Page 53 of Pirate

Though he could do it himself, he let Sophia unbuckle his belt, unbutton and unzip his pants, and then lifted his hipsenough for her to pull them down his legs. After removing his other boot, she pulled his pants completely off. She left his boxers on.

A glance up his legs showed her the evidence of how her undressing him affected him.

Sophia met his eyes and then rolled hers. “You’re in pain and you’re still able to get an erection?”

“You have a very strong effect on me,” he pointed out, unembarrassed.

Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to his right leg. His left was still hanging off of the couch and Pirate was now laying supine across the cushions. “Wow, your knee looks awful. You worked all day like this?”

Pirate nodded. “It’s the weight of the cap pulling on my knee and then my body weight pushing down on the cap. I’m not supposed to leave it on so long.”

“Why did you?” she asked.

He shrugged, not wanting Sophia to blame Steel. He was the one who punched Carlos; he’d done the crime, so he did the time. “Wasn’t intentional. Just how it happened.”

“Can you take it off or need me to?”

Pirate hesitated, but mainly because he didn’t like how the better of the two options almost felt like a test. “Could you?” he asked gently. “You don’t have to.” Then changed his mind. “No, it’s okay. I can?—”

“I got it,” she insisted, raising a hand to stop him. She bent over his leg. “Well, I’ll get it as soon as you tell me how.”

Pirate chuckled. “There’s two smooth buttons on opposite sides of the cap. See them?” She felt around and then nodded. “Press at the same time and the cap will release the prosthetic.”

“Cool,” she muttered before following his instructions. The leg disconnected immediately. Sophia picked it up, as if examining it. “You know, it’s really not fair.”

“What is?” He did not want her pitying him.

Sophia held out his fake leg as if to show him. “I shave every day and my legs are never this smooth.”

Elation filled him and Pirate threw his head back as he laughed. “Saucy wench,” he said playfully.

She waggled her eyebrows at him. Putting his leg on the coffee table behind her, she reached for the ice pack. “Do you want a towel down first or directly on the cap?”

“It’s fine to put on directly. And can you put it more on my knee?”

Laying the ice pack over him, Sophia asked, “Good?”

Pirate let out a long sigh as the ice immediately started to cool down his swollen, throbbing stump. “Very good. Almost better than sex.”

Sophia raised an eyebrow. “Almost?”

“Nothing beats sex with you.”

She scowled at him, but he saw the amusement in her eyes. “Smooth talking pirate.” She looked him up and down. “What else do you need?”

“My crutch’s in my bedroom. I’ll need it when I’m ready to get up but not now.” He patted the couch next to him. “Come sit with me.”

Rather than sitting beside him, Sophia moved around, lifted his head, and then sat down, placing the back of his head on her thigh.

Pirate closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh, which turned into a large, jaw-cracking yawn. He shifted himself carefully to lift his left leg onto the couch too and then turned his head so his nose was pressed into her belly.

Sophia started to run her fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry you had such a crappy night and were in pain at work.”

Pirate shrugged. “Gotta pay the bills,” he replied softly. “I owe you an apology too. I was wrong to hit Carlos and you were right to yell at me for it.”

“Kinda surprised you weren’t in jail last night.”

He snorted. “You and me both. But we talked and we’re good.”

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