Page 81 of Beach Cottage Kisses
She picked up on the first ring. “If you’re calling to cancel on me, forget it.” Nohello. Just that.
Which, oddly, made Scott smile. “I’m calling to let you know I’m almost at your front door. I come armed with all injury care paraphernalia.”
He heard her front door open. Saw the ended call on his screen. And smiled again.
They might be facing some struggles, but they were there for each other.
As a bottom line, he’d take it.
* * *
Scott had been in her house a total of three times. When she’d had new furniture delivered, to fix an electrical outlet in her office and exactly two weeks before, when he’d come in to have dinner with her while waiting on the realtor at Sage’s old place.
She didn’t have time to realize it wouldn’t be a good idea to have him in her space. When she’d seen his name come up on her screen, she’d been afraid he’d been calling to tell her not to come, that he’d had Dale come over to wrap him. Or that he’d decided to forgo the wrap altogether. He wasn’t wearing it at night. And only for a few hours in the morning and before bed.
While she’d been in his home, arguing with him had been feasible. But now that she was home, her leverage was gone.
Relief flooded her when she heard he was there, and she almost tripped over Angel on the way to the front door.
“You shouldn’t have walked all this way,” she told him, to keep from saying what was on the tip of her tongue—that she was glad to see him. That he looked fabulous.
That it seemed like they’d been apart for more than just a few hours.
When her hand darted out instinctively to help him over the threshold, she grabbed the edge of the door instead, taking a deep breath. Reminding herself that the intensity of emotion wasn’t to be trusted. To let it settle.
“I needed to get out and the beach didn’t seem like a good option.”
The normal tone, the casual glance he gave her, settled Iris. Taking the bag of supplies he handed her, she motioned him toward the couch, waited while he leveraged his leg out in front of him with one of her throw pillows and then sat down behind him.
They had the routine down pat. He lifted his shirt. Sat perfectly straight. And she wrapped. Being careful not to let her fingers graze his warm skin any more than absolutely necessary.
To think of other things when it had to happen. Chatting about the food portfolio she was working on. She’d sent out a couple of examples to some well-known cooking outlets that afternoon. Print, as well as social media.
He asked to see them, and before she took a look at the back of his knee, she went to get her computer, handed it to him as he turned, propped up on his side, giving her the access she needed to the disfigured wound he’d reopened three days before. With the laptop pushed up to the back of the couch, he scrolled.
The incision was still swollen, but not alarmingly. It wasn’t hot or overly red. She worked as quickly as she could, while every part of her was aware of every single part of Scott.
She didn’t want to be. Wasn’t happy about it. But couldn’t seem to get herself out of the space. She wanted him. Right then. Right there.
The man was injured. Not in any state to engage in extracurricular physical activity.
Except that, as she leaned over to slide her hand under the front of Scott’s left knee to brace it, she saw just how capable parts of him were.
With her body thrumming she finished her task.
And made up her mind, too.
“We have to deal with this, Scott. It’s going to destroy us if we don’t.” Pretending didn’t work. Not for a lifetime.
When he lay still, saying nothing, she continued with words that had been building, and could no longer be held back. From herself, or him.
“I don’t like the dishonesty between us. And when Sage and Gray get back, they’re bound to notice it eventually, too.And you know Sage, she won’t let it just lie there. She’ll ask questions and…”
He moved so swiftly, her heart gave a jump. He’d turned and had his arms around her waist, pulling her down to him, before she’d taken a breath.
His head rose, to meet her lips, and she accommodated the search, lowering her mouth to his with a hunger that shocked her.
Her entire body was on fire. She felt tears rising with the sheer enormity of her need to be closer to him. To take him into her and put them both out of their misery.
