Rory by Vanessa Devereaux

wanted a wife but kids too.
    “Hey, big brother you look miles
away. Anything you want to talk about?” asked Shane, smacking him on the back.
    “What, no. I was just thinking
about all the stuff I have to do on the ranch.”
    Shane nudged him. “All work and
no play. Look Cass’s here so why don’t the two of you do something fun.”
    If
only you knew what I’ve been thinking about little brother.
    ****
    She’d give a million dollars to
take a long soak in the bath with exotic smelling bubbles clinging to her skin.
It didn’t look like that was going to happen any time soon.
    Cass tried once again to get rid
of the itch on her leg, but this time she was going to keep a firm grip on the
needle.
    “That thing bothering you again?”
asked Rory walking by the bedroom.
    “I’ve been fantasying about
taking a bath with this thing being history. Sponging myself down with a
washcloth just isn’t doing anything for me and I’m scared I’ll start to smell
soon.”
    “You want me to find something to
cover your leg so you can get into the shower?”
    “You’d be my hero forever.”
    “Okay, let me go and take a look
and see what I can come up with.”
    Cass scratched some more, sure
she was turning her skin red.
    Rory came back a few minutes
later with some tape and a black garbage bag.
    “You can step into this and then
secure the top with this tape, and that should keep the water off the cast.
Just don’t stay in the shower for too long.”
    Cass stood. “Can you do it for
me?”
    “Sure, let’s go into the
bathroom.”
    She took his arm, and they walked
slowly down the hallway and then turned into the bathroom.
    “Okay, just put your leg in
here,” said Rory opening up the bag.
    Cass lifted her leg and put her
foot at the bottom as Rory pulled the tape around the top just above her knee.
    “How does that feel?” he asked.
    “Pretty good,” she said taking a
step, but almost slipping on the tiled floor.
    Rory caught her just before she
went to the ground. “Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea after all,” he said.
    “It would be fine if you could
hold me while I shower.”
    She hadn’t realized the
implications of that innocent sentence until it had slipped out of her mouth.
    They both stood looking at one
another. He was blushing. Of all the Malone brothers, he’d always been the most
bashful. Maybe it was because he was oldest.
    “You’ve seen a woman naked before
right?” Cass didn’t mean it to sound insulting, but just wanted to lighten the
suddenly uncomfortable situation.
    “Sure have but you’re different…I
don’t mean your body is, but you’re the ex-fiancé of my brother.”
    “I’m sure Ryan would want you to
think of it as helping me out.”
    She knew that would hit home.
Rory was always there for everyone.
    “Okay, if you don’t have a
problem with it, then I guess I shouldn’t either. I’ll run the water while you
get undressed.”
    He turned and walked toward the
shower while Cass lifted the sweater over her head. He glanced over his
shoulder just as she was removing her bra and then quickly looked back at the
wall of the shower.
    She unzipped her skirt, let it
fall to the ground, and then sat on the stool by the sink and pulled down her
panties. Standing again at the very same time that Rory turned around to see
her buck-naked.
    He was almost the color of beets,
and she guessed it wasn’t from the steam of the shower. She held out her hand
to him. He took it, and she walked toward him. He lifted her up and placed her
in the bathtub.
    Cass slid toward the water and
ducked her head underneath it.
    “This feels like heaven,” she
said letting the water run down her face and then onto her chest. She turned
around slowly letting it soak into her hair and back.
    She reached for the shampoo but
nearly slipped again. Rory’s hand steadied her.
    “Would it be too much to ask if
you washed my hair for me?” asked Cass.
    “I don’t know if I can from