“What did you have in mind for your shower?” I asked, changing the subject. Fear and arousal thrummed at the prospect of assisting with the intimate task.
He cleared his throat, eyeing the doorway as though contemplating the distance. “I was okay before, using the bathroom, so I’m pretty sure I can do most of it myself as long as I take it slow.”
“I wish the hall bathroom had a tub. It might be easier. Would you rather use the one in Marley and James’s room?”
He thought for a moment. “No. I think I can do it quick. But can you stay close, just in case?”
“Of course.”
The air in the bedroom suddenly seemed way too warm. I needed to approach this clinically, like any good nurse would. That would stop me from thinking about how we were alonetogether in this house. Stop me from admitting how attractive I still found him. Stop me from picturing him naked in the shower, with water running over that strong, sinewy body—
Nope. Nada. Not gonna go there. Totally professional and detached Nurse Maureen, reporting for duty.
“Can you help me get my clothes off? I’d shower in my boxers, but I really need to, uh…”
Totally. Fucking. Professional.
I could do this. Cold and clinical. I raised an eyebrow. “Wash your ass? Scrub your balls? I get it. I’m not a pearl-clutcher, Will.”
He chuckled even as his cheeks flushed. “God forbid I forget what a complete and total boss you are. Alright, if we get most of my clothes off here, and you start the shower for me, I can kick off my underwear in the bathroom and get in. If I lean against the tiles, I bet I’ll be okay.”
I hesitated. “Will, I’m not sure about this. That all sounds very…slippery. Maybe we should wait for James. Or I could give you a sponge bath in bed. That’s a thing, right?”
He grimaced. “You’re not giving me a sponge bath, Maureen. I can do this. I’ve been sick before, so I’m pretty good at gauging my abilities. If it really bugs you, we can wait, but I’m not nauseous like yesterday or having vertigo. Just mildly dizzy and weak. Besides, you’ll be there if there’s an emergency, right?”
“And you promise to call out if you need help? You won’t be stubborn about it?”
“I promise.”
“I’m going to put a folding chair in the shower so you can at least sit.”
“That’s a good idea. Thanks.”
I took the chair into the bathroom and started the water. At first, I worried the wobbly plastic would slide all over the stall, but the shower bottom had a sandy, grippy finish that kept itin place. I put a few towels on the toilet and some washcloths near the chair. I found the bottles of soap and shampoo and unsnapped the plastic lids. Not knowing if Will would be able to put on fresh boxers or wrap a towel around himself after washing, I grabbed my robe from the back of the door, placing it on the counter so he’d have some post-shower options.
When I got back to the bedroom, Will had managed to remove the loose sweatpants he’d been wearing, as well as push the bedspread and sheets to the bottom of the bed. He was struggling to pull his T-shirt off over his head.
“Here, let me help you with that.” I kneeled on the mattress to grasp the bottom of his shirt, being careful not to jostle him, restraining myself from taking a more careful inventory of the very prominent dick print evident in his black boxer briefs.
Totally. Fucking. Professional.
I lifted the shirt over his head and tossed it on top of the dresser. He slumped back against the pillows and closed his eyes.
“Are you sure you’re up to this?” I asked, swallowing hard as his heavy breaths highlighted the slight definition of his abs. I couldn’t help but notice the smattering of coal-dark hair across his pecs, trailing down his stomach and disappearing into his waistband.
“Eyes up here,” he teased. I looked up quickly, caught. My face heated as he grinned.
But I wasn’t about to apologize. I’d been low-key imagining what he looked like without his clothes on for five years. I could admit it. “What? Your body is…nice. I’m only human, Will.”
At the huskiness in my voice, he moved a hand over his groin, hiding the evidence of his thickening cock. “Christ, Maureen. Don’t look at me like that. Not when my head is spinning, and I can’t do anything about it.”
“Pffff. You wish.”
He laughed.
Sitting on the bed next to him, I guided his arm over my shoulder. “Now, let’s get you in the shower before all the hot water is gone.”
I helped him walk down the hall and into the bathroom, his mostly naked body pressed firmly against me. The steam from the shower had already fogged the mirror and turned the small space into a sauna.
