“Um, everything’s fine, there, too.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes and hoped he’d drop it.
“Are you sure?” he asked with concern evident in his voice. “We were pretty, uh, ardent last night. Many times. I can get you an anti-inflammatory or a heating pad, or even some ice. Whatever you want. Oh, I know! Would you like to take a hot bath?”
Sheila’s head lifted at his statement. His eyes twinkled, and his smile grew at her eagerness.
“I knew that bathtub would grab your attention. Do you want to drink your coffee in the garden tub?” he asked.
Just then, the coffee maker beeped to herald the upcoming blessings she’d receive from the coffee gods. Her brain cells started their happy dance.
“Coffee and a bath? You’re a god among men!”
“I aim to please. Fix your cup, and I’ll set up in the bathroom. I can scrounge up a t-shirt and shorts if you want to put on something clean when you’re done.”
Sheila took a sip of coffee, and her eyes widened appreciatively.
“That’s good shit, right?” Derek nodded at her cup. “Alexander takes his pleasures seriously, and that includes his coffee.”
She giggled as she added a little more sugar to the strong brew.
“It’s not Greek coffee—which is also amazing—but it is a much nicer blend than I drink. He imports it and grinds it himself, which is more effort than I’m willing to do in the mornings. Luckily, he had a small jar of fresh grounds ready. Otherwise,we’d have had to figure out something else with three brain cells operating between us.”
While Derek talked about the coffee, Sheila sipped her drink. Wow, that really was some amazing brew.
“C’mon, let’s get you in the tub.”
He held out his hand for her and led her back to the bathroom with their coffee cups in hand.
Derek turned on the water and dug under the sink before presenting her with options for her soak. Sheila sat on the edge of the tub and drank her coffee.
After she chose a bath salt blend at random, he poured a few scoops into the warm water. He gathered a wash cloth and some towels from the linen closet and set them on the table next to the tub.
Since she didn’t have a way to put her hair up, Sheila braided the long strands to keep it out of her eyes. Derek watched her with a soft smile on his face. She had no idea what to say and was relieved when he cleared his throat. He swirled the water to dissolve the bath salts, and a gentle fragrance filled the air.
“Okay,” he said. “Check this out. It’s good, but let me know if you want it hotter or cooler.”
She dipped her hand into the tub and was assailed by the silky warm water on her skin.
“That’s perfect.”
“I will leave you to it, then. I’ll go see what I can scrounge up in the kitchen. I’m pretty hungry.”
Sheila made a moue of disappointment as he headed towards the door. At her squeak, he turned back to look at her. His expression gave nothing away, but she took a deep breath and gathered her courage. When would she ever have another opportunity to bathe with Derek in a huge soaking tub?
“Won’t you join me?”
This Time, I Don’t Want to Share
Sheila held her breath as she stared at Derek.
“I didn’t mean… this wasn’t… Gah!” he said, flustered. “This was supposed to be for you to relax. This isn’t about me or sex.”
“I, um, thank you.”
Sheila was embarrassed. She wasn’t good at this. Worse than that, Derek was the one who rejected her.
Stop it!
