Free Infraction by K. I. Lynn Page B

spray hitting
     me all over right away. It felt so good to have the water running over my skin. I
     felt cleaner already, just from the spray drenching me; it was the cleanest I’d felt
     all week.
    Nathan grabbed the handle on the removable shower head and I placed my hand on his,
     directing where the spray would go. After a while I kept it over my head and let it
     fall down my body, my muscles relaxing; the tension rolling away with the water.
    He soaped up a washcloth with my body wash, but before he connected with my skin I
     pulled it from his hand. He looked down at me, startled.
    “It’s the only independence I have at the moment,” I said, explaining the need to
     do it myself.
    He nodded in agreement. “Sorry, I got a little carried away.”
    I scrubbed my body as clean as I could, making several passes. All the movement left
     me winded and he didn’t want to hand me my razor, but when I pleaded, he relented.
     I couldn’t stand being furry any longer.
    I was drained by the time I was done, the most physical activity in over a week I
     had participated in. Nathan hung the shower head back up after wetting my hair again
     and grabbed the bottle of shampoo. He applied some to my hair and sat down next to
     me.
    His fingers tangled in my hair, working up a good lather. My eyes closed, and I moaned
     a little; I always loved my hair being played with. He was careful on my stitches
     and avoided that area of my scalp as best he could.
    The movement of his hands stopped, and my eyes opened again to find him pulling the
     shower head back down to where we were sitting and began rinsing the suds out.
    I looked up to him and found him studying my face. One of his fingers reached up and
     lightly traced the outline of my fading bruises.
    His eyes met mine, and in the depths I could see everything. His pain was on display
     full force after our conversation. Had my bruises brought his memories and fears to
     the forefront? Tears welled in his eyes before one spilled down his cheek. He leaned
     forward and rested his forehead on mine.
    My hand reached up to comfort him; his stubble was coarse beneath my fingers. He clenched
     his jaw then dipped farther down.
    For the first time in over three weeks, I felt his lips against mine. It was soft,
     yet hungry and full of a familiar fire.
    Too much. The feeling was too much, and I had to pull away.
    He nodded in understanding, but it didn’t keep the pain from showing.
    A few minutes and a dose of conditioner later, we were done. I hadn’t felt so good
     or clean in over a week.
    Nathan exited the shower and came back with a towel wrapped around his waist and one
     in his hand. He helped me stand and began drying me off a bit before carrying me back
     out to the stool in front of the mirror where he removed the blue rubber boot from
     around my cast.
    Sure enough, the cast remained dry.
    He finished drying me off and toweling my hair before taking me back into the bedroom
     and laying me down on the bed. He located a fresh set of sleep shorts and tank top
     and helped me into them.
    His eyes lingered a bit on my skin, but that was all. The normal aggressive, sexual
     beast was kept away, and all that remained before me was a broken man.
    He arranged the pillows to where I was comfortable again, then left to get me a fresh
     glass of water and my next dose of meds for which I was happy.  I was getting accustomed
     to being in pain, but the medicine helped take the strong edge off and left a lingering
     dull ache.
    I noticed every move he made, every conscious decision to make me more comfortable
     to sleep.
    Such a simple act, but I could feel it.
    A tear rolled down my cheek, and then the bed shifted with his weight. He was next
     to me.
    “Are you okay? Do you need more medicine?” he asked, his fingers wiping away the salty
     droplet.
    “I’m okay, just…rough day.”
    He nodded in agreement. We laid there for a few more minutes, gazing at one another.
     It wasn’t