Page 46 of Dr. Sexypants

His face broke out into a wide grin. “So, I am special.”

I remained noncommittal. “Like I said, you’ve got potential.” Then I spun on the ball of my foot and headed toward the staircase.

“It’s okay,” he called as he followed after me. “You can admit it.”

Nope. I’m not admitting anything.

Not even to myself.

Chapter Eleven

Kristy

When I came out of the bathroom, Justin smiled when he looked up from where he was putting a small pile of clothes on the chair in the corner. I noticed he’d set a few things on the nightstand, and next to the bed was a blue roller board that looked like the adult version of the ones we used in elementary school gym class.

Dora was lying in her bed next to the chair, staring up at him with doe eyes as her tail thumped against her bed cushion. I’d heard him talking softly to her while I was wiping my makeup off.

I don’t know why, but standing before him, I suddenly felt shy. Probably because I meant it when I said I didn’t have men stay over. Sharing my space with Justin felt foreign.

Yet, not in an uncomfortable way.

“The bathroom’s all yours,” I announced as I rubbed lotion into my elbows and walked toward the bed. My traitorous dog didn’t seem nearly as excited to see me as she was Justin.

He stared at me for a second before declaring, “I like my t-shirt on you.”

I looked down to where it hung mid-thigh. “It’s soft and comfy. I hope you don’t mind if I sleep in it.”

“Not at all. Consider it yours. I hope it’s okay that I took that side of the bed.”

He’d taken the side closest to the bathroom.

“It’s fine. I don’t really have a side. I usually sleep in the middle.”

“Good.” Justin picked up a pair of shorts from the pile on the chair and a dark leather toiletries bag. “Be out in a minute.”

I faced the bathroom door when I laid down, so I’d know when he came out.

But waking up at six a.m. to help Lainey, coupled with the earlier alcohol and orgasm, had taken its toll. I was unable to keep my eyes open as I waited.

****

Justin

When I sat on the side of the bed after coming out of the bathroom in my sleep shorts, I thought Kristy was faking being asleep. Like maybe she wanted to give me some privacy while I removed my prosthetics and that was the only way she could think of.

Part of me was relieved. I’d given myself a pep talk in front of the mirror that it was okay to take them off in her presence, but when I came out, I still wasn’t convinced it was the right move. There was the fear that she’d see my residual limbs and look at me differently—like I was helpless or less a man.

The soft snoring coming from her side of the bed let me know she wasn’t faking. My chest felt strangely light when I released the suction that held my right leg in place and removed the prosthetic, quickly followed by the left. I grabbed a cleansing wipe from the packet on the nightstand to wipe the sockets down. I used another to clean the part of my legs that had been directly connected to the metal, followed by applying my prescription lotion.

Then, I clicked off the bedside lamp and fell asleep with my hand on Kristy’s bare ass under my t-shirt.

****

Kristy

Justin’s side of the bed was empty when I woke up a little before eight-thirty the next morning.

I reached over to feel the sheets to see if they were still warm.