Page 18 of Haze's Jewel

“I can see you’re the violence doesn’t solve anything camp.” I can tell by his expression that he’s not of the same mind.

“I just think that violence should be a last resort, not the first stop in solving problems.”

He wraps one finger around a strand of red hair that’s escaped from my messy bun. “I get it, sweetness. You want me to butt out and stop white knighting for you.”

“I’d rather have a friend than a white knight,” I admit, hoping that he understands. “You’re more than just someone to fight my battles.” Glancing away, I admit, “I’m really starting to care about you as more than just a friend.

I smile when he asks, “Instead of just a friend, how about a friend with benefits?”

I can’t keep the smile off my face that he waited until I brought it up again before offering. It’s a generous offer and I realize in an instant that I would absolutely love the opportunity to be with a guy who puts my needs first for once.

I turn around to face him, I know that Haze is an entirely different kind of beast. Apparently, he’s the kind that loves getting women off. The idea of being friends with benefits is nice, the idea of having something more with him is even nicer.

“I’ll think about it. I really like you, but it feels like we’re jumping the gun a bit here.”

He grins at my turn of phrase. “Just so you know, we’ve already established a bond. You trusted me enough to let me pull you out of your overturned jeep and get you to the hospital. We’ve spent quite a bit of time together over the last few weeks getting to know one another. You even let me treat you like my queen for a day. Whether or not you realize it, we’ve been circling each other with interest ever since you got out of rehab.”

He's not wrong about that. I do feel a connection with him, a bond of trust if you will. I shift under his calm gaze as I try to find the words to tell him that I’m interested in what he’s offering.

As I’m about to respond, the doorbell rings. I slide off his lap and begin clearing off the coffee table. This is a cozy space, and I don’t want to leave it.

Chapter 8

Haze

After grabbing our dinner from the delivery person, I come back into my apartment to find Anna has cleared off a space for us to eat. I leave the pizza and rummage through my tiny kitchen to get cold drinks, plates, and napkins. While I’m all about eating healthy, sometimes you just can’t beat a pizza, and the Emporium does one of the best I’ve ever had—and given my Italian heritage I like to think I’m a good judge. When we’re settled down with a warm slice in our hands, things get quiet for a few minutes. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I took the first bite.

It's a pleasure to see Anna scarfing down her food as well. Since she lost weight during her recovery, I vow to myself to plump her back up. Since I have no idea what she likes in the realm of food, I ask, “Besides pizza, what other foods do you like? If we can compare notes, it’ll make shopping for groceries a lot easier.”

“Yeah, making two separate meals is too much time and trouble.” Taking another bite of her pizza, she thinks it over. “I’m not a big fan of fried foods. I’d take a steak and baked potato over burger and fries. I try to have at least one salad a day, both because I like them and because I know the human body needs leafy green vegetables.

I tap my chest with one hand. “Same here. I work out almost every day and am usually careful about what I put in my body, but you gotta treat yourself from time to time.”

We continue talking about food and I tell her about how we run our business. I like that the conversation flows smoothly between us. It’s funny, normally with women, all I’m thinking about is getting them into bed. I mean, with Anna I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t crossing my mind too, but also, I just really enjoyed talking to her. Finding out what she likes and dislikes, what her dreams are, and what makes her happy. Really getting to know her, rather than just wanting to get between her legs.

***

An hour flies by in no time, and I clean up our leftovers. When I come back, Anna is standing at the doorway to the bathroom holding the waterproof sleeve they gave her to protect her cast from water damage. Her face is bright red and she’s looking really awkward. I walk over to her, wondering why she looks so uncomfortable. She has to know that I’ll help her put the sleeve on.

I’ve been fighting my cock getting hard all evening but that’s nothing new when I’m around Anna. The closer I get to her, the harder I get. Now, I know my dick is not getting any action tonight but it’s not trying to hear that shit, especially with Anna standing in the doorway looking so sweet and vulnerable.

Gesturing to the sleeve, I ask “What’s up. Do you need help putting it on?”

She glances away. “I might need more help than just that.”

“Huh?” I ask, because I’m not sure what she’s getting at.

“When I was in the rehab facility, I had help showering, I thought I could manage seeing as I can dress myself, but…”

“You haven’t managed to take a shower here?” I ask. This is a safety issue, I tell myself. Unfortunately, my dick doesn’t get the message. Reaching down as inconspicuously as possible, I quickly reposition my cock so it’s not so noticeable that I’m getting hard at the thought of being in the shower with her.

She shakes her head, “I was doing the best I could with wet wipes and filling up the sink. I didn’t want to ask because it’s so embarrassing.”

“Whatever you need, I’m there for it,” I respond lightly. I’m a fucking adult for God’s sake, I’ll tie my damn cock down if that’s what it takes. I don’t want to embarrass her with a raging hard-on when all she wants is to get clean.

“Thanks. I appreciate it,” she mumbles, her voice sounding strangely hoarse.

When we go inside the bathroom, I start the shower because I want it to be warm for her when she gets in. I turn to see her looking everywhere except at me. The more I look at her, the more I notice there is something else going on besides her being shy and a little embarrassed. Something about her expression tells me she’s aroused too.

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