Nonverbal - Aria Grace Page 0,9

didn’t acknowledge the progress so I kept it light and focused on the silent task he’d given me. And I hoped like hell he couldn’t hear the thunderous sound of my heart beating in my ears every time his arm brushed against mine or he gently placed a brick in my hand.

There was more going on inside his head than he let on. That was both reassuring and terrifying at the same time.

Deep into my second week, the weather got warmer and the family pool, which nobody ever used, was looking more and more inviting. The Brenners said I had full access to the property, so after finishing up with Liam on Tuesday morning, I changed into a pair of trunks then went for a swim. The long pool was perfect for easy laps, and the sun on my back felt amazing. I swam competitively through high school but hadn’t spent much time in a pool since graduation.

Being back in the water was comforting to me in a way that I hadn’t remembered until then. I could have stayed out there for hours, but my arms were burning from exertion. It would take a few days of heavy swimming before I got back into shape.

When I finally pulled myself out of the pool, Liam was standing under the shade of a tree, just watching me. “Hi, Liam. Do you want to swim with me?”

He took a step back, as if that were the last thing he wanted. Considering his accident, that made sense.

“Don’t like swimming?” I rested my hands on my wet hips. “That’s okay. But if you change your mind, you’re always welcome to join me.”

His gaze stayed locked on me. But not on my face, like usual. This time, he was staring at my crotch.

I regretted wearing white board shorts because I knew from past experience that when they were wet, they were practically transparent. I usually left my underwear on beneath them when I went to the beach, but I didn’t expect to run into anyone in the backyard. “Well, I better go get changed. I’ll see you in a little while.”

His eyes moved up to my face for just a moment before they trailed back down my wet body.

Feeling self-conscious, I grabbed the towel that was waiting for me on a lounge chair and wrapped it around my waist. “See ya.” With a glance over my shoulder, I waved at Liam.

As soon as I was hidden inside my private apartment, I stripped out of my shorts and went straight to the shower. The hot water felt good on my chilled skin as I washed away the chlorine.

My mind wandered to the sexy guy who had been practically drooling over the outline of my cock and I knew I couldn’t resist any longer. It started to fill with blood and anticipation before I could scold myself for thinking of Liam in that way. If I were a stronger man, I wouldn’t have wrapped my sudsy fingers around my dick and started to stroke. I wouldn’t have imagined he wanted me in the same way I wanted him. I wouldn’t have pictured his curious blue eyes staring into mine as I vigorously worked my cock to the point of exploding a thick stream of come onto the tiled wall.

It was inappropriate to think of Liam in a sexual way, and jerking off to thoughts of him in the shower was definitely wrong. I knew that. I wanted to be the responsible caretaker I was hired to be. But Liam was a grown man who obviously had some interest in me. From the moment he met me, his attention held a charge that was almost palpable.

As we spent more time together, he was becoming bolder and physically closer to me.

I just wished I knew how much of that interest he could comprehend.

I didn’t believe he was as childlike as his parents initially suggested. He was quiet, yes, but he wasn’t a child. When it was just the two of us, I often felt like he was on the verge of opening his mouth and starting a full conversation with me. It might never happen, but his situation was becoming less clear with each passing moment.

I was starting to question if they had brought me into his life for just this reason.

My mind was on overload as my body began to relax, so I rinsed off and got out of the shower. It didn’t seem likely his parents even knew