Page 69 of Ice
“Did she give you any trouble?”
He laughed. “She tried, but I put her in her place. Wouldn’t be surprised if Reacher gets a call though. Oh, and some bird called Cammy was asking after Lissa. She seemed nice enough though.”Cammy. I’d seen a text come up from her on Lissa’s phone. Thank god it was a woman.
“I’ll let her know.”
“She okay?”
It shouldn’t bother me that he cared, right? I swallowed down the surge of jealousy, before I fucked up this brief accord we had going on.
“Yeah man, she’s good. Well, she was upset, but she’s gonna be fine. Uh… we’ll probably come back at some point. I already told Reacher.”
He snorted. “I bet that was a fun conversation. You gonna need me and the van?”
I wasn’t used to feeling grateful to him, but yeah, there it was.
“Thanks man. Okay if we text when we’re ready?”
“Yeah. Say hi to Lissa for me.”
“Whatever.”I went to look for her in the kitchen after that call, because I felt strangely fucking possessive after talking to him. He was a little too invested in my relationship with my old lady and it bothered me, even as I knew I needed him, and that he’d really been there for her while I couldn’t.
“Whatcha making?” I leaned over Lissa’s shoulder as she fussed with something. She jumped out of her skin, and elbowed me in the stomach, which wasn’t exactly the welcome I’d hoped for.
“Jesus, woman.” I rubbed at my stomach, while she raised her eyebrows at me.
“You can’t just sneak up on a person like that! I’m used to being alone, remember?”
“You forgot I was just in there? Already? Might wanna get that looked at.”
She was giggling as she plated up two breakfast sandwiches. She’d fried up bacon and eggs, and hell… mushrooms too? All in a toasted sandwich. Fucking awesome.
“If I wasn’t already in love with you, this sandwich would be all it’d take.”
I took a huge bite, and groaned as flavours burst in my mouth. God yes, and then God no. My stomach roiled and surged, as I forced myself to swallow. I set the sandwich back down, and groaned, my hand covering my stomach.
“Jesus.”
“You okay?”
“This isn’t a reflection on your cooking, babe, it really fucking isn’t. I just don’t think I can eat that, not right now.”
“Nausea is a common symptom of-”
“I know.”I didn’t mean to snap, but I was pissed as hell. I wanted that fucking food, and I knew I needed it.
“It’s my fault. I should have made something simpler. Something less fatty. Let me get you-”
“Enjoy your food, babe. I’m just gonna sit for a minute.” It took a few minutes, but my stomach seemed to settle, so I took another tentative bite, and then another, and suddenly I was all fine again. And happy as fuck that I didn’t have to waste the foodshe’d cooked for me. She fucking cooked for me. Like I was her man. Like I am. I fucking am.
But this was something I’d never had with a woman, because I used to just shag around, and then when I got, yeah ‘addicted’, I didn’t even want to, most of the time, if my dick even showed any interest.
Apart from Jessica at the clinic, back when I was getting those rape drugs for Ryder, yeah… I hadn’t been with anyone in longer than I’d ever admit. She’d been fun, and the sex was, yeah, good, but nothing like it was with us. It was like no other woman fucking existed now. Not for me.
Lissa
Hewasfineformaybe an hour, and then he cursed and disappeared up to the bathroom. I felt so guilty. Why didn’t I prepare something gentler on his stomach? I knew he was suffering withdrawal symptoms. I felt like such an idiot.
“Maybe we should try and get to see a doctor,” I suggested when he returned, looking a little pale.
