Kissing up to his ear, she whispered, “Do you want to take a shower, preacher man?”
Without waiting for his answer, she got up and went to the bathroom. Had she thought he would say no, that he wouldn’t follow her? That had never crossed her mind as she turned on the water and waited for it to get warm. Pulling off her T-shirt and shimmying out of her shorts and underwear, he came all sexy through the door and closed it behind him.
Forgetting about the water running in the shower, she went to him and pulled his head down for a kiss. It was hot and demanding and left her breathless as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close to him.
Spinning, he lifted her and set her down on the vanity, his attention turning to her breasts, first one then the other, as her hands ran up his back and scratched down it.
“Haze, you’re going to leave marks.” His mouth nuzzled her neck.
“I don’t care.” She pushed his boxers down his legs and wrapped herself around him, urging him inside, needing him inside her.
“What about the shower?” He grabbed her hips and held her back from pulling him inside her.
“No time, I need you inside me now.” She all but begged as her body ached for him.
“Fuck,” he hissed and let go of her hips, meeting her halfway as he plunged into her.
Her head fell back, and she groaned at the sensation of him filling her. Exactly what she needed. Hands gripping the vanity, she let him do the work of driving them over the edge, letting him take control. Looking into his eyes, she saw he was looking behind her, at the mirror.
“Are you watching us, Ruston?”
His eyes focused on hers at her words. But she watched as the blue eyes turned back to the mirror. With effort, she unwrapped her legs from him and pushed him away. Confusion clouded his eyes. They were on her now. She slid off the counter and turned her back to him.
Spreading her legs, she said, “It’ll be hotter this way.”
Feeling him come up behind her as she watched, he kissed her shoulder as he slid easily back into her. His hands went around her hips as he started moving again. Faster this time.
Grabbing his hands, she slid them to her breast. With a moan, she leaned back and said, “Watch us, Ruston.”
His eyes that had been on her moved up to the mirror as his movements picked up speed again, and he started to swear in rhythm with his movements. His hands slid back down to her hips as she watched, and an orgasm rippled through her body. He growled as he came, and she watched it happen.
They hadn’t made it into the shower since the water was running cold before they got to it. But it had been worth it. The downside was that Ruston would have to leave earlier since he needed to shower and shave before church.
Hazel had gone down to make coffee and breakfast, and Ruston had gone to get his clothes from her room. But when he came down, he was carrying John Henry, who was up earlier than usual. Both of them realized that they had made too much noise in the bathroom and had woken the little boy. Hazel was glad they hadn’t tried sex in the bedroom.
Afterward, Ruston had left. He had only asked her once to come to church while she and John Henry ate breakfast. She got her son dressed and let him play while she finally took a short, hot shower, but the water turned cold again. Still worth wasting the hot water that morning.
She didn’t go to church, but she did force herself to go to the hospital to see her grandfather. Leaving John Henry with her grandmother, she went into the room. He was hooked up to beeping machines. Different from when she had seen the twins—there were no machines that night, just silence in death. She didn’t say anything to the lifeless form. Just stood and looked down at him.
Memories washed over her. Before the accident, he had been loving and supportive, never with a negative word for his grandchildren. He had loved having the three kids around, teaching them everything he knew, learning new things to teach them. But after the accident, he had been cold and distant to the remaining one. Even more so after she came back with John Henry. Though he had never said he was disappointed in her, he had proved so with his actions.
Looking at him, she wished he would get better, wished he would come back as the grandfather who had raised her. The fun one who laughed. The one who had loved her.
Leaving him without a word, she returned to her grandmother and saw that John Henry was playing with the toy he had brought along in the corner, far away from her grandma. Leaving him to play, she sat down next to the woman. “How are you doing? Have you been sleeping?” she asked because they hadn’t spoken in days.
“I’m as good as I can be. I sleep on and off.”
“What do they say about him?” Hazel asked, not wanting to hear what the doctors said but needing to.
“The longer he doesn’t wake up, the worse it will be.”
“You should come home. You can’t stay here all the time.” Hazel didn’t want her to come home, but she also didn’t want her to be sleeping at the hospital and being uncomfortable.
“I’m not going back there.” Her anger surprised Hazel.
“You can’t stay away forever,” Hazel told her. It was her home, after all.
“I’ve decided to move into the retirement home, no matter what happens with John.” She was watching John Henry playing with his toys.