Page 25 of Necessary Roughness

The slightest bloom of happiness unfurled inside her. She didn’t need a man’s approval to get through a day, but it was a nice feeling nevertheless.

“There’s that smile,” he said to her.

She saw the flash of his whitened smile in response.

***

HE’D LOST HIS fucking mind. One small compliment and DP lit up like Christmas morning. She still bugged the crap out of him—no mistake there—but damn, she was beautiful when she smiled. Her eyes twinkled. The little dimple in her chin made an appearance. She even got that flush of happiness on her cheekbones too. There wasn’t a man alive who could resist that kind of shit, and what was he going to do now?

He’d told DP that he wanted her to live in the guest room for a couple of months because he could get more physical therapy if she was on premises, but he had to admit that the fact that Sadie stuck close to her already reassured him he’d made the right decision. His dog was a better judge of people than he was, and it seemed she approved of his new houseguest. Oddly enough, Sadie refused to go anywhere near Nurse Barb after he introduced them. It wasn’t a good sign.

Nurse Barb was going to be “assisting” him in the shower five days a week, which made his balls shrivel at the thought. There was something off about her. He wasn’t sure what DP could do to save him from the big bad agency nurse, but at least there was a witness. Out of all the crap he’d endured since he’d had to be carried onto the team plane to go home that cold Sunday afternoon eight months ago, this was the most embarrassing. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had to have “supervision” in the shower when he was in the hospital post-surgery and the rehab facility he spent three weeks in before he busted out. He did. The nurses in question were professional and pleasant. He didn’t mind so much because they didn’t make him feel like he was a burden, or it was ruining their day that he’d like fifteen minutes to rinse off, wash his hair, and get into some clean clothes. He had no problem telling people that were pissing him off to go fuck themselves, but he felt vulnerable. He didn’t like the feeling. Even worse, he felt helpless.

It occurred to him that he was acting just like Barb was to every person in his life, but he didn’t want to sit and analyze why he was cranky to everyone right now. He might have to change if he did that. Plus, he hated to admit it, but he wanted a little consideration and compassion. He didn’t know how to ask for it without coming off as desperate, but he needed it.

If it came to a choice between the sometimes annoying but pleasant DP and someone who should consider a career in which she didn’t have to work with actual people, he knew whom he’d pick.

DP had cooked dinner for them, they’d conversed like adults, he’d given her a compliment, and now she was asleep in his guest room downstairs. He grabbed his crutches and headed toward his now-bedroom.

***

JORDAN AWOKE THE next morning in a sumptuous four-poster bed that felt like she was floating on puffy clouds. The room was flooded in shortly-after-dawn sunshine. The pale sheers covering the window fluttered in the warm breeze blowing off the lakefront. She felt a warm, heavy body next to her on the bed. Tanner’s dog, Sadie, let out a snort, opened one eye, and went back to sleep seconds later.

She’d always thought that dogs would want to sleep with their owners. Maybe Sadie liked the guest room instead.

She shoved herself into a sitting position and looked around. She hadn’t been dreaming. The room was as beautiful and comfortable as it had been last night. She’d woken a bit earlier than usual, so she had a few minutes to enjoy her surroundings.

She stood up, crossed to the window, and stared out at the lake. If she got ready for work and Tanner was awake, they could spend some time in his gym before she had to leave. As her grandma would have said, speak of the devil.

Meet me in the gym.

Yes, she texted back and headed toward the guest room shower. Sadie jumped off the bed, headed toward the toilet, and started slurping water.

***

TANNER LOWERED HIMSELF into the plush chair in one corner of his room shortly after dawn the first morning he was home from the rehab place. He’d managed to handle most of the morning stuff on his own. He’d have to wait to take a shower until Barb was on duty, but he’d made progress since last week. He’d be happier when he healed up enough that he didn’t need two live-in babysitters.

DP must have still been asleep. He was betting that Sadie was sleeping in her room too.

He was pretty sure that when Jordan awoke, teeny animated bluebirds would fly around the four-poster bed and sing especially for her. It was the damnedest thing: she could get under his skin sometimes, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t think she was hot. He was running through everything he could think of to make things below his waist settle down whenever she was in the vicinity: Multiplication tables. The last visit he’d had with his great-aunts. That cooking show with the woman who had the ridiculous French accent his ex-girlfriend liked to watch DVDs of.

Just the thought of his ex-girlfriend made everything below his waist deflate. She was still sending him texts. He kept deleting them unread. He’d told her a hundred times that they were over and he had no interest in seeing her again. He wasn’t sure what it was going to take to make her knock it off.

If he was super-careful, maybe he could shower before Nurse Barb was on duty for the day. If he maintained his balance, he could get his underwear and most of his clothes on without assistance too. The makeshift big-garbage-bag waterproofing he’d used before had been replaced with a waterproof sleeve he secured with Velcro. He dried himself off, wrapped the towel around his waist, and hobbled over to the padded bench that ran the length of the small room the master toilet was in.

Barb walked into the bathroom.

“I wasn’t aware you were taking your shower so soon. It’s not safe for you to be in here by yourself,” she said.

“I thought I’d get in and out so I could get a start on the day.” He didn’t meet her eyes.

“Sorry I missed it,” she said. The hair rose on the back of his neck at her voice, low and sultry. She strolled over to him. She was a bit too close, and he tried to move away. She reached out to grab his wrist.

“I need to get going,” he said.

“Let’s get back in the shower,” she said. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

He pulled away from her and grabbed the bathroom counter for balance. “No thanks,” he said.

---