Spark (Electric Series #2)

by E. L. Todd

  “Goodnight,” they both said.

  Volt turned the corner and carried me down the hallway. He held me with ease, like I really did weigh nothing.

  “Tom, I absolutely love him,” Mom whispered. “I couldn’t have asked for a better man to walk into our home.”

  “I like him too,” Dad whispered. “He’s a good man. And he adores Taylor.”

  I cringed as I listened to them, irritated they didn’t believe Volt and I really were just friends. I looked at Volt’s face and hoped he couldn’t hear their whispers like I could.

  His face didn’t change as he walked into the bedroom and shut the door. “Ready for a bath?”

  “I definitely need to shower. I’m so disgusting right now.”

  “How about a bath? Standing on one foot in the shower sounds like a bad idea.”

  “As long as the water is warm, I don’t care.” Spending all day in the freezing cold, caked in mud, brought out the girly side in me. I wanted to be squeaky clean with soft hair and glowing skin.

  He set me down at the edge of the tub then started the hot water. The drain was plugged, and he added bath soap to make the bubbles grow until the bottom of the tub was obscured. “Do you think you can get undressed on your own?”

  I knew I could get my shirt and jacket off, but I wasn’t certain about my jeans or hiking boots. “I can give it a try.”

  “I have an idea.” He grabbed a towel from the cabinet then placed it over my lap. He guided me to the tile floor before he proceeded to take off my shoe. He kept my ankle stabilized as he slowly pulled the boot off. He slipped it off my foot with ease.

  I was expecting that to be a lot more painful.

  He reached his hands underneath the towel and undid the top of my jeans. Then he slowly slid them off my hips and pulled them down my thighs. The towel covered the intimate parts of my body, but he’d already seen me in my underwear so the modesty was unnecessary.

  He got the jeans to my ankles then slowly pulled them off. He was so gentle that I didn’t feel even a twinge of pain. It was effortless and smooth. He tossed my jeans, shoes, and socks aside before he stood up. “Do you need help getting in the tub?”

  “Ah…” No matter how I maneuvered, I would have to put pressure on my foot. And when it came to wet tile, that didn’t sound like the smartest idea. “I think so.”

  “Hmm…” He eyed the tub then looked back at me, deep in thought. “I can just close my eyes and drop you in there.”

  “Close your eyes, huh?” I teased. “Like you wouldn’t take a peek.”

  He smiled. “I might take one little peek. But I’ll let you take a peek of me.” He nodded toward the shower.

  I felt the blood rush down south. It was hot and pounding, making my entire body light up in excitement. It came out of nowhere, and it was so powerful I wasn’t sure if it was real or a byproduct of my ankle pain. “Let me take off my clothes, and then you can place me inside.”

  “Sounds good to me.” He turned around and walked to the shower, turning on the water and getting a towel prepared. He kept his back to me the entire time. “Let me know when you’re ready.”

  I stripped everything off and remained on the floor, freezing now that nothing was covering me. I crossed my arms over my chest and pressed my knees tightly together to fight off the cold. “I’m ready. And please hurry. My ass is frozen.”

  He turned around and walked toward me, his eyes shut. He felt the edge of the tub first before he kneeled beside me.

  “I know your eyes are cracked.”

  The grin returned. “They’re really not.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “If a lady doesn’t want me to see her naked, I don’t see her naked. It’s that simple.” He touched my knees before he slid his arm underneath. His other arm went to my back. “Ready for this?”

  “Yeah.” I hooked my arms around his neck.

  He lifted me into the air then gently set me into the water. “Is it too hot?”

  “No.”

  He set me farther inside until my body touched the bottom. The warm water enveloped me, and I finally felt comfortable after hiking in the snow all day. My ankle felt better too.

  He pulled his arms back and let them drip over the tub. His eyes were still closed. “Comfy?”

  “Yeah.” I fixed the bubbles across my body so he couldn’t see anything. “You can open your eyes now.”

  His eyes opened, and he immediately looked at where my tits would be. “Dang. I was hoping that was an invitation.”

  “Sorry. But you aren’t missing anything anyway. I’m flat as a board.”

  “Are not,” he said with a sarcastic laugh. “And yes, I’ve looked.”

  “But I don’t have the boobage Julia had.”

  “Whatever,” he said. “Women come in different shapes and sizes. Bigger isn’t necessarily better.”

  “Said no one ever.”

  He chuckled. “Believe me, you’ve got all the right curves in all the right places.” He grabbed a towel and rolled it up before he placed it underneath my head as a pillow. “You need anything? I’m going to hop in the shower.”

  “You’re going to shower right in front of me?” The shower was made entirely of glass. I could see every little thing—or every big thing.

  “I’ll hang a towel on the rack on the door. You won’t be able to see the good stuff. Of course…unless you want to.” He winked then walked back into the bedroom.

  Now I couldn’t get that image out of my head.

  He came back with a towel wrapped around his waist. A towel was already hanging from the door, so he stepped inside, undid the towel, and then tossed it over the wall and onto the floor. The towel on the door blocked my sight of his manhood, but I could see everything else.

  The water ran down his hair and immediately soaked it. It fell toward his face, and he ran his fingers through it to pull it back. His shoulders were meticulously carved from the muscle underneath his skin. Each individual muscle was highlighted as if chiseled from stone. The shoulder was the most vulnerable area and easy to injure, but his body looked impenetrable.

  He squirted shampoo into his hand and massaged it into his hair. The soap foamed and leaked down his face, forcing him to close his eyes. He scrubbed his scalp and the back of his neck, the soap trailing down his chest and arms. His pecs were hard and muscular, reminding me of concrete. The image of his body stopped just below his belly button, and I found myself stewing in disappointment that it didn’t go any farther.

  Oh my lord, he was hot.

  Volt rinsed the shampoo out of his hair then looked at me through the glass. “Like what you see?”

  “Uh, no.” I quickly turned away and pretended not to stare. “I thought I saw a spider.”

  “Yeah, sure,” he said with a chuckle.

  I looked at my toes as they peeked above the bubbles. They were bright blue because I just painted them the other day. I kept my body below water so he couldn’t see anything, and I was grateful he couldn’t. I suspected my nipples were pointed and hard, and the area between my legs was turning a deep shade of pink.

  “You know what?” Volt said as he rubbed soap into his chest. “We can tell people we bathed together. It’s true—technically.”

  “I’m not telling anyone that.” Now I couldn’t deny Sage’s words. This really was weird. Volt and I had a relationship that only the best of friends had. I would do this with Sara, but that was different. The fact he was an attractive man, and I was a woman, made this beyond inappropriate. Maybe Sage was right. Maybe I was wrong.

  He rinsed the soap from his body then killed the water. “I feel so much better now. I’m not used to mud and dirt.”

  “Just pollution and bums.”

  “Yeah.” He chuckled then cracked the door open so he could snatch the towel. He quickly tied it around his waist, hiding all the goodies from view.

  I needed to stop staring.

  He stepped out of the shower and grabbed the other towel
off the floor. He ran it through his hair and gave it a quick dry before he tossed it on the counter. Then he walked to the counter and shaved his face.

  I remained absolutely still, suddenly aware of how naked he was. Just a simple towel was wrapped around his waist. And I was completely naked under the water. I felt like a married couple getting ready for bed.

  This wasn’t normal.

  He washed his face and brushed his teeth. Once he was finished, he walked back into the bedroom. “I’m not coming back, so you can do whatever you need to do.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I blurted. He thought I was going to touch myself or something?

  He paused at the doorway. “Wash your hair…scrub yourself. What did you think I meant?”

  My face suddenly went pale despite how warm I was. “Nothing…”

  He gave me a curious look before he walked out and shut the door behind him.

  When I was alone, I was finally able to relax.

  But the area between my legs wouldn’t stop throbbing.

  ***

  Volt and my dad went on a hike through the valley. My dad didn’t use trails when he went out into the wild. He just relied on his compass and the sun to figure out where he was going. Volt immediately jumped on the opportunity, loving the chance to be outdoors.

  I stayed home with Mom because I couldn’t walk. My foot was better, but it still wasn’t back to normal. It probably wouldn’t bear my weight until we returned to New York.

  Mom knitted in the rocking chair while I lay on the couch, my foot propped up and elevated. The TV was on, and I Love Lucy played. I used to watch it all the time when I stayed home from school on a sick day.

  “So…Volt seems to be a fine young man.” Mom kept her eyes focused on her knitting even though she just started a conversation that wouldn’t end well.

  “He is,” I answered. “But he’s not my boyfriend.”

  “Is he gay?”

  “No,” I blurted.

  “Are you?”

  “Mom!”

  “If you aren’t gay and you’re sleeping together, he’s your boyfriend.”

  “Mom, we really are just friends. Best friends.”

  “Who are in love with each other.”

  Mom was so determined to see me married and pregnant that she would see things that weren’t really there. “Mom, I admit it’s a little strange. Okay, it’s really strange. But I’m telling you the truth.”

  “A man doesn’t fly across the country to meet a woman’s parents if he’s just looking for friendship. I see the way he looks at you. It’s exactly the way your father looks at me.”

  It was a sweet thing to say, but completely inaccurate. “Volt doesn’t have feelings for me. Trust me on that.”

  She set down her knitting supplies and gave me a hard look. A lecture was coming. “I thought you were smart and perceptive.”

  “I am.”

  “You seem pretty blind to me.”

  “Ouch…”

  “Sorry, honey. But it’s true. This man loves you. I can see it written all over his face every time he looks at you. Maybe he’s not your boyfriend now, but he’s not going to stop until he is.”

  It was so ridiculous I wanted to laugh. “Whatever.” I wasn’t going to fight it anymore. If it made her happy, then I didn’t really care.

  “Don’t whatever me.” She pointed a finger at me. “I’m your mother, and I know best.”

  Yeah, okay. “Mom, I had a boyfriend until the other day…when he dumped me.”

  Her sassiness died down when she heard what I said. “What boyfriend?”

  “His name was Sage. We saw each other for a few months, but we kept fighting over Volt.”

  “Why Volt?”

  “Sage was always jealous of him. When I invited Volt to spend Thanksgiving with us, he got upset. He gave me an ultimatum. I had to cut Volt out of my life or lose him as my boyfriend.”

  Mom gave me a sad look. “And you chose Volt.”

  “He’s my best friend.” I felt defensive about the subject. I shouldn’t have needed to explain why I threw away a good relationship for a friend. “I can’t picture my life without him. I want a boyfriend that can be friends with Volt too. I want both.”

  “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

  At least someone agreed with me.

  “But I also think Sage had a point. How would you feel if your boyfriend hung out with some woman all the time?”

  I probably wouldn’t like it. “I see what you mean.”

  “So maybe his request wasn’t too radical.”

  Maybe not.

  “And maybe the best way to avoid it again in the future is to…be with Volt.”

  She went for the kill—again. “Mom, it’s not like that.”

  “Why not?” she demanded. “Are you telling me that you’re really not attracted to that man? Because he’s the biggest piece of eye candy I’ve ever seen.”

  I couldn’t hold back the laugh. “Mom…”

  “You aren’t attracted to him?”

  “Well…” I remembered our recent kiss with vivid detail. That kiss was hypnotic, amazing. I felt my entire burn in a way it never did for anyone else. It was just lust, but it was powerful. “Yes.”

  “And he’s your best friend so you’re more than compatible. So, what’s the hold up?”

  “When we first met, I was into him. I couldn’t stop thinking about him and wanted him to ask me out. But then I realized he was a typical player, a man blowing in the wind and sowing his seeds. He said he never wants to settle down. So, I settled for being his friend.”

  “And that’s the only reason?”

  “Not really. After that, we became good friends. I stopped looking at him like that. I started seeing other guys and didn’t see him that way anymore.”

  “And what about now?” she asked.

  “Well…we had this kiss the other day. He was drunk and doesn’t remember it, but I do. I definitely felt something.”

  “Then why don’t you go for it?” Mom always saw things in black and white. Nothing was too complicated.

  “Because nothing has changed. Volt isn’t a one-woman type of guy. I’m not looking for a one-night stand. I’m looking for a forever.”

  “And I think he can give that to you.”

  I wanted to roll my eyes. “Volt is a gentleman around you guys, but he’s not so clean cut all the time. I know him better than you do.”

  “Maybe,” she said. “But you’re also biased from months of knowing him. I’m seeing him right now, in this moment, and I’m telling you what I see. And that man is in love with you.”

  Mom thought everyone was in love with me. She thought I was the prettiest and smartest girl in the whole world. That’s what moms do.

  My phone started to ring, and I saw Sara’s name on the screen. “Sorry, Mom. I’ve got to take this. I told Sara I would call her back yesterday but totally forgot.”

  “It’s fine.” She returned to her knitting. “Give her my love.”

  “I will.” I walked into the bedroom I shared with Volt and took the call.

  “Hey,” she said into the phone. “Long time, no talk.”

  “Sorry I forgot to call you back.”

  “That’s a big no-no. It’s against best friend law.”

  “I’m sorry I broke the code.” My sprained ankle screwed up my entire day. And sleeping next to Volt when I couldn’t stop picturing him naked didn’t help. I hardly got any sleep last night.

  “How’s your Thanksgiving?”

  “Good. Yours?”

  “I’m stuck in New York, so it’s pretty crappy.”

  “But I bet it’s quiet.”

  “Yeah, not as many people. But on Black Friday, it’s gonna get cray cray,” she said. “What’s new with you?”

  “Nothing. Volt went hiking with my dad, and I stayed home.”

  “Whoa, hold on. You brought Volt?”

  “He had nowhere to go
for Thanksgiving.”

  “And Sage was totally cool with it?”

  “Sage was…not exactly happy. We broke up, actually.”

  “What?” she blurted. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah…” Not a great way to start the holidays.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. A little bummed out but fine.”

  “What happened?”

  I was tired of telling this story because I said it so many times. “Basically, he doesn’t like Volt spending so much time with me so he made me choose between them.”

  “And you chose Volt.”

  “He’s my best friend. What was I supposed to do?”

  “Not choose him,” she said simply. “Come on, your relationship is strange as hell. If I had a man, I wouldn’t want him up in some other girl’s business.”

  “But it’s not like that.”

  “I don’t know if I believe that…”

  Not her too. “I’m not lying. I don’t have feelings for Volt. He and I would never work out. He’s too superficial and flakey. He tried being in a relationship with some woman, but that only lasted a few weeks until he got bored with her. And I’m telling you, this woman was drop-dead gorgeous. If he can’t make it work with her, then he’s a terminal bachelor. Plain and simple.”

  “Then why did you sacrifice a good relationship for him?”

  “I sacrificed it for our friendship, nothing else.”

  “Sage was hot. You showed me pictures of him.”

  “I know. Sage was the perfect guy.”

  “Then make it right, Taylor. It’s not too late.”

  “I don’t know. I can’t live without him.”

  “Who? Sage or Volt?” she asked. “Wait, it’s Volt, isn’t it?” Disapproval was in her voice.

  “Yes…”

  “Man, that’s messed up.”

  “I know. But I can’t explain it. When I’m with him, he makes me feel…like I can do anything. He always has my back and makes me feel important. He makes me laugh, makes me smile. He’s gotten me through some tough times, and I trust him. He wouldn’t lie to me, and that’s something so rare to find. If I had to be locked in a room with someone for a week straight, he would be my first choice.”

  “Thanks…”

  “I’m just saying.”