No Rebound

Chapter 12

Chapter 12I opened the bathroom door slowly, trying to give her as much advance warning of my entry as possible, before peaking my head around the door. Jess looked up at me, her body hidden by the bubbles, a small smile emerging through her tears.

‘Hi, I would have knocked...’ I said by way of explanation for my uninvited interruption. ‘Do you need anything?’

‘Yeah. I’d really like another one of those hugs you’re so good at.’

Now this gave me pause for thought. Should I say she could have as many hugs as she wanted once she’d got out of the bath and was dressed or should I just bite the bullet and go hug the naked woman in the bath who set my pulse racing and just hope to god that my body didn’t betray me?

The decision was made for me when Jess’s arms emerged from the bubbles and opened wide in invitation. I’m only human and who was I to deny the wish of a traumatised woman -- I’d just have to cope!

Kneeling down by the side of the bath Jess wrapped her arms around my neck as I wrapped mine around her back. She lifted herself out of the bath slightly as we hugged and I was very, very aware that her wet, naked breasts were now pinned against my chest and that my hands were stroking the soft skin on her bare back.

I was still managing to cope until one of her hands made it’s way to the back of my neck and started to caress gently.

I knew I couldn’t speak to Jess in this position, she wouldn’t hear me. I desperately wanted to pull away slightly so I could look into her face but I knew that doing so would leave her breasts exposed to my gaze and that I would come undone and lose my self control if that happened, so I was stuck. Wonderfully, amazingly, fabulously stuck.

I was just starting to get lost in the sensations of the hug; a hug that could have lasted for 3 minutes or 3 hours, I had no sense of time, when I could hear gentle crying noises again.

I started to pull back so I could say something reassuring but Jess tightened her hold on my neck and held me in place.

‘I may not be able to hear you but I know you can hear me.’ She breathed into my ear, sending shivers across my entire nervous system that came to rest in one very specific place. ‘You like me don’t you?’ I hugged her a little bit tighter and nodded gently

‘You like me in a way that’s not just friendly don’t you?’ I paused slightly but I nodded again.

‘I’ve never been with a woman before; never even considered it as a possibility before, but I can’t deny that I feel differently about you to how I’ve felt about other women in the past. I can’t help thinking about what would have happened if the car had hit you as you tried to help me. If I’d lost you just as I found you, and the thought is devastating.

I need to be sure of what I’m feeling and I don’t want to lead you on. I need to know that my emotions are real and it’s not just because you’re being so sweet to me and that you saved my life. Will you give me some time to work this out in my own head?’

This time I did manage to pull back slightly and to my credit my eyes never travelled lower than the sparkling eyes that were staring intently into mine. I cradled the sides of her face gently, as she had done to me before, and kissed her very gently and briefly on the lips before answering ‘As long as you need babe.’