by Faith Starr
“I never thought any differently. Seeing how my dad’s depression consumed him and how stressed my mother had become as a result, I didn’t want to cause any more tension in the family, so I kept to myself. I learned at an early age to be independent and do things for myself.”
“That’s admirable, but don’t you think that by constantly shutting people out, it’s preventing you from allowing others to get close to you?”
“Aren’t you all full of psychology this morning?”
“You and I have a lot in common, more than you might think. My sister has forever given me lectures about how I don’t let outsiders get close to me. I suppose some of her speeches have started to sink in, especially since I hear them so many damn times. Please don’t tell her I said so either. She’ll go off on an ego trip and continue on with her words of wisdom.”
“Your sister sounds very smart.”
His face lit up. “She is. I hope you’ll get the chance to see that about her while you’re at our place.”
“Does it ever get uncomfortable bringing women to your apartment after shows with your sister living with you?”
“I don’t bring women to my apartment.”
“Excuse me?” I eyed him curiously.
“I mean I don’t bring strange women to my apartment. Come to think of it, I don’t even think my manager’s been to my place.”
“Hmm. I guess I should be flattered, then.”
“I guess you should.” He squeezed our joined hands.
We listened to the radio for the rest of the drive. I shot Lily a quick text to let her know I was going to Joey’s.
When we got to his apartment, I was amazed. It was gorgeous. It resembled a tiny house in a building with other tiny houses next to it.
The foyer was grand, stately marble pieces against both walls with beautiful artwork hanging over them.
The living room had a large leather sofa facing a television the size of a movie screen, surround-sound speakers everywhere. I suddenly got more excited about my visit.
Dani came out of the kitchen to greet us. “Hi, Teva. I heard what happened. How’re you feeling?”
She didn’t know me from a hole-in-the-wall, but her words carried sincerity.
“A lot better today. Thanks for asking.”
“Glad to hear it. Please come in and make yourself comfortable. I wasn’t sure about your food preferences. But I prepared egg salad sandwiches if you’re hungry.”
Holy cow. Joey and Dani were too much. And I did love egg salad.
“That sounds great. But please, I don’t want to put you out.”
Joey flashed me the evil eye but softened in no-time flat, wrapping his arm around me. “You can put out for me anytime.” He winked.
My cheeks warmed with humiliation.
“Joey! Don’t embarrass the poor girl. Ignore him, Teva. Why don’t you come and sit down at the table, and I’ll get the sandwiches?”
“What about me?”
He resembled a young boy feeling left out, full pout and all.
“You know where the kitchen is,” Dani snapped.
“Jeez.”
He followed her into the kitchen.
I did too. I wanted to wash my hands after being in the hospital.
I took a seat at the rectangular table that comfortably sat eight. I wondered why they needed such a large table when only two people lived in the apartment. I figured Logan and Trevor visited often, plus their respective others if they had any.
“Here you go.” Dani set a plate with a sandwich on it along with some sliced fruit in front of me. “Enjoy.”
“What about you? Aren’t you going to eat?”
She shook her head. “No. I ate earlier.”
“Well, I didn’t, and I’m starving.” Joey came out of the kitchen holding a dish with the same contents as mine, but his had baked chips on it as well. He sat opposite me.
“Yum, this is delicious.” He chewed off a large bite of his sandwich.
“It is,” I agreed after taking my own bite, mine half the size of his. “I want to thank you both. I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”
They looked at each other in quiet understanding, maybe some kind of a twin thing?
“It’s no problem whatsoever. Glad we could be of help. Now, if you guys will please excuse me, I’m going to head downstairs to the gym for a workout.”
Dani went into the kitchen to retrieve and fill a water bottle, then left the apartment.
“Your sister’s so nice.”
He finished chewing a piece of watermelon. “I know. She’s great.”
“Does she have a boyfriend?”
He shook his head. “Nah, she too has a difficult time letting others get close to her. I’m sure you can understand why.”
I did and hurt for her. It wasn’t fair that such a pretty and kind person had suffered from and endured such trauma in her past. That was one of the reasons I appreciated my field. It was fulfilling to help others release their demons. Except most of the clientele I currently dealt with weren’t even on the same planet as me. Most of them were psychotic and off their meds.
“So I guess she’s not practicing what she preaches, huh?”
“It takes some of us more time than others.” His body tensed. I had hit a sensitive subject. I placed my napkin on my plate.
“That was delicious.” I rose from my chair with my dish in hand.
He glared at me. “What are you doing?”
“Bringing my dirty plate to the kitchen so I can wash it. If you’re done with yours, I’ll take it as well.”
“Oh no you don’t.” He stood and took my plate from me. “I did not bring you here to clean. You’re here to rest. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable on the sofa?”
“I also didn’t come here to be waited on hand and foot. I feel uncomfortable enough with everything you’re doing for me. Please, let me help. I’m not an invalid.”
He sighed. “Fine. I guess I’m just new to this relationship thing and don’t know what to do.”
Relationship. What a heavenly word now that it included Joey.
“Then that makes two of us, which is all the more reason for us to experience the newness of it together.”
“I like the idea of doing it together. By the way, did the doc say when you were free and clear in that department?”
I smirked at the manly man in front of me. “I already told you I’m not an invalid. I just have to take it easy and rest until the swelling in my head goes down.”
“I’ve got some swelling going on in my head right now too.” He pointed to the bulge in his jeans.
“You’re crazy.”
“For you, that is.”
I rolled my eyes at the charmer.
“Dani’s downstairs in the gym. What do you say to a quick tour of my bedroom?”
“Only if I can take a shower first. I have hospital grunge all over me and residual vomit.” He cringed. “Sorry for the visual.”
“Of course you can take a shower. I took one earlier. But being the considerate guy I am, I’ll consider taking another. I’m all for helping out a friend in need.” He set my plate back down on the table and pointed to the mess on it. “This can wait.”
Well, the table actually wasn’t that messy.
“This can’t.” He gestured to his pants.
His bedroom was as grand as the rest of the place: the floor covered in plush forest-green carpet, the furniture stately brown wood, with a large flat-screen television mounted in the center of the wall.
“Wow. This is so nice. It’s beautiful.” I surveyed the area, taking it all in.
“As are you.”
He startled me. I spun around in slow motion due to my aching ribs to find him standing right behind me.
“The shower awaits us.”
The countertops in the bathroom were covered in deep forest-green granite and the wood cabinets were mocha. The shower could easily fit three or four people, depending on th
eir size. The marble lining the walls matched the flooring. A small room sat to the right with a toilet and bidet. It was breathtaking, like the rest of the place. First-class touches in every nook and cranny.
While the shower warmed up, I removed my scrubs with Joey’s help. The same scrubs I had worn to work prior to the incident taking place. Yuck! But they were all I’d had to change into before leaving the hospital. I wanted to shower before putting on the fresh clothing Lily had packed for me.
“I’m all for playing doctor if you ever get the urge.” Joey murmured his thought against my ear, slowly lifting my top up and over my head. I had on my anti-sex sports bra. Not the most sensual attire for him to see me in but comfortable for long shifts in the ER.
Damn. I couldn’t make eye contact, my self-consciousness getting the best of me.
“No. Look at me. You’re beautiful.”
My heart skipped a beat as he lifted the tight cotton fabric up and off me. He licked his lips, staring at my breasts. My cheeks warmed.
“Beautiful,” he reiterated, earnestness written all over him.
I had no words. I just breathed, slow and deep.
He slipped a finger into the back of the waistband of my bottoms. He circled it around to the front, stopping short of untying them.
“I can’t wait to see what’s under here.”
Boy was he in for a surprise when he saw what I rocked underneath them. They were definitely not date-night underwear.
Shit. Could I be any more humiliated in front of this man? In the last twenty-four hours, he had seen me puke my guts out, escorted me to the bathroom, and was now going to witness the most sexually undesirable panties known to man. My cheeks heated to the point of an inferno from both desire and mortification.
“Nice choice.” His face brightened as my pants fell to my ankles.
Jokingly, I slapped his arm. “Stop. I didn’t know I was going to see you.”
“One must always be prepared, but I have to say, I like them.” He nodded in assurance. “They’re very…virginal.”
Yup, cotton Jockey bikinis in baby pink, every guy’s wet dream.
He pulled them down and ditched them along with my pants.
“Much better.”
He gave my naked body a quick perusal from top to bottom.
“Shower’s warm. You ready to get dirty, I mean, clean?”
His flirty behavior made me smile. “What about you? You’re still dressed.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m right on your tail.”
He lifted his T-shirt up and off, then tossed it aside. One thing I’d never get tired of seeing, the definition of Joey’s chest and abs, spectacular.
“You’re staring, Teva.”
Oh shit, I had been.
Shyness engulfed me again. But it didn’t stop me from watching him unbutton his jeans, unzip them, and remove them. Chippendale’s dancers had nothing on Joey Fine, and Joey didn’t have to try to be sexy. He oozed sensuality.
His gaze remained glued to mine. His boxer briefs were the last to go. I followed their descent, resting on the gloriousness between his legs.
“Didn’t anybody ever teach you it isn’t polite to stare?”
He closed the distance between us.
“It’s hard not too when you’ve got a body like yours.” I couldn’t believe my mouth had voiced those words in such a crass manner. I’d never felt secure enough to do so with a man in fear I’d get shot down.
“Well, this body of mine has a mind of its own, and what it wants to do to this magnificent body of yours.”
He scanned my body again, took my hand, and guided me into the shower. “Come. Let’s not waste any more time.”
It felt sensational to be under the hot water. If only it could wash away the last twenty-four hours, minus Joey’s presence.
He squirted a glop of shampoo into the palm of his hand and lathered my scalp, taking great care not to hurt me.
I angled my head back to rinse the suds. I would’ve loved to wash him as well but with the pain in my ribs, bending over to scrub-a-dub him was so not happening.
“I’ll have to take a rain check on reciprocating.”
“No need for rain checks, babe. Washing this delicious body of yours is just as enjoyable.”
Really?
There I went, doubting myself again.
As the water from the ceiling showerhead poured down over me, Joey took the opportunity to explore my nakedness. He stepped behind me and pressed his erection against my back.
His hand crept forward, around my waist to my abs. It made a beeline for my breasts, where he kneaded my nipple between his thumb and finger. My head instinctively fell back, resting against his shoulder. Pain seared across my forehead, spreading rapidly throughout. My body ached as well but my heart wanted to continue as much as my body screamed at and demanded me to stop.
He ceased all movement. I had no clue as to why.
“Joey?”
“Fuck. This is so wrong.”
Oh my God. I knew I shouldn’t have come back to his place. I’m already becoming a burden!
“Wh… What?”
“I’m acting like a selfish asshole. I should be letting you rest. You just got out of the hospital. I’m so sorry. Let me wash you and then put you to bed.”
I moved my head off his chest so I could see him. I placed my hands against his sturdy pecs. “I’m not bedridden.” The frustration in my tone was due to his rejection.
“I know that, but I don’t want to hurt you. We have all the time in the world for me to ravish your body.” He flashed me a sweet smile, and my heart melted. What a gem. He had halted all activities on my behalf. Gosh, this man owned me.
“All the time in the world.”
The thought of his words had me smiling. If my body could speak, it would have thanked him for being so considerate of its needs. My head wasn’t in any condition for this type of play, as much as I wanted to engage in it.
He took the body wash and soaped me from head to toe. I relished his pampering. He massaged the soap into my shoulders, then moved gingerly over my breasts and down to my legs. He didn’t tease when he cleaned the area between my thighs. Trust me, his erection spoke loud and clear about its wants, yet Joey refrained from making any more sexual gestures. That restraint alone made me feel more satisfied than the orgasm he would have graced me with. His concern and respect for me were evident.
After giving me a thorough scrub down, he exited the shower and pulled towels out of the linen closet. He dried himself. I watched in admiration through the glass. Then came my turn. He came to my aide. I rotated the faucet to the off position and he assisted me out. He toweled me off.
“Feel better?” He had his towel wrapped around his waist.
“Like a million bucks.” I had mine draped around my upper torso.
My response couldn’t have been further from the truth.
36
Joey
Teva moved sluggishly in her attempt to dress in my bedroom, her exhaustion apparent. Her shorts did a phenomenal job of showing off her toned legs and full hips, the ones I found perfect to sink my hands into while making love to her.
Making love?
I stopped the thought in its tracks and continued to watch her, finding I had an urgent, compelling need to focus my attention elsewhere. Not an easy task when nothing in my room captivated me the way she did. But I had to let her rest.
Fuck, seeing her topless with short shorts in my bedroom was the ultimate test in restraint.
The front door opened, which meant Dani had come back from the gym. Whew. Saved by the bell.
“Do you want to lie down for a while, maybe take a nap?” I slipped on a pair of running shorts and a tee. Teva watched my every move. “Babe, if you keep eating me up with your eyes that way, I’m going to have a difficult time letting you rest.”
Her cheeks became a nice shade of pink. She promptly put on a long-sleeved T-shirt.
“You�
�re so handsome.”
Groupies told me that all the time, but something about hearing it fall from Teva’s lips made it sound different, better. A hell of a lot better.
I approached her. I raised her chin so I could plant a tender kiss on her lips. “And you’re beautiful.”
She let out a deep breath. The passion in her eyes caught me off guard. It had a little too much meaning in it. Something I felt good about but scared as shit about just the same. Hmm, maybe a nap would help quiet my thoughts. Then again, probably not.
“Why don’t you rest here in my room?” I pulled down the top sheet and comforter on one side of the bed. I patted the space to encourage her to climb in.
“What’re you going to do?”
“I might go downstairs to the gym. I heard Dani come in, so she’ll be here in case you need anything. I won’t be long.” I felt the urge to expel some of the nervous energy fueling me.
“But you just took a shower.”
“So I’ll take another one. Besides, having you here in my apartment makes showering a lot more fun.” I winked and helped her lie down, being ever so mindful of her ribs. She winced and grabbed her midsection. Fuck. Every time she did so, I experienced pain in my heart. “How about a drink, or some medicine for pain before I go?”
She nodded. “That would be great. There are acetaminophen packets in my purse that the nurse gave me before I left the hospital.”
“I have a full bottle in the kitchen. You can save yours for another time. I’ll be right back.”
I went to the kitchen to get the goods.
Back in my bedroom, Teva slept soundly. I set the glass of water and the two pills on the nightstand next to the bed. That way if she woke up before I returned, she would have them.
Since she rested peacefully, I ambled to the kitchen to fill a bottle with water to bring with me downstairs. Dani washed the dishes in the sink.
“I would have done that.” I felt guilty seeing her cleaning up after me and Teva. She wasn’t my maid, nor would I ever treat her as such.
“It’s no problem at all. You know how I hate dirty dishes lying around. How is Teva feeling?”
I nudged Dani aside and took over dishwashing duty. She frowned but didn’t rebut, knowing she’d lose the argument.