AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maye was lying on her side, her long, full mane cascading across both pillows. Her eyes were closed and her breathing soft, but I was sure she didn’t want to sleep in her clothes. She didn’t have anything else with her and would have to wear them again in the morning. I needed to wake her but hated doing it.
Kneeling beside the bed, I laid my shirt on the mattress and just stared at her. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Her features were relaxed from the pain reliever and sleep, and if I had been any good at it, I’d draw or paint her there in that pose. She was a goddess. Simply perfect in every way.
Her skin was flawless and soft, and without thinking more about it, I stroked my fingers across her forehead and along her cheekbone. At my touch, her mouth curved into a sleepy smile. Before saying anything, I stroked some stray hair back from her neck and finger-combed it into the mass on the pillow.
Voice at a whisper, I told her, “I got you something to sleep in.”
Without opening her eyes, she muttered, “Okay, thank you.”
I stood from my kneeling position and offered, “Let me help you sit up and get your clothes off.”
Her eyes popped open at my suggestion, and I grinned, trying to interpret the expression. Was she nervous? How experienced was she? Did I have the strength to see her bare skin and not mount her?
She was fully awake now and sat up. “I’m sure I can manage myself. You must be tired too. Please, don’t let me keep you from going to bed yourself.”
Little did she know, I had every intention of sleeping in this bed with her. At least that was my plan. If she protested, I’d go to my own room. Wouldn’t be happy about it, but I would do it. It sucked always being the good guy. I had to tell myself that being patient would be worth it in the long run. There was no sense in destroying the woman’s trust because I was so turned on by her.
I smiled at her careful protest and asked, “Do you argue about everything? Or only when someone is trying to help you?” With one knee on the mattress, I leaned over her. Those incredibly deep, intelligent blue eyes followed my place above her, so I explained, “I’m going to help you sit up so you don’t put pressure on your arm.”
“Oh,” she said in a breathy exhale that almost knocked me dead. She really had no idea how alluring she was. If she did, she was an expert actress. “Okay.”
With my arms beneath her shoulders, I cradled her torso against my chest and rocked us both until she was sitting. “There. Better, right?”
“Yes, thank you. How did you do that?” The wonder in her voice filled my male pride cup right to the rim.
“When my father was dying, I helped my mother care for him. The nurses taught us a lot of little tricks that made caregiving in the home easier.”
Maye touched my arm with her delicate hand until I asked, “What?”
“I’m sorry about your dad. I’m sorry if it made you sad…remembering just then.”
“No, I’m not sad, baby. Years have gone by now.”
She shook her head. “Just because time has passed doesn’t make a loss less profound.”
“You’re right. There are days I pick up my phone to call him.” I paused for a second and grinned. “Stupid, right? I mean, I know he’s gone. But we used to be pretty close. I shared all my good and bad days with him. Those are usually the times it still hits me.”
“That’s so sweet. I wish I could’ve met him. Seen your friendship with him.”
I knew she wasn’t just offering a societal nicety. She truly meant what she’d said.
“He would’ve liked you,” I said with a smile before adding more. “He would say you’re too young for me, but yeah…” My smile grew bigger. “He would’ve liked you.”
Before the air got too heavy with dead-people talk, I said, “It’s perfect that you have a button-down on. I think it will make this easier.” I paused before reaching out to unbutton her blouse.
Her whole body tensed, and I dropped my hands.
“What is it?” she asked, studying me closely.
“You are very astute, you know that? You see much more than most people see.”
She looked bashful before admitting, “You know…you aren’t the only one who watched someone all semester.”
That was her shy way of telling me she’d been interested in me too for much longer than this week. I didn’t think it would serve anyone’s confidence to tell her there had been times I thought she was watching me with a different kind of interest than the other students. I had always chalked it up to my wishful thinking.
“So I feel like I know you, on some sort of level, I guess,” she added. “But why did you abort your mission here?” She looked down at the buttons on her shirt, then met my attentive gaze.
“Your whole body stiffened when I reached to get started, so I paused. I don’t want to do anything you don’t want. And I’m trying to be gentlemanly here. Even though my guy brain is egging me on in the opposite direction.”
