Page 63 of Catching Sparks

Our fingers are still intertwined, her cheek so close to my lips that if I pressed forward an inch, I’d taste her blush. I want her to look at me, to back up enough I have the chance to taste her lips as well, but it’s like she’s stalling, half in the car, leaning over my torso.

“You don’t have to do that, Poppy. I can take care of myself.”

Her hand falls to my thigh, the hold steadying her when she pulls back. Sharp brown eyes meet mine, a frustrated shine in them that strokes something inside of me. Something that aches to feel the full burn of her flames.

One touch from her and I’m growing hard in my jeans, the sickness that’s feeding off me seeming to momentarily fade, replaced by savage hunger. It’s been too long without being inside of her, feeling her shake in my arms, beneath my tongue. The space I put between us has only ramped up those cravings, made them painful to ignore.

I don’t notice that I’ve dropped my stare to her mouth until she rolls her lips, the corner of them twitching.

“You’re the only man I’ve ever met who gets horny when I’m upset with him,” she says.

Blinking, I drag my eyes back to hers. I clasp my fingers around the hand she has on my thigh and leave it there. It’s so much smaller than mine but just as strong. Maybe even stronger.

“You’ve only known boring men, then.”

“I’m not so sure they’d be happy to hear that.”

“I don’t care,” I deadpan.

A small smile breaks free, and I swallow at the beauty of it as she slips her hand out from beneath mine and leans out of the car.

“I think we both know that you do.” She doesn’t have to explain the double meaning in her words. I couldn’t miss it, even with my mind half functioning.

I care more than I have in a long, long fucking time.

23

POPPY

Garrison’s sleeping in my bed.

Garrison Beckett is sleeping in my bed for the first time, and he isn’t naked. Not completely, anyway. As I stand at the edge of the mattress, my knees pressing into the memory foam, I stare at the strands of matted, dark brown hair peeking out from the edge of the comforter, something aching behind my ribs.

It took far too much convincing to get him to allow me to tuck him in and lay the cold cloth on his forehead once we got here. He fought me tooth and nail from the moment I helped him out of my car and into the bedroom, stating he could handle himself. I don’t doubt that he can. I’m sure he’s done it every day for a long time now. But it still makes me upset to think he doesn’t know how to take help from anyone in a circumstance where he shouldn’t have to do things on his own.

The only time I’ve never had someone around to check on me while I was sick was when I was on vacation alone. Every other time, I’ve been cared for, looked after. Whether it was my parents, Darren, or Bryce, I’ve never been alone at home while I was feeling the way Garrison is right now. I know how blessed I am for that, in this moment more than ever.

My next exhale is heavy. The man in my bed groans painfully in his sleep, pushing me into motion. I leave him to get a collection of sick meds from the bathroom, rushing to keep from staying away too long just in case he needs me.

By the time I have everything I need, my arms are full. Pill bottles and cough syrups fill the space between my forearms and chest as I bundle everything together and head back to the bedroom. Garrison hasn’t moved an inch, still frozen beneath the comforter.

I drop everything on the empty side of the bed and sort through it. Once his morning meds are separated from the nighttime ones and I have small plastic cups ready for various cough syrups if he needs something stronger, I go hunting for cold liquids. I take two water bottles and a Gatorade that I think Darren left a couple of weeks back from the fridge and then set them on the nightstand.

God, I’m fussing right now. Garrison being asleep and not watching me is a blessing. He’d have something to say about all my caring, that’s for sure. Asshole.

Pushing a hand over my hair, I heave a breath. It so goes against the friends-with-benefits rules to have brought him here. The only time I should be playing nurse is when I’m wearing a sexy little costume that he’s planning on tearing right off.

I check my phone before waking him up to feed him medicine and find a series of texts from both Bryce and Anna. The time at the top of my screen has me cursing.

Ice Ice Baby: On your way? I ordered your usual.

Ice Ice Baby: Are you still getting ready?

Ice Ice Baby: I thought we talked about you leaving BEFORE your supposed to be somewhere.

Anna Banana: Brycy is icy right now. Where are you?

Ice Ice Baby: If you answer Anna and not me, I’ll bring this croissant to your place (btw it’s your fav kind) and eat it in front of you.

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