Chapter 193

"Where do I live?" Pearl asked. They had just sat down to dinner. Feeding herself was a bit of struggle with her left hand but she was determined to use the damn spoon properly to eat her soup.

"You just bought a house in Ocean Shores,

Washington. We just bought it, actually." Erik said.

"We?" Pearl asked. She wasn't aware of how serious they were.

"Yes. We agreed that you would have that as your primary residence and I would live there, with you, when I was able to be in town. We would share our time between there, my home in the Hollywood hills and here. So you lived at all three places, actually. We lived, were planning to live, together." Always. Erik thought but didn't say.

Pearl could see the pain in his eyes. They were seriously dating. My god, she thought. He was in love with me, is in love with me. This must be awful for him.

After dinner, Pearl asked what Erik's plans were.

"You. My plans are you." He answered. Pearl felt her pulse race. That was not the answer she had expected.

"Um, I was wondering if you could help me wash my hair. I can't take a shower because I can't get this cast wet. It only has to be on for a couple of more weeks, at least I hope only that long. Or you could ask someone? Maybe Audrey can help me?" Pearl asked.

Erik's heart raced. "I would love to help you." He said, trying to conceal the eagerness in his voice.

He walked her to the bathroom in his bedroom because it had the biggest tub and a removable faucet head with a sprayer. He turned the water on and ran the bath, adding bubbles and oils.

"Come to me." He said, motioning her into the bathroom. When he said that, something felt very familiar about his voice, Pearl thought. She walked over to him. He handed her a large towel and told her to cover herself while he helped her out of her clothes.

"You've seen me... naked before, right?" Pearl asked. Erik's jaw clenched and he bit his lip.

"Yes." He said.

"Then why do I need to cover up?" She asked. He swallowed and clenched his jaw again.

"It's for my sake, please. And yours. Because I can't be responsible for what I would do to you if I saw your unbelievably beautiful naked body again." He said.

Her breath became stifled and caught in her lungs. She coughed and nodded. She held up the towel in front of and he faced her, reaching his hands to her pants and pulling them down, looking away. She then handed him the towel to hold up as she pulled her left arm down through her t shirt, then took the towel back so he could lift her shirt over her casted arm and over her head. She pressed the towel against the front of her body and he reached around, tucking it under her arms.

"Get in the bath." He said and turned around. She did as he asked and got into the bubble bath, keeping her right arm up. He turned and saw her, god how he wanted her. He composed himself and moved behind her, pouring water over her hair and being gentle with her wounds. He poured shampoo into his hand and formed a lather. He massaged the soap into her hair, taking his time and being as gentle as possible.

Pearl thought it was the single most erotic moment of her life.

Her body was broken and bruised, yet responding to him in ways she had only read about. She felt bad at first but then didn't. John told her she was divorced. She and Paul hadn't had sex in over a year, even before she left so she only had memories of being sexually frustrated. She was free to be turned on by this man, lovingly shampooing her hair if she wanted to be, not that she had any control over it. He rinsed out the soap and then put in conditioner. She raised her knees so they were showing out of the water and opened them. Erik watched and was barely able to continue. He quickly rinsed her hair and told her to call for him when she was ready to get out, and excused himself. Pearl nodded.

He walked out and turned the corner, around the door, catching his breath. The way he wanted her was not only uncivilized but animalistic and completely inappropriate after all she had been through. It wasn't right for him to be losing control like that. He needed to keep it together if he was going to win her heart again, properly.

"Erik, I'm good!" Pearl called out. He sighed and gave himself a pep talk. "You got this Erik. You got this" he whispered. He walked in to find her standing up in the tub, completely naked.

He looked away and reached for the towel again, holding it up for her to step behind. She attempted to dry herself off but was having a hard time with one hand. "Can you help me?" She asked.

"Are you sure?" Erik was unsure he could keep it together. Pearl nodded. Erik took the towel and ran it up and down both of her legs, then up over her backside and back and then her tummy and breasts. Pearl watched him and felt herself so turned on, she was going to need a towel just for between her legs. He then helped her into a robe and sat her down on a bench, towel drying her hair.

Pearl was in pure ecstasy watching and feeling this man care for her in the way he was. She imagined him kissing her neck, and kissing down her back. Running his hands through her wet hair and pulling it as he fucke...."

"What clothes would you like to wear?" He asked, snapping her out of her fantasy.

"Um, the nightgown is fine." She said, wiping a bit of drool from her mouth. He slipped a pair of panties over each foot and then moved them up her legs and pulled them onto her hips. He was used to taking them off, not putting them on, he thought.

"All right then, turn around." Erik instructed. She did. "Take off you robe." He said. This sent chills down her spine. She did as she was told.

He put the long camisole over her casted arm and then he left arm, helping guide it over her body. Pearl was dizzy with the seduction of the act. He stood behind her for a moment longer, then he picked up the wet towels and robe and left.