Page 18 of Fractured Hope
He was gentle and focused. He washed my legs, then moved to my arms and chest. He let the cloth go after he washed overmy stomach, and it settled over my groin. With my eyes closed, I embraced the anticipation of what was going to happen next as goose bumps danced across my skin and butterflies flew in my belly. His presence left my side. The shower door creaking was the only thing that told me he hadn’t actually left the room. I peeked at him through my lashes and saw he had shampoo in his hand. He set the shampoo on the edge of the tub, then gently poured water over my hair. He nudged me to sit up, offering me his arm to assist. Once I was upright, he massaged shampoo into my scalp.
A groan escaped my lips at the sheer pleasure. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation. I was thankful for the washcloth because my cock twitched in response to his careful work. It was over all too soon as he tipped my head up and rinsed my hair. With my head angled like this I could feel how long my hair had gotten as it cascaded down my back.
His deep voice broke the silence. “Would you like me to wash your hair again?” he offered.
“Yes, please,” I said dreamily. Anything for him to continue this scalp massage. Once he’d finished the second time, I was so relaxed I was almost dozing in place. He stood and leaned over the tub to pull the plug. When he straightened, he reached for the sprayer attachment I hadn’t noticed was there. He made sure the temperature was just right before gesturing for me to tip my head back. He gently rinsed my hair, taking such care with me that tears sprang to my eyes. No one had looked at me with such affection or been so gentle with me before.
He ensured all the shampoo was gone before he continued to rinse the rest of my body. His movements were methodical and his face stoic. Once I was cleaned to his satisfaction, he turned the sprayer off and grabbed a towel. He wrapped it around my shoulders, rubbing my arms up and down—to dry me or warm me up, I wasn’t sure.
Looking up into his face, so much affection shone in his expression. My heart skipped a beat. Did he care about me? Or was he just a caring person? His gaze sent a shiver down my body.
“Let’s get you out and dry,” Atticus said. With his arms under my armpits, he helped pull me up onto the edge of the tub so I could swing my legs out and over the side. When I was standing on one leg on the bath mat, he made sure I was steady with the knee walker right next to me.
“I’ll be just outside.” He flashed me one last look over his shoulder and left the room in a rush.
10
ATTICUS
Jesus fucking Christ!
Breathe. Just Breathe.
What the fuck was I thinking?
Slowly undressing him to reveal all those smooth lines and surprisingly compact muscles. His peaches-and-cream complexion all but glowed in the bright bathroom lights. Then the way he moaned when I washed his hair.... I squeezed my cock through my jeans, willing it to behave. I was supposed to be helping him, not perving on him like a creeper.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I thought about anything else to try and calm down. After all he’d been through, the last thing he needed was a man hitting on him. Taking a deep breath, I resolutely decided to ignore my cock and my attraction to him. I would focus on helping him and being a good roommate and friend.
He needed afriend.
With that decided, I strode into the kitchen to make us more coffee. A little while later, I was pouring the coffee into two travel mugs, ensuring Bodhi’s was sweetened just right, whenthe sound of my bedroom door opening and the squeaking of the knee walker’s rubber tires on the wooden floor could be heard as he tried to turn into the living room. I capped our coffees and went to meet him. His hair was still wet and dripping onto his long-sleeved shirt. He also had the same sweatpants on.Does he have any clean clothes or anything warmer?The temperature would start dropping soon, and he would need toastier clothes than these.
“Hey, feeling better?” I asked nonchalantly, trying to keep it casual.
“Much, t-thank you.” He glanced away and refused to make eye contact.
“Do you need anything before we head out? Can I grab your backpack for you?”
“That would be great, thank you.” He rolled over to the couch and attempted to sit but must have misjudged the distance as he flopped down gracelessly with a huff, falling to his side when he tried to use his wrist cast to catch himself. He managed to get upright, his cheeks glowing pink, probably because he knew I’d seen his fumble. He quickly went to pull his sock on, letting his hair fall over his face in an attempt to hide from me.
“Here, let me get your shoe and help you with the walking boot.” I hurriedly grabbed the walking boot where it had fallen by the coffee table and his shoe from where I’d placed it by the front door.
“Do you know where the other one is?” he asked, gesturing at his shoe.
“Still in the car?” I tried to think about when I’d last seen it.
Gently, I rolled the extra-thick sock the hospital had given us over his foot and up his ankle. I then helped him into the walking boot and ensured it was done up correctly. With a smile, I passed him his shoe before grabbing his backpack from the guest room. Once I’d returned, he was waiting by the door, balanced on oneleg, knee walker at the ready, with his arm outstretched to take the backpack.
“Don’t worry about it, I have it.” Waving him off, I put the backpack over my shoulder. With a thought, I quickly reached out for one of the wool hats I kept by the door for the cooler weather and carefully placed it on his head, tucking his wet hair under it so he didn’t catch a chill.
“Is that okay?” I asked, pulling back to check on him. “I didn’t want you to get cold with your hair still wet.”
He blushed, his cheeks rosy, as he mumbled, “Thank you.” He reached up to touch the soft material before grabbing his hoodie.
“It’s no problem.”
With a relieved sigh, I picked up our travel mugs from the coffee table. Balancing one on top of the other, I grabbed my keys and wallet, then unlocked the front door. He smiled as he passed me, and like a dumbass, I stood staring, then jolted before locking up. With a bounce in my step, I hurried around to open the passenger door for him. He sent me another one of those shy smiles as I helped him get situated, then passed him his coffee. In a jiffy, I had his knee walker folded up and stashed in the back seat before heading to the driver’s side.
