by Mj Fields
���Good morning,��� Collin was trying not to smile.
���Yeah, you too,��� Tessa mumbled as she stood refusing his hand.
Leia took this opportunity to take off for the water; Tessa turned to sprint after her and stumbled as she felt the pain shoot up her ankle. He grabbed her before she fell and pulled her into him. What was that, she thought as she quickly pulled away from him, she had felt a shock move through the arm he grabbed.
���You okay?��� he smiled as he released her.
���Yes thanks,��� she couldn’t believe it, it was so embarrassing to have just fallen twice in front of this man.
Quickly she realized that Leia was missing. Tessa looked all around and then watched as Leia was running and splashing in the Atlantic Ocean. A sheer look of panic struck as she watched her dog swimming farther and farther into the water. Leia had never been in the water that deep, she started to run, but the pain in her ankle was so sharp that she fell again. Collin followed her eyes to the direction that was causing her alarm. He saw the dog was getting deeper into the ocean; he kicked off his shoes, tore off his shirt and ran towards the dog.
���Be careful ��� she may not react the way you expect!���
Collin had reached Leia and grabbed her around her middle. They made it to shore and Leia shook off and began barking and jumping around facing him. He bent down and patted her. He laughed and told her to come, and she followed him back to the beach where Tessa watched in amazement.
Tessa couldn���t believe her eyes. Leia had actually let someone touch her! They walked back to Tessa; she stood, this time she let him assist her by grabbing his outstretched hand. She tried to hop, and it was difficult in the sand so she lifted her foot leaning on Collin and started to jump on one foot towards her place.
He laughed at her, ���I know you don’t want my help, but you’re going to have to take it,��� he pulled her up into his arms and carried her.
He felt her body tense and shake slightly. Tessa was embarrassed by her reaction. He looked down and saw her scrunch her eyes shut. She fit perfectly into his arms, it felt good. Comfortable. And it didn���t make her happy. Leia followed behind not afraid of this man, they were now friends.
CHAPTER THREE
Collin opened the small white gate to the patio and latched it behind them. He set her down on the chaise lounge and walked to the glass doors that led into the house. The door was locked.
���I���m going to get you some ice, what���s the code?���
Without hesitation, she told him. Something about him made her feel safe. There was a softness about him, and if Leia trusted him��� she knew she could.
He opened the freezer and filled the dish towel with ice. Her phone rang it was the Star Wars theme song; he grabbed it as he walked out the door.
���For you,��� he handing her the phone.
As she answered, he put the ice on her ankle.
���Damn that hurts,��� escaped her mouth before she could say hello.
���What���s going in Tessa? Everything ok?��� It was her sister Kendall.
Tessa overwhelmed felt tears well up in her eyes. She was unable to answer with anything but ���Uh huh.���
Collin reached for her phone, ���May I?��� she shook her head yes. ���Hello, this is Collin who am I speaking to?��� he listened and smiled. ���Kendall yep that’s me, your Tenant������ Collin paused and listened. ���Oh ok. Your sister was going for a run and well long story short she ended up on her bottom and twisted her ankle pretty good… No, I���m sure it’s not broke probably sprained. She���s in a bit of pain…yes I have some pain meds, might make her tired but should help…. No problem…. Yes, here she is.���
He handed her the phone and mouthed I���ll be right back and pointed to his house leaving Tessa alone to talk to his sister as he fetched the Meds. Leia followed him.
���Hey sorry, no I���m fine���Seriously? No, that sounds great, everyone���s coming? Wow ���good. I may be in the need of pampering by my sisters and brothers,��� she laughed ���Ok see you in a few hours, drive careful, I love you.���
Tessa was glad they were coming; it would be loud, busy and fun for the weekend. Kendall was driving up now and should be here in five hours.
Collin returned with some Meds in his hand, ���These will make you feel better.���
Tessa looked at him and laughed, ���Just to warn you I���m not good with drugs.���
���These will make you a bit slower. It���s a muscle relaxer and a high dose ibuprofen,��� he handed them to her with a glass of water.
Tessa swallowed them down, and he sat in a chair next to her. Leia put her head on his lap and he pet her furry head. Tessa figured the least she could do is make conversation.
���So thank you for your help, I really appreciate it. My sister will be here in a few hours and the rest of my family will all be here as well. I���m sure we���ll be a bit loud and possibly a bit obnoxious over here, so you should feel free to come over and have dinner with us. You can bring your girlfriend if you���d like.���
He smirked ���Thanks for the invite, I���ll check my schedule.���
Tessa sat quietly as she tried to figure out what to say next. She couldn���t read him, and it drove her crazy! She still had not been able to see his eyes; he sported those shades every time she saw him. She decided to look out over the ocean so that she might not feel so uncomfortable.
She could feel his eyes, well his shades, burning a hole through her. ���Would you like a drink? You could grab a beer out of the fridge.���
���No, I���m good,��� he sat back and drank the water he had brought over.
���I don���t want to keep you from anything ��� I���m feeling better, thank you,��� Tessa���s head felt a little heavier.
���I think I���ll hang out to see how those pills affect you. Wouldn���t want to leave you here alone. You might try get up and end up falling on your ass again,��� he smiled.
Damn, even his teeth are perfect she thought.
Tessa sat and couldn���t believe how she was feeling, her face was hot, her head felt heavy, and her eyes were not easily focusing anymore.
���How are you feeling?��� Collin asked with true concern in his voice.
���Like crap,��� Tessa blurted out.
Oh, I can���t believe I just said that, but she couldn���t stop what was rolling off of her tongue.
���I haven���t drank in a month, and I feel like I���ve been doing shots. My ankle is throbbing, but I really don���t care, and these clothes are bugging me, how are you feeling?���
Collin laughed out loud, ���I���m good. I���m going to run over home and grab a hat.���
Tessa laid back and watched that dog follow him over again. She woke when he lifted the ice from her ankle. He was wearing a white baseball cap that had the Red Sox emblem on it. He looked even hotter with that hat on, but the Sox? Maybe he wasn���t perfect. He brought over a plate of fruit and cheese and said she should eat some as he walked into the house to get fresh ice.
���I���m going to put this on your ankle,��� Collin said as he gently placed it.
Tessa laughed and popped a grape into her mouth.
���That tickles ��� I think. I need to go inside for a minute,��� she giggled and pushed the ice off and was standing up before he could argue.
She stood alone, he stood and made sure when she fell, again, he could catch her. She slowly moved between pieces of furniture until she came to the door. She opened it and nearly fell; she caught h
erself and stopped for a minute. She made her way to the bathroom and shut the door; she started the bath, and finally removed her sports bra that had been cutting into her for what seemed like hours. Collin stood by the door annoyed. He leaned against the wall and waited until he heard her get into the bath.
Was she really doing this right now? He felt uncomfortable, frustrated actually. He wanted to yell at her for being so careless, the girl was clumsy, and now hopped up on pain pills she was taking a bath. Maybe she had plans, he certainly hoped so, she was hot. Bronze skin and pedicured feet, her hair long and blonde, and her eyes crystal blue. Her body was tight, and breasts full, he would love to get his hands among other things on them. He wondered if she would like to play without strings. He heard her begin to splash around, and he wondered if she was alright.
Tessa grabbed a towel and wrapped her hair; she brushed her teeth and put away her toothbrush. She grabbed her dirty clothes and wrapped a towel around herself. She was high as a kite and began to laugh out loud.
���You alright in there?���
���Oh damn,��� Tessa had forgotten he was still here; she began to laugh again, ���Yep, just great.���
Tessa removed her hair from the towel and shook it a bit.
���Um Collin, can I ask you for a favor? Could you not look when I come out, please?���
He replied, ���Fine.���
Tessa hopped out of the bathroom feeling refreshed, she saw him leaning against the wall looking in the other direction. She hopped until she reached the stairs. She decided she would crawl; she turned to see if he was looking and his back was still turned.
She continued up the stairs on all fours as he turned, damn, on all fours his jaw clenched.
He grew agitated and finally, ���Seriously you need to just lie down and quit messing around.���
He stomped towards the stairs, and she stopped, and looked at him and began to laugh.
���Really? I���m just trying to get some clothes on, buddy, I forgot you were here. If I���m annoying, maybe you should march your perfect ass home. Your girlfriend may not like you being over here helping the clumsy naked chick from next door,��� Tessa laughed.
She was so frustrating! He thought. He grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder and marched up the stairs.
���Your stuff in the master bedroom?��� he asked with a dark tone in his voice.
���Why yes it actually is, it���s this������ she laughed as began to tell him where it was.
���I know where it is,��� he interrupted.
He dropped her on the bed and started going through her bags that were still packed. He threw her a shirt and some shorts and even grabbed her panties and bra. She was speechless, and a little intimidated by him. He grabbed her shirt and shoved it over her head, and she quickly put her arms through the holes.
He grabbed her panties, and she started to object and he glared, ���Don���t.���
He pulled them to her knees and followed them with a pair of boxer- style shorts.
���I think you can get it from here,��� he turned his back.
She was so annoyed ��� embarrassed she yelled, ���Maybe I don���t want to wear this!���
As soon as the words escaped her mouth she felt like a three- year- old. She put her hand over her mouth.
Collin turned, ���I don���t care just put them on���or I will!���
She gasped, and he pulled her shorts up, she was so angry. She stood up and began to walk out she started to fall again and he grabbed her and pulled her inches from his face.
���You’re staying here, you���re going to rest. You���re going to heal so help me God, or I���ll bend you over my knee and������ he stopped when he noticed how big her eyes got.
Tessa was breathing hard and in shock, not the way she would have thought, but shocked because it was kind of a turn on. He noticed her eyes and closed his and leaned in so that their foreheads touched.
���You���re a pain in the ass,��� he lifted her up and walked to the bed.
He pulled the blankets down and gently laid her in bed. The room was spinning, and he could see that her eyes were getting extremely heavy.
���Perfect ass, huh?��� he pulled the covers over her.
���Yep, I���m sure you knew that already. I���m sure I���m about to fall asleep. Could you do me one last favor?��� he shook his head yes. ���Takeoff those damn glasses; I haven���t been able to see your eyes. I want to know if they match the rest of you,��� she reached up and pulled them slowly off of him. ���You���re gorgeous.���
With that, her eyes closed, and head began to nod. He laid her back down and propped her foot. He knew she would be out for a few hours he leaned down to tuck her in; she pulled his arm around her and rolled to her side. He didn���t fight it, he lay next to her. He smelled her hair and breathed her in. Damn it, he thought and eventually he fell asleep.
His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he woke up. The clock said five PM. He tried to pull his arm out of her clutches, and she moved slightly and in her sleep spoke.
���It���s going to be alright now,��� and she fell into a deeper sleep.
He lay looking at her with his arms pulled tightly across her body. She was beautiful. She pulled his arm tighter across her chest, nuzzling her backside against his pelvic area. Seriously this is not happening, he laid his head on the pillow, and she rolled into him a bit, fully relaxed. He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath, he closed his eyes and waited for his escape.
* * *
They both woke to Leia barking. Oh, shit he thought he felt her startle beneath his arm. What the hell had he done, he never napped and here he was doing it with this girl he���d just met a few hours ago. He could feel her tense up and he took in one last deep breath of her very sweet smell. She started trying to slide out from under his arm and wondered what the heck had happened. As she slid from under him, she felt him ease up, and they both sat up and stared at each other briefly before they heard Kendall.
���Who���s a good girl, who���s a good girl,��� they heard Leia’s nails tapping as she danced around in the tile floor downstairs. They heard the back door open as Kendall and Leia walked out onto the patio.
Again, their gaze met each other.
���Are you feeling any better?��� he asked breaking the silence.
���My ankle still hurts, and my head is very foggy, how did we end up in here?��� She blurted out.
She could see his body stiffen as he stood.
���You decided to take a bath and tried to make it up the stairs; I carried you because you were��� he stopped, ���not being a good patient. We got you dressed, and I helped you into bed. You passed out and grabbed my arm, talked about my perfect ass,��� he smirked knowing he was making her uncomfortable, ���I guess we both fell asleep until your dog barked.���
Tessa looked at him with a question in her eyes as she tried to stand he grabbed her arm so that she wouldn���t fall and whispered in her ear. ���If something happened with us, you would remember��� trust me,��� he said trying not to smile.
���Well Collin, I thank you for helping me out,��� damn his eyes are blue, she thought ���I���m sure it’ll all come back to me.���
* * *
He helped her hop down the stairs, and they walked out to meet Kendall.
Kendall smirked at them, ���How���re you feeling?���
Tessa scowled and replied, ���Fine.���
Collin interrupted ���I���m sure it���s not broken, or she would be in a lot more pain. I gave her pain meds tha
t well, made her a bit loopy, tired and a real pain in the ass.���
Kendall laughed, ���That���s not the pain meds��� she���s always been a pain in the ass.���
They both laughed, and Tess scowled at them.
���Our family will be here in an hour or so. I stopped and grabbed some lobsters if you don���t have plans you should come back and hang out tonight,��� Kendall said, ���That���s the least we could do. You did take care of our little Tessa.���
Collin walked into his house and saw his phone, he had three missed calls and several messages he had missed since he had gone out to take his late morning run. He thumbed through his phone and saw that Amber had left a message and texted him as well.
He decided to text her back.
- something���s come up, and I���m not going to be able to see you tonight.
Amber replied,
- ok I won���t be back around for a month, hopeful that we can ���get together��� again then. I hope you’re feeling better, after being sent away last night before things even got started, I wonder if it was me or you were really ill.
That was it, uncomplicated and easy��� just how he liked it. He checked his email and saw his itinerary for his trip next month. He���d be gone for five weeks in Ecuador, training and helping at one of the small villages and hospitals he helped build and fund.
He always loved going away to new sites and seeing old ���friends.��� For now, a month at home hanging out sounded good, real good now. He could finish up his next paper, and it would be published before he returned from Ecuador. He sat back and ran his hands through his hair and rubbed his nose. He could still smell her on his hands, she was so damn distracting! He threw his shoes back on and went out the back door to take a run. Leia was barking at the gate jumping around when she saw Collin. He leaned over and patted her head; he saw Kendall and Tessa sitting on the patio.