Page 10 of Leather and Longing (Island Tales #3)

Mark sounded like a considerate man.

“Okay, we have an appointment at four o’clock. In what order do you want to do this—shower and shave, or vice versa?”

Adam considered. “Shower first.” It was really much of a muchness.

“Fine. Then our first task is to get you upstairs. I trust you won’t need me while you shower.”

That made him think. He didn’t give a fuck if Paul saw him naked, but negotiating an unfamiliar shower was something else. “I’ve not used that shower since…” he began. The words were there on the tip of his tongue.

Since before I went blind.

“No problem. I’ll give you the quick tour, so you know what to do, before I leave you to it.”

When he fell silent, Adam realised it was now or never. He reached over the arm of his chair, feeling for the cane he knew was there. He rose to his feet and limped across the library floor, the only part of this journey he could contemplate calmly.

“I’m at the door.” Paul spoke quietly. “I won’t take your arm unless you want me to. I’ll guide you up the stairs.”

Relief flooded through him. The thought of being dependent on others was anathema to him. He grunted out his thanks and tapped his way across the hall, conscious of Paul at his elbow, giving quiet guidance. His ankle pained him, but no more than he could stand.

“Okay, we’re at the foot of the stairs. Careful after four steps because the staircase turns there.”

“That’s where I fell,” Adam said with a sigh.

“Well, you won’t fall this time.” Paul’s voice rang with confidence. “Use the balustrade, and my arm if you need to.”

Adam reached out and grasped the smooth wood. He paused. “I’m not familiar with the house,” he admitted. “I mean, I used to come here as a child, but that was nearly thirty years ago.” He took a deep breath. “Maybe it was a mistake, moving back here.”

“We can talk about this another time,” Paul told him. “Right now, we’ve got a schedule to keep.”

Adam liked Paul’s practicality. “You’re right.

” Slowly, carefully, Adam climbed the stairs, the carpet thick beneath his bare feet, Paul telling him how many steps were ahead of him.

When he reached the top, he couldn’t contain his smile.

“Where next?” He knew the layout of the rooms, had been familiar with them as a child, but that was a lifetime ago and he’d only been back in the house a few weeks.

It was to Paul’s credit that out of all the previous companions, he’d been the only one to get Adam upstairs.

“Ahead of you are two doors. The bathroom is straight ahead, your bedroom to the right.”

Adam nodded and walked forward until his cane hit the bottom of the door. He pushed it open. “When I arrived here, Caroline said the bathroom had been refurbished before my grandfather died. There used to be a huge bath, I recall.”

“There’s a pedestal bath now,” Paul told him.

“And my advice would be to avoid it. Climbing in and out of that thing? Yeah, so not a good idea. The shower’s big, though.

” He gave Adam a description of the room’s layout, and then guided him to the shower, placing his hands on the controls.

“These are simple to operate. There’s the one lever.

Pull out for water, move left for hot, right for cold.

The only thing to be careful of is the glass screen. ”

Adam reached out to touch it, using both hands to work out the distance between the tiled wall and the glass partition. “Okay, I have this.”

“You want me to get the shower running?”

Adam turned in Paul’s direction. “I can do this.” It was now a matter of pride. When Paul didn’t move, Adam inclined his head. “You’re not going to insist on watching me like a hawk while I shower, are you?”

Paul snorted. “No. I was wondering… I can understand why falling made you wary of climbing the stairs, but how did you get up here before that?”

“I didn’t.” He didn’t want to talk about that. Paul was right, time was not on their side. “Let’s discuss this some other time.” Then he had a thought. “What is there to wash with in here?”

Paul moved away from him. “There’s a tall cabinet in the corner.” A hinge creaked. “There’s all kinds of things in here: soap, shampoo, body wash. Aha!”

Adam couldn’t miss the triumphant note in his voice. He smirked. “Body wash gets you excited, huh?”

Paul let out a chuckle. “I’ve found your shaving equipment, that’s all.” A clatter of sounds. “I’ll leave these out for when you’re done, and I’ll put the body wash and shampoo bottles against the wall of the shower, on the floor.”

“Thank you.” Just because Adam could be a bastard at times didn’t mean he wasn’t a grateful one.

Taking a shower in his own house may not have been much in the grand scheme of things, but it was another step toward his goal—regaining his independence.

And after weeks of washing with hand soap, because that was all he could find in that dratted cloakroom, he was more than ready for a long shower.

Caro saw the hair, the beard. Why didn’t she say anything?

“I could sort out a pair of jeans and a clean shirt while you’re showering,” Paul suggested. “Unless you want to go for a haircut in your sweatpants?”

Yet again, he had a point. Add to that the fact Caroline and her son, Dean, had unpacked his clothing, and Adam was left not knowing where anything was.

Maybe Paul had his uses after all.

“Use the time while I’m in the shower to work out the location of my clothes, will you? I want to know what’s been put where.” And if he wasn’t happy with it, then changes could be made.

“Yes, sir.” Adam didn’t miss Paul’s response. He wondered at the choice of words, and then thought about the brusque manner in which he’d spoken to Paul.

It was in a voice that expected to be obeyed.

It seemed climbing those stairs had been more than getting past his fall. If he could do it once, he could do it again. A small measure of control was suddenly back in his hands, and Adam was anxious for more.

I can do this.