Page 29 of California Dreaming

The sensation was a welcome distraction from the throbbing pain in his leg. He put on a brave face with work and his family, but he did know that a broken tibia wasn’t the same as a hangnail. He had the pain to prove it. Tessa was the only one who saw his discomfort, but she didn’t nag or fuss. She simply handed him pain relief when he needed it.

They’d completed another round of exercises after dinner, and though the exercises were far less strenuous than earlier in the day, he could still feel the ache in his bones.

Immediately understanding how he was feeling without his having to speak, Tessa had changed tack as his muscles tensed. She slowed down the movements, helping him maneuver into stretches that sent a rush of release through his limbs.

It was like she had a sixth sense for his needs. She made his whole body feel good.

It might be true that she hadn’t been quite as relaxed and sociable as he’d hoped, but he couldn’t deny that Tessa Taylor was an excellent caregiver.

And an excellent cook.

And had a smile more beautiful than any he’d ever seen on another woman.

And there he went again.

All he could think about was that smile, those pink lips… and how badly he wanted to brush them with his own. He was insanely attracted to her, and something about the way she often looked flushed in his presence—especially when she was having to touch him during their therapy sessions—made him fairly confident that she felt the same undeniable chemistry.

Even if she was going out of her way to act like she didn’t.

He tried to shift position, but it was useless. He was stuck on his back, leg raised on pillows. It was extremely irritating. Plus, he knew exactly what would make him feel far better: some fantastic sex with the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about. And, of course, he’d make absolutely sure Tessa enjoyed every blissful second.

He allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment and imagine what it would feel like to have her here beside him. Her mouth on his. His hands running over her delectable curves.

His eyes snapped open, and he stared at the ceiling. She was just a flight of stairs away.

He felt like he had to see Tessa. Maybe she was feeling the same frustrated longing he was. She’d given him her cell number for emergencies. But it wasn’t like he could explain over the phone what he truly needed. He cast his eyes around the softly lit room. When his gaze landed on his crutches propped against his bedside table, he knew what to do.

Shifting to the left of the bed, he grabbed their handles and tossed them out of reach. “There,” he said aloud, feeling satisfied that being stranded without his crutches would qualify as an emergency. “Now I’m stuck.”

He reached for his cell. It was midnight. Would she already be asleep? It had been a long day for them both.

But he decided to take his chances and scrolled through his contacts. His heart leaped anew just at the sight of her name. He hit the number and waited, aware of his heart still pounding in his chest the way it had when he was a teenager and had called the home of his first crush, hoping her dad didn’t pick up the phone.

Tessa answered after three rings. “What happened?” she said, not even bothering with a hello.

“I need you,” he replied.

He didn’t have time to explain why. Tessa disconnected, and within seconds, he could hear her feet on the stairs as she raced down to him.

He set his cell on the side table and tried to arrange his features into the most innocent expression he could muster. He probably should have put on a T-shirt before he called—he slept only in his boxers—but it was too late now. Besides, she was used to touching his near-naked body during their workouts.

The door burst open, and there was Tessa, panting in the doorway, a worried expression on her face. But when she saw him sitting up in bed, she frowned. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “What do you need help with?”

Her dark hair flowed down her back, just as he’d seen at his dad’s birthday, the curls still bouncing from her dash downstairs. She was wearing a pair of linen shorts and a loose white tank top. He could just make out the swell of her breasts beneath the fabric, and that alone made him feel like his grasp on his attraction to her was about to slip.

Somehow, he managed to tear his eyes away from her gorgeous figure to give her a sheepish look and then pointed at his crutches, which he realized now weren’t nearly as far from the bed as he’d thought.

“I can’t reach my crutches.” And then, realizing that she was probably going to call him out on that, he changed his tone to sound a little cheeky. “Or maybe I just wanted to see if you would really come downstairs if I called.”

She looked at him, a little incredulous, but then a smile began to play around those luscious lips. Calmly, without rushing, she walked over to his side of the bed, picked up the crutches, and propped them against the table once more. He could tell she was slightly amused, but he could also see that she was irritated too.

“How did your crutches get all the way over there?” she asked, clearly questioning his motives, even though he was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

She was so close now that he could smell the scent of her coconut shampoo. Unable to come up with a believable fib, he decided to admit the truth.

“I tossed them over there, hoping that if you came downstairs, you’d give them to me… and maybe stay a little while.”

At that, Tessa took a step backward. She folded her arms across her chest, and the playful expression instantly disappeared.

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