. “So, how do we go about this?”
“If you could help me to sit up and wash this dry blood away, I’d feel much better.”
I’m such an idiot…of course the crusted blood would be uncomfortable to say the least. “I’m so sorry. When I brought you home, my main concern was to bandage you up and keep you warm.”
He gently helped her to sit, and propped a couple of pillows behind her back. When she unbuttoned the pajama top, he turned his head, not wanting to add to her discomfort.
Jenna tapped his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to get all naked.” Her laughter was cut short by a big yawn. “Oh my, as you can see, I’m beyond tired, so sex is out of the question.”
Her silliness eased his tension, but did little to stop the heat warming his cheeks. She sat with his pajama top pooled around her waist, her arms folded modestly across her pink lacy bra. The firelight played up her creamy skin, making it appear deliciously…edible.
He swallowed, hard, wishing she hadn’t said the word sex, even in jest.
“Let me wash your back and neck first.”
Jack welcomed the reprieve to rein in his wayward libido. He kneeled on the couch behind her, lathered the face cloth and brought it up to make circular moves up and down her back. He rinsed out the cloth with shaky hands, and then parted her hair to expose her neck, holding the warm cloth over the caked on blood for a second before gently washing it away. Her body shivered under his touch.
A desire he thought never to be ignited again sparked.
Easy does it big guy. Now is definitely not the time.
In his mind, he knew this, but the increasing tightness behind the zipper of his pants told just how attracted he was to this woman.
Then she purred.
“I can’t begin to tell you how good this feels.”
Ditto. “I’m glad.” He smiled; surprised at the degree of pleasure her reaction brought him. “I’m going to go change this water for you.”
He picked up the plastic tub and left without waiting for a response. In the bathroom, he dumped the dirty water down the toilet and went about re-filling the basin with warm water. He opened the hand-made wooden cabinet and frowned at his reflection in a mirror affixed to the back of the door.
Blushing? How old are you, for God’s sake? You’d think you never saw a pretty girl before. Though, it had been a very long time since ….
He splashed water in his face and patted it dry with a housecoat hung on the back of the door, then filled his lungs and blew the air out slowly. “Grow up,” he scolded his reflection.
Jack returned and set the container down within her reach, handing her a fresh face cloth. “I’ll leave you to take care of the...er...front,” he stammered.
Her slight giggle drew him to her emerald green eyes. The instant her gaze met his, she quickly turned away. It brought him a certain degree of satisfaction in knowing she appeared to be as uncomfortable with the situation as he.
“I’ll be in my room. Give me a shout when you’re done.”
She flashed him the slightest of smiles before picking up the facecloth and swishing it around in the water with a soft, “Thank you.”
Jack took long strides to his bedroom and shut the door behind him. He flopped back on his bed and closed his eyes, breathing in and out, nice and slow until he regained some semblance of