Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
I sat down on the bed. “I have, but I don’t remember my mother giving me a bath. She probably did when I was younger.”
“What do you want me to get and where do I get it?”
“Middle left drawer are some black sleeping pants. Yeah, those right there.”
Clare set the pants on the bed next to me.
“Bottom left is my long-sleeve shirts.”
“You sure you want long sleeve?”
“I’m fucking freezing, so, yes, I want long sleeve. And in the middle top are my fuzzy socks.”
Clare slowly turned and looked at me. It was clear she was trying to hide a smile. “Your…fuzzy socks?”
“Yes. Don’t tell me you don’t have a pair of extra warm and cozy socks, Clare.”
Her brows shot up. “I do, but I’m a girl. I’m supposed to have them. You’re a guy.”
I rolled my eyes, and I swore it made my head hurt worse.
“Fine, I’ll get your fuzzy socks. Underwear?”
“No, thanks.”
She stood up ram-rod straight. “You’re going without underwear?”
Her back was still toward me so I couldn’t see her face. “Do you go without a bra when you’re sick.”
“Touché.”
I watched as Clare set the rest of my stuff on the bed, then made her way to the bathroom. I laid back and closed my eyes only to have her gently shake me and wake me up.
“Wes, the bath is ready. Can you stand up okay, or do you need help?”
“Nah, I got it,” I said as I stood, then promptly reached for her when the room spun.
“Come on, let’s get to the bathroom.”
Clare quickly worked at getting my T-shirt off and my sweatpants. The food had given me a temporary reprieve from feeling like shit until I had fallen asleep and Clare had woken me up to take the bath. I now felt like a freight train had slammed into me.
I wanted to tease her about seeing me naked, but Clare was so focused on helping me into the bath, and I was so weak all I could think about was how good the water felt. I sank into the water up to my neck while Clare knelt next to the tub. She had a washcloth and wet it gently, then washed my face.
“Do you want your hair wet?”
I slowly shook my head. “Fuck this feels good.”
Clare rested her chin on her hand which was resting on the edge of the tub. I looked at her and attempted to smile. “Tell me what you’re thinking about.”
Letting out a slow breath, she said, “How handsome you are and what a fool Mandy is.”
It felt like someone kicked me in the stomach. “You think I’m handsome?”
Clare chuckled. “Wes Ward, you know you are.”
Leaning my head back, I exhaled. “I think you’re beautiful, Clare Monroe.”
“Mmm…you must still have a high fever.”
“Why?” I asked.
“To say something like that.”
I jerked my head up, something I regretted the moment I did it and frowned. “Why would you say that?”
She shrugged. “I’ve seen the women you go out with. Not just Mandy, who looks like she could be on a Paris runway. I’m nothing like them.”
Anger suddenly consumed me that she would think she was less than any other woman. “Clare, you are beautiful. Both inside and out. And you outshine all those women. Besides, they don’t mean anything. They’re not like you.”
She scoffed. “How so?”
“You’re the kind of woman a man wants to marry. Have kids with. Not spend a night with having meaningless sex.”
When she didn’t say anything, I opened one of my eyes and peeked at her. She was staring off into space, a slight crease between her brows.
“Clare?”
Her eyes jerked up and met mine. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “That’s probably long enough. Let’s get you out before the water gets too cold.”
I nodded.
“Do you need help getting up?”
“Nah, I feel better after sitting here for a bit. My headache is almost gone too.”
Clare stood, grabbed one of my oversized bath towels, and held it open. “If you think you can stand on your own, I’ll hold this open for you.”
“I might need to hang on to your arm for balance.”
She quickly put the towel over her arm. “Of course. Here, let me help you.”
It was shitty of me to do it, but I didn’t need help getting out of the tub. I simply wanted to feel her hands on my body.
Once I was out, she wrapped me in the towel, then grabbed another one and quickly started to dry off my chest and arms before she dropped down and dried off my legs. She had only gone up to my lower thigh before she stood and wrapped the other towel around my shoulders.
“Let’s get you dressed.”
I followed her out of the bathroom and thanked God above that my dick didn’t get hard with her hands on me. Or at least, I didn’t think it did. When I sat down and undid the towel to put my pants on, I heard Clare gasp. One look and I had a full hard-on.