Page 21 of Bleeding Hearts

“No. Not really. I can manage.” With a firm grip on the wheels of my chair, I roll down the hall, feeling the smooth surface beneath my fingertips. “Unless you’re offering to help me take a bath. I could use one after today. A nice hot bath would feel real nice.”

The chair lurches forward with a sudden jolt as he grips the handles and pushes. “I can do that.”

The low, gravelly tone of his voice as he uttered those four words sends shivers down my spine and has me backtracking.

“I’m kidding.” Cocking my head to the side, I glance up at him. “That’s not happening.”

The blistering heat in his eyes, like burning coals, has me swallowing. All the moisture in my mouth goes south, making my mouth dry.

“So, you couldn’t use a nice hot bath?” The intensity of his stare, sharp and unwavering, has my belly tingling with exhilaration.

“Of course I could. I could use a good orgasm too, but you’re not helping me with that either.”

Why the hell did I go there?

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I know I’ve just challenged him to prove me wrong. “Forget I said that. Ignore me.”

I’m not shy. When it comes to my sexual endeavors, I keep things casual. I don’t need feelings or heartbreak. My life has no time for those.

But I’ve always known Nolan doesn’t feel the same. And I’m not sure how I feel about that. While I’d love to ride him long and hard and for as many rides as he’d allow, I’m not willing to make it long-term. Especially in our situation, he’s my neighbor. It’s better to never go there, even though I really, really want to.

He doesn’t ignore me.

We’re now moving faster as he pushes me into my bedroom. Once inside, he locks the breaks, walks around in front of me and bends down, effortlessly lifting me from the chair. I have no choice but to wrap my arm around his neck.

“Impossible to forget you said that. Ignoring you is no longer an option. Once you’ve used the bathroom, we’ll discuss how hot you like your bath. Do you need help pulling anything down?”

I’m not sure if he’s red from embarrassment or if it’s something else. Perhaps a combination of both.

“No.” I motion a hand over my long skirt. “I can manage. Just need to lift this.”

His feet come to a standstill as he closes his eyes. “Are you telling me you aren’t wearing panties, that you haven’t had any on all day?”

“I find them restrictive, so I never wear them.” I squeal when he lowers me faster than I anticipated onto the toilet seat and storms out of there like his ass is on fire.

What? Did he expect me to lie?

I stopped wearing those when I was in my twenties. I only put a pair on during that time of the month. And once they invented the cup—the best invention ever—I tossed those babies in the trash and never looked back. They just get in my way. One more piece of laundry I’m forced to wash. One less barrier when I want to have a little fun. And since I wear dresses more than I do pants, it’s very freeing and something I’m not ashamed about. When I can get away with it, I even forgo a bra. Nobody notices because I have small boobs.

Like right now. No undergarments.

Everyone should try it. I bet we’d have a lot more happy people in this world if we embraced the freedom of going commando.

Chapter 10

Nolan

I’m as hard as stone.

I was already close to being hard when I noticed her nipples poking through her top after my comment about watching TV in my underwear. But now I’m so hard it hurts, and I’m not about to let her get away with it.

The toilet flushes, and I walk back in without bothering to knock. Like it’s my right to do so, which it is not.

Bethany has maneuvered herself off the toilet and onto the chair placed in front of her vanity. She’s using it to help hold her up while she tries to wash her hands.

“Dammit, woman. Do you want to break a hip?” Approaching from behind, I steady her with my arm around her perfect waist, and gaze at her frowning reflection. “What?”

“I’m not helpless. If you would’ve grabbed my walker before storming out, I could’ve used it.” She pumps a handful of soap into one hand and begins washing them. “Short trips are the only time I’m allowed to use it. That’s why I still use the damn chair.”

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