~CHAPTER SEVENTEEN-PART TWO~

"Knock, knock." Mark said as he stood outside the bedroom door.

"Come in............I guess." Meranda said, softly.

Mark walked in and saw her holding the blanket up to her chin demurly, and he smileda t her. "Now, you're not getting shy on me all of a sudden are you?" He asked.

"No. But, I'm not willing to let you see me in my birthday suit just yet." Meranda said.

Mark walked into the bathroom and filled the large bowel he had brought with him from the kitchen with warm water, and then grabbed the sponge of the ledge in the shower stall. He walked over, sat the items down on the nightstand, and then sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Well, you ready?" He asked.

Meranda shook her head.

"Look, you don't have anything that I haven't seen before, so don't worry about it." Mark said.

"No. I'm REALLY not ready. I can't........I can't get my shorts off." Meranda said.

Mark fought with the urge to say "I told you so" and won. "Alright. Let's see what we can do about that." He said.

Meranda uncovered her casted legs as much as she dared without revealing everything and let Mark manuvere her shorts and underwear off of her legs. When he was finished, she hurridly covered herself back up.

"Come on, Meranda. I can't do this through the blanket." Mark said.

Meranda bit her bottom lip and slowly pulled the blanket down and pooled it in her lap.

"Thank you." Mark said, and began giving her the bath. Meranda closed her eyes as she felt the warm water caressing her shoulders and the back of her neck. She sighed as Mark's hand brushed her ears. He sat her foreward and ran the sponge along the curve of her spine and her tailbone.

Mark felt his breath catch in his throat as he sat her back against the headboard and started washing her chest. He soaked the sponge again, and ran it throught the valley between her breasts and over her navel. He washed her right side gingerly, knowing that her rips were still healing, and then moved to the left side.

Meranda's mind was awake with sensation. Her heart was beating so hard and fast, she was sure Mark could hear it. Her whole body tingled where he had touched her with the sponge, and she was starkly aware that she was quickly losing control over her resolve to not let her feelings for him get the better of her. The nagging voice in her head had finally been silenced, and all she could hear now was her heart telling her to just give in and let go.

As Mark ran the sponge over her stomach, his hand grazed her pubic bone, and Meranda gasped loudly. Mark looked up at her saw that her face was flushed and her eyes were sqoze shut.

"Meranda?" He asked.

Meranda opened her eyes and looked at him. "Yeah?" She said.

"You okay? I'm not hurting you am I?" Mark asked.

"No. I'm fine." Meranda said, and smiled.

"Well, you wanna move the blanket a little bit more so I can do your legs?" Mark asked.

Meranda laid her head against the headboard, closed her eyes, and pulled the blanket off her lap. She held her breath waiting for him to touch her again.

It was getting harder and harder for Mark to be gentleman, let alone for him to breathe. The more he touched her, the more he wanted her. He scanned her slim body, gazing at the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and following the rounded curves of her breasts and hips with his eyes. He took a deep breath, and gently started to wash the parts of her legs that weren't casted.

Meranda knew she sighed loudly, but she couldn't help herself. The feeling of Mark's hands on her legs was just too intense. She gripped the comforter tightly in her hands and concentrated on not having the orgasm that was threatening to explode from her. She started naming the capiotls of the states to herself, trying to regain some sense of control over her body. It wasn't working very well.

Mark stopped washing her legs and looked up at her. Meranda opened her eyes, and looked into his. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just...........well, I figured you might want to do the rest of this yourself. I mean, we know each other, but not this well." Mark said, and then added to himself, "At least..........not yet."

Meranda was surprised to feel a twinge of disapointment at his consideration for her. "Yes. Thanks." She said.

"I'll just go out into the hall and you call me when you're done." Mark said, and left the room.

Meranda took the sponge into her shaking hands, and began to wash the area in question, knowing that if she lingered there too long she was going to have a serious problem. Her body was so tense, like a spring just waiting to uncoil. She knew that what she needed to release that tension was right outside her bedroom door, but she still couldn't let herself accept that fact.

She finished washing herself, and put the sponge back in the bowel. "I'm done." She said.

Mark walked back into the room and went straight to the bathroom to get her a towel. He came back to the bed with it and handed it to her, trying his damnedest to not look at her wet, naked body.

"Thanks." Meranda said, wrapping the towel tightly around her body.

Mark nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. "You're welcome. So, do you want some dinner? I was thinking we could order in chinease or pizza. Whichever you want." He said.

"Pizza sounds really good right now. With extra cheese." Meranda said, and smiled.

"Pizza it is then. Okay. Let's get some clothes on you before you catch your death." Mark said, and moved to get off the bed, but Meranda's hand on his leg stopped him. He looked down at her hand and then met her eyes.

"Wait, Mark. Please." Meranda whispered, her eyes smoldering. She leaned forward, letting the towel drop from her body, and she kissed him tenderly. "I don't want to get dressed yet."

Mark shook his head, wrapped his arms around her, and returned her kiss with more passion.

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