Page 2 of Wild Tides
Lee shook his head, the quick negative sending his dark hair tumbling across his eyes. “I need my office to write.” He scrubbed his fingers across his temples, dragging his hair back into place. “I’m going to have to figure it out at my house.”
I almost argued. Lee was stubborn enough to make it work at home, but at what cost? His house was modern and gorgeous, perched on Harrison with views of the bay and Brown Island in the distance. But three stories of living space didn’t exactly equal an ideal location to recover from an ankle injury.
“If you break your neck on the stairs after I offered to help, I’m not coming to your funeral.”
He rolled his eyes as if I was being overdramatic instead of concerned. “Vi, I’ll be fine. My office couch is a pullout. There’s a bathroom on the main floor. I can manage.”
I arched a brow. “What about food? The kitchen, bedroom, and full bathroom are all upstairs.”
“Who needs to eat?”
“Why do you say things to hurt me like that?” I scolded. If food was love, then I was polyamorous to the core. I baked for work, cooked for our friends, and loved experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my creations. “You won’t heal right if you don’t have good nutrition. You need real food.”
I held up a hand to forestall the inevitable argument. “Those stupid protein bars don’t count.”
Lee’s expression turned mulish. “I don’t need a nurse. Dr. Underwood offered me a referral to a home health aide, but I’ll get along fine on my own. I don’t want anyone underfoot.”
“I’m not talking about hiring a stranger. I’m talking aboutme.”
The idea popped out before it was fully formed, but the more I mulled it over, the more I liked it. Lee could wallow in his office and suffer through the pullout couch. I could take over his bedroom upstairs and make sure he ate right without tripping and breaking his fool neck.
“I’m unaccustomed to sharing my space.”
“Well, I’m not used to living alone. Anya was my fifth roommate in five years to hook up and move out.” Watching him steadily, I played my ace. “I don’t really feel safe on my own aftereverything that happened with Anya’s ex and Rae this summer, but I haven’t found a new roommate yet.”
That got his attention.Three…two…one. “You should stay with me.”
I rolled my lips between my teeth to hide my smile. It wouldn’t do for him to see me gloat. Lee couldn’t stop himself from helping someone in need. It was what made him such a good volunteer for the local search and rescue team. And such an easy mark for me.
Lee erected a shield between him and the world that seemed impenetrable. He was the inscrutable author, hiding out in his office, scribbling away on his latest bestseller. Only those who’d known him since childhood recognized the heart of gold beneath his crusty exterior. He did his best to hide it, but I’d seen proof with my own eyes.
“It’s settled,” I said grandly. “I’ll drop you off at home, then go to my place to pack a few necessities.”
“Wonderful.” His dry tone didn’t exactly shout excitement.
I grinned, fluttering my lashes. “You’ll hardly know I’m there.”
“I doubt that,” he muttered.
Chapter 2 – Lee
Violet settled me on the couch in my office with my laptop and an ice pack before leaving to get her things. My ankle ached, but that was nothing compared to the discomfort of having her in my space. Touching me.
I shifted, settling the ice pack more firmly inside my boot. Where I really needed it was my lap, but Vi would have questions if she came back and spotted me cooling my dick.
She had no idea what she did to me. It was awkward. And a habit I was trying to break. She treated me like furniture half the time. Like another one of her brothers – which made my reaction to her border on creepy.
Meeting the half-my-age-and-seven rule a few years ago wouldn’t matter to Drew and Zach. Violet was their baby sister at any age. But I’d stopped picturing her in pigtails years ago.
At nearly thirty, she’d gained the maturity of adulthood. It tempered her naturally bubbly personality just enough that I didn’t feel like I was crushing a butterfly when my Oscar the Grouch side came out.
Some days, just her broad smile was enough to bring me out of a funk. She didn’t have the Fenwick dimples, but the way pleasure bloomed across her lips, rounding her cheeks and deepening the creases around her chocolate brown eyes still melted something inside me. Pair that with her soft dark hair and curvy body, and it was no wonder I was in danger of destroying my longest friendships for her.
Mostly, we hung out at her place with her brothers. It made it easy to remember she was off-limits. Violet’s tiny house perched at the top of Nichols Street had become the social hub for our friend group. She was a natural hostess, easily cooking up feasts with her roommate of the moment. Charming like a fairytale princess and just as unobtainable.
I was a natural hermit. And apparently, a fucking cliché. Captivated by my friend’s little sister, even though we couldn’t be more different.
I scowled down at my laptop. Focusing on the words on the screen was nearly impossible between the throbbing in my leg and the throbbing in … other places. Violet Fenwick was going to be sleeping in my bed. Eating in my kitchen. Taking care of me. It was a dream come true and my worst nightmare.
