Page 81 of Affinity

“That’s not going to happen.” He chuckled against the shell of my ear.

Still, his words didn’t relieve me. I concentrated on my hand in his and thought about how my leg wouldn’t be a barrier between us once I stepped down from the table. Heat flashed through my body at the thought of what would happen once the lights went out tonight. Hell, maybe it would be in the pool. It felt like forever since I got to dive in and feel the warm water cocoon me. I wondered if there was any way I could convince Paul to stay the night elsewhere and give Jenner and me a little alone time.

Jenner’s free hand went to the nape of my neck. “Why are you blushing?”

“I’m not. I’m just hot,” I said out of the side of my mouth.

“Liar.” He chuckled low in his throat.

“Am not,” I shot back.

“Whatever you say.”

“Alright, Mrs. Jenner, it’s safe to look now.”

The second I heard the drill turn off, I opened my eyes to find my cast cut down the middle. My leg hair was long and disgusting, as was the pallor of my skin.

“I’m going to spray your leg down and clean the area, although you’ll probably want to take a nice shower or bath when you get home. Once I’m done, you’ll be free to go.” He already had the bottle poised to spray my leg. He squeezed the handle, and a cold mist fell upon my leg, making me jump. “Sorry, I should have warned you it can be cold.”

Can be? There was no way it wouldn’t be cold.

Jenner moved his hand from my neck to my shoulder and back up again, calming me instantly. I focused on the feel of his hand and the warmth that seeped into my body.

“You should have a full recovery as long as you do exactly what your physical therapist says.” The doctor’s voice broke through my haze.

“Yeah, I promise I’ll do my very best, and these two won’t let me do any less.” I smiled at the two men in my life.

Swinging my legs off the table, I hopped down. The feel of the floor underneath my bare foot felt like a dream. I wiggled my toes against the cold floor before I moved over to my purse and pulled out my flip-flop that matched the one on my other foot. The feel of it between my toes felt strange, but at the same time comforting.

“Are you ready?” Paul stood from his seat, a small grin tugging his lips.

Linking my arm with his, I would have skipped out of the room if he hadn’t been holding me back. “More than ready. Let’s hit the store, and then I want to go for a hike before Alex and Mason come over.”

“Maybe you should take it a down a notch. Don’t do too much too soon. Let’s see how you feel after the store.” Paul grinned down at me.

Slipping an arm around my waist, Jenner leaned down as we walked. “Do you want me to come with you?”

If Jenner came, we’d be swarmed by cameras and people, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that after being cooped up in the house for two months.

We stopped in front of the car Paul had driven here. I leaned against the passenger door while Paul got inside and waited. Jenner rested a hip against the car and kept my hand in his while he played with my fingers.

“That’s okay. We’re just picking up some food to grill tonight. Is there anything special you want?” I looked up, hoping he wasn’t disappointed that I didn’t want him to go with us.

“Whatever you get will be fine. You know I’ll eat anything.” Dipping low, he growled in my ear. “Tonight, I’m going to wash you from head to toe, and then I’m going to get you all dirty again, only to clean you up. We’re going to repeat that until you pass out.” I felt faint at his words and couldn’t wait until later tonight. “You don’t have to say anything. The way your eyes dilated and your breathing picked up just now told me everything I need to know.”

The window rolled down, and Paul yelled out, “Come on, let’s go. You two can talk all you want back at the house.”

“When is he leaving?”

Blowing out a breath, I shook my head. “I don’t know. Whenever he thinks I’m safe.”

“So never.” He groaned before he pressed his lips to mine. “I’ll see you back at home.”

Opening the car door, I slipped inside. “It’s about fucking time. You act like you’re not going to see him the moment you set foot in your house.”

“Maybe you’d understand if you had a girlfriend.”

His jaw ticked as he gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “I don’t have time for a girlfriend. I’m never even home.”

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