role as a knight in shining armor rather seriously, aren’t you?”
“You know me. I don’t like to do things halfway.” He glanced up at the shower caddy. “It looks like Larry and Sheila are an Herbal Essence couple. Will that do?”
“At this point, I’ll take anything. But won’t it be a little difficult to wash my hair while I’m sitting in the tub? It’s not like there’s a whole lot of room in here.”
“How about we finish the bath, and then wash your hair at the sink? There’s a vanity table in the bedroom. We can use the chair for you to sit on.”
“That will work,” she said, but didn’t like being a charity case.
William lowered himself onto his knees and gently took the soap and washcloth from her hands.
The tremors returned, but this time Josie swore they came from the sudden swarm of butterflies in her stomach.
His hand dipped into the water, by her calculation a mere inch from her behind, before he placed the soapy towel against her back and washed it in slow, deliberate circles.
Josie’s breath thinned in her lungs.
“I’m experiencing a strong sense of déjà vu,” William said.
The observation was an awkward one. There were numerous times when she and William had shared a shower or bubble bath. All she needed now was for him to climb in and for two flutes of champagne to mysteriously appear.
“I just put my foot in my mouth, didn’t I?” he said at her silence.
“No, it’s okay.” She glanced down at the depleting bubbles and then reached out to pull an armful of them back toward her. “But it was a long time ago.”
William’s hand dipped back into the water, and this time his knuckles brushed against her butt. She gasped and grew still.
He stopped. “Is something wrong?”
Say something and end this torture. “N-no. I’m fine.” Her words echoed with a strange hollowness. If William noticed, he was kind enough to pretend otherwise. As Josie steeled herself against the pleasure of William’s gentle strokes, a strained silence enveloped the former lovers.
She was dying to know what he was thinking but couldn’t muster up the nerve to ask.
He glided the soap over her shoulder blades, and then abruptly stopped. “This is new.”
“What?”
“A tattoo.”
Josie froze. She had forgotten about it.
“It’s Chinese, isn’t it? What does it say?”
There was no way she was going to tell him the Chinese characters spelled his name. She squeezed her eyes tight and came up with another lie. “Love.”
“Humph.” He started scrubbing again. “I never figured you to be the tattoo type.”
“I guess you don’t know me as well as you think.”
“I don’t know.” He chuckled. “I know you pretty well. And it’s a good thing, too, or you’d still be at Keystone.”
She nodded. “Good point.”
The small talk ended, and the heavy silence returned.
William washed the back of her neck, between her shoulder blades, and worked a trail down her spine. Everywhere his hand went her skin tingled in its wake, and it was growing harder to pretend to be unaffected.
“Okay. That ought to do it.” He placed the soap in its dish on the accessory deck, dipped the cloth into the water several times, and then rinsed off her back.
“Thanks,” she said. Her gaze remained downcast while he climbed back onto his feet.
“You don’t have to keep thanking me, Josie. I’m glad to be able to help.” He grabbed a large body towel.
“Hold on while I go get that chair before we get you out of there.” He disappeared into the bedroom, but returned quickly.
However, getting into the tub was nothing compared to getting out, and Josie’s embarrassment deepened at the amount of water she splash. Through it all, he remained gracious.
After successfully being transported to a small wrought-iron chair with her towel draped around her, William set out a robe close to her and gave her a few minutes alone to dry herself and apply the supplied bottles of lotions and
“You know me. I don’t like to do things halfway.” He glanced up at the shower caddy. “It looks like Larry and Sheila are an Herbal Essence couple. Will that do?”
“At this point, I’ll take anything. But won’t it be a little difficult to wash my hair while I’m sitting in the tub? It’s not like there’s a whole lot of room in here.”
“How about we finish the bath, and then wash your hair at the sink? There’s a vanity table in the bedroom. We can use the chair for you to sit on.”
“That will work,” she said, but didn’t like being a charity case.
William lowered himself onto his knees and gently took the soap and washcloth from her hands.
The tremors returned, but this time Josie swore they came from the sudden swarm of butterflies in her stomach.
His hand dipped into the water, by her calculation a mere inch from her behind, before he placed the soapy towel against her back and washed it in slow, deliberate circles.
Josie’s breath thinned in her lungs.
“I’m experiencing a strong sense of déjà vu,” William said.
The observation was an awkward one. There were numerous times when she and William had shared a shower or bubble bath. All she needed now was for him to climb in and for two flutes of champagne to mysteriously appear.
“I just put my foot in my mouth, didn’t I?” he said at her silence.
“No, it’s okay.” She glanced down at the depleting bubbles and then reached out to pull an armful of them back toward her. “But it was a long time ago.”
William’s hand dipped back into the water, and this time his knuckles brushed against her butt. She gasped and grew still.
He stopped. “Is something wrong?”
Say something and end this torture. “N-no. I’m fine.” Her words echoed with a strange hollowness. If William noticed, he was kind enough to pretend otherwise. As Josie steeled herself against the pleasure of William’s gentle strokes, a strained silence enveloped the former lovers.
She was dying to know what he was thinking but couldn’t muster up the nerve to ask.
He glided the soap over her shoulder blades, and then abruptly stopped. “This is new.”
“What?”
“A tattoo.”
Josie froze. She had forgotten about it.
“It’s Chinese, isn’t it? What does it say?”
There was no way she was going to tell him the Chinese characters spelled his name. She squeezed her eyes tight and came up with another lie. “Love.”
“Humph.” He started scrubbing again. “I never figured you to be the tattoo type.”
“I guess you don’t know me as well as you think.”
“I don’t know.” He chuckled. “I know you pretty well. And it’s a good thing, too, or you’d still be at Keystone.”
She nodded. “Good point.”
The small talk ended, and the heavy silence returned.
William washed the back of her neck, between her shoulder blades, and worked a trail down her spine. Everywhere his hand went her skin tingled in its wake, and it was growing harder to pretend to be unaffected.
“Okay. That ought to do it.” He placed the soap in its dish on the accessory deck, dipped the cloth into the water several times, and then rinsed off her back.
“Thanks,” she said. Her gaze remained downcast while he climbed back onto his feet.
“You don’t have to keep thanking me, Josie. I’m glad to be able to help.” He grabbed a large body towel.
“Hold on while I go get that chair before we get you out of there.” He disappeared into the bedroom, but returned quickly.
However, getting into the tub was nothing compared to getting out, and Josie’s embarrassment deepened at the amount of water she splash. Through it all, he remained gracious.
After successfully being transported to a small wrought-iron chair with her towel draped around her, William set out a robe close to her and gave her a few minutes alone to dry herself and apply the supplied bottles of lotions and
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