“I’ll come back to that.” Instead, she pulled the blanket up off his feet and tucked it around his midsection. She had to dump and refill the water in the bowl several times and was amazed that the bloody water wasn’t making her want to puke like it normally would have.
She thought maybe it was because she knew he needed her. The cast was heavy, so she couldn’t lift it and was careful about not getting it wet. Jeez, even his feet were beautiful. She emptied the bowl again and refilled it with soapy water. Then she pulled the blanket over his feet, took a deep breath, and tucked the top of it over his hips.
“I’m a mature woman. I can do this.”
Anna swallowed when she got a look at his cock because she hadn’t realized they could be that big. The fact that he wasn’t even erect made her anxious for some reason. How much bigger could it get?
She shook her head and washed him as gently as she’d done the rest of his body. When she was done and pulled the blanket up over his chest, she sighed and relaxed.
Damn, that was nerve-wracking, but she was proud of herself that she got it done.
She cleaned out the bowl, set it aside to be sterilized later, and put the towels she used in the laundry container they had in the small bathroom. Then she patted his shoulder. “You’re as clean as I could make you, Mr. Stone. When you wake up, we’ll get your back done.”
Anna washed him six more times over the three weeks he’d been asleep, and she got less self-conscious about seeing all of him each time.
She’d never forgotten and still hadn’t decided if she wanted to tell anyone about her walking into his room and seeing the nurse Val with the sheet down and a smile on her face.
“Holy shit. I heard you were huge, but hell.”
“Val?”
Val dropped the blanket and twirled around.
“What are you doing?” Anna asked.
“I … I was checking his catheter,” she said and started checking the IV tubes and machines he was hooked up to.
Anna knew she was lying and didn’t know what to say about it.
Val glared at her as she came toward the door where Anna stood.
“Isn’t that unethical?” Anna asked her.
“I haven’t done anything but take care of my patient.”
Anna pressed her lips together as Val pushed by her and walked out the door.
God, the woman was awful. Anna walked over to the bed and made sure Zachary was covered and comfortable.
She started thinking of him as Zachary and not Mr. Stone the second time she’d bathed him. “I wish you’d wake up, Zachary. Your friends stop by here every day, and they and I are worried it’s taking you so long to wake up.”
Not even his heart rate or a muscle moved. She patted his chest. “Don’t worry. I’ll be here to take care of you. You just work on getting stronger.”
A few days later, she saw his eyes open.
“Oh, you’re awake,” she exclaimed in surprise. He didn’t act like someone who had been in a coma for three weeks. His gaze zeroed in on her, and the intense, alert scrutiny was amazing and scary at the same time.
She helped him get comfortable and then called the nurse to tell her that Mr. Stone was awake. Anna couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Her heart fell when Val told her to leave. She could feel the burn of a blush on her face, turned, and ran out so embarrassed, she couldn’t take it and wanted to hide.
She was told later that morning that she would be moved to another floor. While she wanted to argue about it, she could tell Val took pleasure in hurting her for some reason and knew she’d become attached to Zachary.
The thought of never seeing him again was tearing her apart, but she knew she had to be realistic. She’d known that she’d never see him again once he went home, so maybe it was best to take a step away. Even if it physically hurt, she knew the pain would be much worse later on.
Chapter Four
Zachary sat up a few days later, eating the food the guys snuck in. He was amazed at how much he was able to eat because he usually could have finished two burgers and fries, and now he barely got through one.
Travis took the wrappers from him and stuck them back in the bag.