Page 38 of Searching for Bristol
He chuckled, and she could feel the rumbling against the hand that was resting on his chest. Her other arm was wrapped around his neck. If she leaned forward just a fraction, she’d be able to feel his beard against her cheek.
Just as she was contemplating doing that very thing, he walked into the bathroom.
“Here she is. Queen Bristol, ready for your assistance,” Rocky teased.
“Awesome. This is gonna work great,” Elsie said. “Put her on the stool, then shoo.”
Rocky bent over the tub to place Bristol on the same small plastic stool she’d sat on before. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am,” he said crisply.
Bristol giggled, and Elsie did the same. For just a moment, she felt Rocky’s hand at her back, giving her a subtle caress, then he was stepping away from the tub. She figured she imagined it, but when she looked up and met his gaze, the heat she saw there made her inhale sharply.
“Enjoy your shower, Punky. Take your time. There’s lots of hot water. The complex might look like a dump, but the manager installed kick-ass water heaters.” Then Rocky nodded at Elsie and left, closing the door firmly behind him.
“Whew,baby,” Elsie said softly, fanning herself with a hand. “That look!” she exclaimed.
Bristol didn’t bother to deny the other woman’s words. She’d seen a lot of promises in Rocky’s eyes…promises she had no idea if either of them would ever act on. They were in a weird position. Attracted to each other, but they weren’t exactly equals right now. She was dependent on Rocky, and she had a feeling he’d never act on whatever it was they were feeling when the balance of power between them wasn’t even.
But once she was upright and could get around better? All bets were off.
Determination rose within Bristol at that moment. If she was going to even entertain the idea of moving to Fallport, she had to make sure whatever happened between her and Rocky wasn’t going to make moving here seem weird.
Did she want to see where their attraction could lead? Yes. Hell yes.
But she didn’t want things to burn hot and fast, then fizzle out and have to deal with seeing her ex everywhere she went. She’d like to think they could remain friends if a relationship between them didn’t work out, but she didn’t know Rocky well enough to decide if that might be the case.
“That’s some deep thinking you’re doing,” Elsie commented.
Bristol took a deep breath. She needed to get her head out of her butt. She was moving way too fast in her mind. There was no telling what would happen in the next month or two. Or even the next week. She needed to put on the brakes, do her best to ignore the desire swimming in her belly for Rocky, and take things slowly.
Yeah, right. Slowly. She had a feeling that slow going wasn’t going to be much of an option when it came to her and Rocky. They were on a collision course, and for the first time in her life, Bristol was looking forward to the crash.
“Just thinking about how this is gonna work,” Bristol said honestly. Of course, she was talking about her and Rocky and not the impending shower, but Elsie didn’t need to know that.
“You said you did this by yourself before?” Elsie asked.
“I did. But it was short and painful, trying to do everything by myself, so having you here will be a huge help.”
“Right. Rocky left a plastic bag for us to cover your leg. We can prop your leg on the rim of the tub, under the shower curtain. It’s not ideal, but it should work. I’ll help you undress, which I’m guessing is the hard part, and then let you do your thing. But I can wash your hair if you want.”
“Yes, please. Last time I struggled a bit, and I don’t think I actually rinsed out all the bubbles.”
“Of course. Arms up.”
Bristol didn’t feel too self-conscious as her new friend helped her get rid of her clothes. She supposed she should, but after the short stay in the hospital, where it felt as ifeveryonehad seen her naked, this wasn’t too bad.
Elsie turned the water on and waited until it was hot before pulling the little tab that would make the spray turn on above her head. She handed Bristol a washcloth. “Let me know when you’re ready for me to wash your hair. I’ll be right here.”
“I will, thanks.” Thankful for the privacy to clean herself, the second the shower curtain closed, Bristol lifted her head and let the warm water rain down on her face.
She’d never take a shower for granted again. This was heavenly.
CHAPTEREIGHT
Rocky sat in his living room yet again, clenching his teeth as he heard the shower turn on in the other room. It was just over a week when he’d first sat here, doing the same thing. That time, Elsie had been with Bristol, making sure she didn’t fall off the stool or otherwise hurt herself as she got used to showering with a temporary handicap.
It had been hell on his libido then, just as it was now.
She was more stable every day, and no longer needed help undressing. Every time she showered, all Rocky could think about was how Bristol was naked in the same space he’d been in an hour ago. He wasn’t a man who needed to masturbate every day, but lately he felt as if he was a teenager all over again. He couldn’t stop thinking about the woman sharing his apartment.
