Sexy Living

by Regina Cole

  “Can I help?”

  “No, I’ve got it. Just one more trip.”

  “I’ll take those into the kitchen,” she said, pushing off the couch to stand.

  Rob frowned, the sunglasses covering his eyes making the expression more severe. It was fucking sexy. “Take it easy.”

  She rolled her eyes so hard she was afraid they’d pop out of her head. “I have been. This couch has a permanent groove from my ass. I need to get up and move a little bit. I’ll be careful.”

  He hadn’t been able to completely hide his amusement at her snark, but he just shook his head. “Do what you want.” He turned and pulled the door shut behind him, not quite able to completely muffle his, “You were going to anyway.”

  Victory. She smiled to herself as she crossed the living room to the hallway.

  Moving felt good now. She’d been stiff and sore for a few days, but now the pain was fading and her body was definitely craving some movement. She glanced longingly at the bedroom as she passed it on the way to the kitchen.

  Well, since that kind of movement wasn’t really an option right now, putting up groceries would have to do. On her return trip to the doctor, she’d put the kibosh on the idea of any sexual activity.

  If she was lucky—and she hadn’t been recently—she’d give Stacey the green light when she returned to the office later this afternoon.

  Milk and eggs went into the fridge. Canned goods she lined up on the kitchen island, paper grocery bags folded neatly into a pile beside them. The front door squeaked open again.

  “I got some more of that salad dressing you like,” Rob said as he set the rest of the bags on the kitchen table. “Thought a spinach salad would be good with the salmon tonight.” He turned, and she had a hard time pulling her gaze away from his muscular ass.

  “Sounds nice,” Stacey said as she opened the cabinet where Rob kept his spices.

  Her heart tripped over itself. This felt—weird. Good weird, but weird. She hadn’t had this kind of interaction in a long time. It was almost like they were dating.

  The pepper box she’d been putting away slipped out of her nerveless fingers and hit the floor with a sharp thunk.

  “Hey, you okay?”

  Rob was suddenly there, taking her hand, looking down straight into her eyes. The steely gray wrapped around her and pulled her close. He wasn’t concerned about what she’d dropped; he was concerned about her.

  Damn him to hell and back.

  She jerked her fingers away and bent down quickly to scoop up the pepper box. “Yeah, I’m just klutzy today.” Turning her back to him, she busied herself with the spices in the cabinet.

  Why was she doing this to herself? Why did he have to be so goddamn chivalrous all the fucking time? It was screwing with her head big-time.

  “If you’re not feeling well, you need to tell me.”

  “I’m fine,” she said, her voice coming out much more shrill than she would have liked. She tossed a quick smile over her shoulder at him as she moved toward the table and the other bags. “Just glad to be able to have something to do.”

  He took a step toward her, but then an insistent chime came from his pocket. She watched as he pulled his cell free from his jacket and frowned at the screen.

  “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.”

  He moved from the kitchen as his finger swiped across the screen. “Hello?”

  His footsteps faded down the hall, and a door clicked closed behind him.

  Sinking into a kitchen chair, Stacey cradled her head in her hands. A slight pounding behind her temples was the only indication that her head had had a bad month.

  She had to get out of here. If the lust didn’t get her, his kindness would surely do her in. It was too much for any woman to resist. And she was so, so weak where he was concerned.

  Resisting him would take much more strength than she had.

  * * *

  The guest room door closed behind Rob before he was able to get a word in edgewise.

  “Mom, slow down. What’s wrong?”

  “Robbie, he’s not listening to me. He’s all out of breath, and he’s swelling in his legs, and I want him to go to the hospital.”

  Rob tensed, his hand gripping the phone tighter. He hadn’t wanted to leave Stacey right then, but he’d only considered letting the call roll to voice mail for a split second. He’d made the right decision. “How long has this been going on?”

  “Since early this morning. He didn’t sleep well, went out onto the couch in the middle of the night. But he wouldn’t come to breakfast, even though I made his favorite omelet. Then he admitted he wasn’t feeling well, but he won’t let me call anyone.”

  Fuck. Rob jammed a hand through his hair as he paced the floor. “Give him the phone, Mom.”

  “Please make him listen,” his mother pleaded.

  “What is it?”

  Richard Liston’s voice was gruff, but it had less oomph than usual.

  “What are your symptoms?”

  “Why should I tell you? You’re not a doctor.”

  “No, I’m not. But I can bench-press twice your weight, and if you keep upsetting my mom like this, I just might have to come up there and pound some sense into you.”

  The begrudging laugh was encouraging. “It’s not as big of a deal as she’s making it out to be, son. I’m just a little tired today.”

  “And short of breath. And swelling.”

  The admiration in his answer was easy to hear. “She’s not a bad clinician, your mother.”

  Rob smiled halfheartedly. “You should know that. You taught her. Now, come on, I have a lot going on here. As much as I would love to run up there and kick your ass into going to see your cardiologist, it would really be helpful if you would promise to go on your own.”

  “Don’t talk to your father like that. I wiped your ass before you were even old enough to know you had a father. I know when I need to see a doctor, and it isn’t now.”

  Irritation and worry twined together in Rob’s chest, making it hard to breathe evenly. He closed his eyes for a moment. Calm. He couldn’t let himself get riled up. His father was just as stubborn as Rob himself, and they had clashed enough times for Rob to know what worked and what didn’t where his father was concerned.

  “I will call 911 myself if you do not promise to go or at least call your cardiologist. Mom wouldn’t have called me for no reason, and I will get this done if you don’t agree.”

  The sigh that came through the line was one of irritated defeat. “Don’t call those EMS bastards. I can get wherever I need to go on my own with your mother’s help.”

  “So, you’ll go somewhere?”

  “Yes, you stubborn jackass. It’s not a big deal, I know exactly what it is.”

  “Then, what is it?”

  A muffled sound happened then, as if his father was adjusting the phone. “My cardiologist and I have been discussing it. It’s nothing new, and it’s being managed.”

  Rob lost the tenuous grip he’d had on his temper. “For fuck’s sake, Richard, just tell me you’ll see the goddamn doctor.”

  “Fine.” The answer was snapped in equal temper. “I promise, you happy now?”

  Rob nodded, even though his gesture couldn’t be seen over the phone. “Perfectly. Let me talk to Mom.”

  Rob sank down on the edge of the bed as the sound of the phone being passed met his ears.

  His mother’s voice was slightly shaky. “Robbie?”

  “He promised he would go somewhere, or at least call someone. Let me know if he doesn’t.”

  Her voice was slightly hushed. “Are you sure he will? I hate to ask you, Robbie, but if you could come up here and convince him in person . . .”

  “I would feel better if I could, but there is a lot going on here right now. He’ll do what he needs to do, and if he doesn’t, let me know. We’ll go from there.”

  As if on cue, a beep came through the phone, and Rob pulled the screen away and glanced at it. The gym.
Of course. “Mom, I need to go. But promise me you’ll let me know if he doesn’t call someone within the next hour or so. I’ll do what I have to do to make sure he gets taken care of.”

  “Thank you, Robbie. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Mom. Go take care of him, and take care of yourself too.”

  Rob pressed the button to switch calls, and rubbed a hand across his abdomen. “Robert Liston.”

  “Rob? It’s Brandi. I really hate to bug you, I know you said you’re busy, but we’ve got kind of a situation developing here.”

  A scratch at the door signaled that Custard wanted to join him, but Rob ignored it. Could anything else fall apart at the moment?

  “What’s going on?”

  “Well, you know that new Krav Maga teacher we hired? I think one of the students said something to him that made him angry. And there was kind of an altercation, and now the cops are coming, and I—”

  “Shit. Okay, I’m on the way. Hold down the fort until I get there. Christ, I’m sorry this happened.”

  The relief was evident in Brandi’s quick answer. “Yup, on it. Thanks. Sorry to bug you.”

  “No, thank you for taking care of everything while I’m away. I should’ve vetted that guy better. His résumé looked so good that I didn’t call everyone on it, just the first reference on the list. My laziness is biting me in the ass now.”

  As the call ended, Rob surged to his feet. There was way too much going on. This was the absolute worst time for him to become tangled up with Stacey. But he couldn’t help himself.

  He pulled open the door and strode down the hall. Every time he laid eyes on her, he was reminded of not only the incredible way she felt against his body, but the way she had taken each challenge thrown her way. He couldn’t help but admire her, and he wanted to inspire greater confidence in her. Also, he couldn’t wait for her to be cleared medically so he could yank those pants off of her one more time. Keeping her at arm’s length had been almost impossible, but after that one interlude, he couldn’t afford the temptation of kissing her again. Not until it was safe to take things as far as he wanted to take them.

  Stacey was seated at the kitchen table, her cheek resting on her palm as she stared down at her smartphone screen.

  He shouldn’t. She really needed to stay here and rest. But he didn’t know how long this was going to take, and having her with him would ease his worry about her.

  He held his keys up in the air. “Hey, Stacey, want to come with me? There’s some shit going down at the gym, and I have to take care of it. We should be done well before your doctor’s appointment.”

  She glanced up at him with a wan smile. “Really? The jailer is letting me out of my cell? What, am I being let out on good behavior?”

  Rob shrugged. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I can come back and pick you up afterward.”

  She jumped out of the chair faster than she should have, and winced as her bad leg bore too much weight. “Oh, I want to. Just try to stop me now.”

  He laughed as she hobbled quickly down the hallway. At least she didn’t need the crutches anymore. It was a lot easier to check out her ass without the distraction.

  Things might be going to hell in a handbasket, but at least there was Stacey to share the ride with him.

  Chapter 19

  Rob explained the problem on the way to the gym. Stacey gripped the armrest as he wove expertly through traffic. He was a good driver, but the thick of the Atlanta rush hour meant there was much more traffic than she was comfortable with so soon after her recent traumatic experience on the road. Her knuckles were only a little pale, though, and her stomach had tensed only halfway.

  “So, this teacher hauled off and hit a student?”

  “As far as I understand it, yeah.” Rob checked his mirrors before hitting his turn signal and easing into the left lane. “Brandi didn’t have time to get me the details. This Flowers guy came highly recommended, and I know the guy he used to teach for. I just don’t understand how he could have lost his cool like that.”

  “It sucks,” Stacey agreed as he took the exit off the highway. “I hope the gym doesn’t suffer because of it.”

  Rob sighed as he stopped at the end of the ramp, waiting for the traffic to clear so he could turn. “We’ve got enough problems without this happening.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He shot a quick glance her way before easing off the brakes. “I shouldn’t bother you with it. Not when you’ve got so much stuff of your own going on.”

  She didn’t deny it. “My project is on hold, yeah. It’s ready to go, but unless the city council gives me the green light, I can’t do much of anything but twiddle my thumbs. Dr. Colt won’t release me back to work for another week and a half. I’m going insane without my job to keep me occupied. So, help me out and distract me. Tell me about your problems.”

  “Sounds kind of tough to be away from something you’re so passionate about.” He evaded her question.

  His unwillingness to talk stung a little, but she brushed it off. “It is. But my CT scan was clear, the awesome lawyer you found for me is convinced that this case won’t ever make it to trial, and my bruises are turning a beautiful shade of mustard yellow now. Oh, and I’ve got the sexiest nurse this side of the Mississippi. Yup, things are pretty hellish for me at the moment.”

  As a move, it wasn’t particularly bold, but damn if it hadn’t taken all the guts she had to lay it out there for him. She was rewarded by a crooked smile as Rob pulled into the parking deck near the gym.

  “You think I’m sexy, huh?”

  “You fishing now?”

  “Depends,” he said, pulling his keys from the ignition. He slid the sunglasses up, revealing the amusement in his gray eyes. “Are you the bait?”

  Jesus Lord. Her stomach flipped as she daringly leaned toward him. “I’d like to be.”

  Her heart thumped so hard against her ribs she was afraid he could hear it. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and she held her breath, praying, hoping, waiting for him to close that gap between them and brush her lips with his own.

  But just then, a cop car pulled to a stop across the street, its red and blue lights flashing against the building.

  Rob moved back, and Stacey’s sense of loss was palpable.

  “To be continued,” Rob said as he opened the door.

  “It better be,” Stacey said under her breath as she pushed her own open.

  Rob moved much more quickly than Stacey could with her bruised leg. He came back to walk with her, but she waved him toward the doors.

  “Go, I’m fine. Promise.”

  He frowned, but walked quickly toward the entrance anyway, leaving her to follow.

  When Stacey pushed through the front doors, the sight that greeted her was definitely tense.

  Rob was standing in front of the counter, toe-to-toe with a guy at least four inches shorter, fifteen years older, and thirty pounds heavier than him. The man was red-faced, his gray-streaked hair frazzling around his head as he gesticulated wildly. “Come on, man. How do you expect me to do my job if you don’t respect my methods? That kind of attitude doesn’t belong in my class, and I won’t tolerate it!”

  “I don’t give two shits what kind of attitude he gave you. You do not ever—ever—lay a hand on a client of this gym. And the fact that you have means that you are no longer employed here. So get your shit, and get out, and do not ever come back.” Rob’s voice was as cold as liquid nitrogen and stronger than steel. Stacey shivered a little as she sank into one of the chairs by the smoothie bar, glad it wasn’t her that he was mad at.

  There was a police officer talking to a young guy in a sleeveless shirt and basketball shorts, along with Brandi, the woman who was supposed to have been Stacey’s trainer. She couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but there were obvious red marks on the guy’s arm. Shit. Had the teacher done that?

  Another cop entered the building then, and he pulled Rob and
the angry teacher aside. A small group of people were gathered outside the front glass windows. Stacey watched the scene unfolding with a sickening feeling in her stomach.

  This wasn’t good. No wonder Rob had been so cagey about it. The gym hadn’t been here that long, and this kind of thing wouldn’t exactly endear it to the neighborhood. A business’s reputation could get made or broken so easily.

  She pulled her purse into her lap and looked down at it, tracing the curved edge with her finger. She’d been so preoccupied with getting back to work, to her projects, that she hadn’t considered what Rob was doing about his time off work. Was this partly her fault? Rob had taken off so much time to be with her, to watch her, to nurse her back to health. Hell, he hadn’t even asked her for a dime. She’d offered to chip in for groceries, for takeout, but he’d insisted on doing it all. How was she supposed to feel about all of this? His business needed him, and all she could do was think about her own shit.

  A sound from the people outside drew her attention, and she examined the crowd with a critical eye.

  Maybe there was something she could do.

  * * *

  Rob lifted his hands in the air, and stepped back several paces as Dylan Flowers, the Krav Maga instructor, lunged for him. The man was beyond all reasoning, and had started screaming after Rob had informed him for the fifth time that he was fired.

  “Settle down, or I’ll put the cuffs on you right now.” The officer stepped between them, his hand splayed as he warned Dylan off. “I need information, and I need it now. Who is in charge here?”

  “I am. I’m Robert Liston. This is my gym, I’m the owner.”

  The officer pulled a small notebook from his upper pocket and flipped it open. “Can you spell that for me, sir?”

  Rob nodded. “Liston. L . . . I . . .”

  Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned his head to see as he continued spelling. Stacey. She was outside, and the small crowd of lookie-loos were gathered around her as she spoke. She was making large, sweeping gestures, and though her back was to him, he could almost see how animated her features were. What the hell was she up to out there?