by MJ Carnal
“Morning, doll.” Kevin walked into the kitchen absently rubbing his hand down his chest. He yawned and opened the refrigerator.
Her eyes widened. He stood just feet from her, hair messy from sleep and a pair of the sexiest glasses she had ever seen. His pajama pants hung loosely on his hips, that chiseled V leading to the Promised Land guaranteeing complete pleasure and exhaustion. She licked her lips. She couldn’t tear her eyes from his abs.
“Do you?” He slammed the fridge shut and chugged some orange juice.
Andi’s eyes snapped up from his bare chest and met his. “I’m sorry. What?”
He smirked. “Do you need a ride?”
She took a deep breath to compose herself. “No thanks. I have my car.”
“Car. Hmmm. Not what I was thinking.” Kevin laughed when she rolled her eyes.
“It’s like you have an encyclopedia of bullshit in that brain. How pathetic are the women that fall for this?” Andi grabbed her purse and headed to the front door.
Kevin reached for her arm. “Are you pathetic, Andi Allen? Because you seemed to be enjoying the view a minute ago.”
“And it gets deeper.” She pulled her arm away.
“Deeper is better.” As Andi stomped out the front door, Kevin took a deep breath. He was not going to survive with her under the same roof.
“It’s Merck. When are you coming back to LA?” He tucked his cell phone between his shoulder and his chin and unlocked the door to the gym.
Lily’s laugh made him smile. “Who is she?”
“Don’t ask. It’s a cluster fuck. I need to see you.”
“How did I become the booty call? I’m in Georgia. Don’t you have a black book of local women?”
Kevin laughed. “Dude, I’ll buy a damn plane if that will get you here faster.” He flipped on the lights and threw his keys on the desk. “Seriously, it’s been awhile. I know you aren’t going to fall in love with me. Makes you the number one in my ‘bitches Imma holla at’ book.”
Lily belly laughed. “How long is awhile?”
“Shit.” Kevin groaned. “You were my last.”
“What? That was weeks ago!”
“Rub it in bitch.” Kevin sighed. “You’re naked the minute you land.”
“I think my plane gets in at six on Friday. I don’t think you’ll be able to screw Andi out of your system though.” Lily laughed as she heard Kevin cuss.
“Keep that evil voodoo to yourself, mind reader. No one can know. Allen would kill me. And you’d be out one boy toy.”
“Merck, everyone knows. You two fight constantly. I think my students could even tell if they saw you. And they still eat their boogers.”
“Well, you enjoy snack time. I’m off to get sexier. Hit me up when you land. It might save my life.” Kevin hung up and smiled. Maybe he couldn’t screw her out of his heart but he could exhaust himself enough to stop thinking about her for a few seconds.
Chapter 3
The week had been torture. Having Andi so close every night was slowly driving Kevin insane. He heard her shower running in the morning, smelled her lotion and perfume on the couch cushions, and looked at her lipstick on the coffee cups. He knew it was temporary but if Caleb didn’t get better soon, he was going to risk the flu and go stay with them himself. Even the flu was better than the chest pains he was having. Knowing Andi was just a hallway away every night was seriously affecting his ‘game’.
He checked over his shoulder and noticed Andi’s car in his guest spot. He fumbled with his keys in the lock when the front door flew open. Lily smiled at him from the doorway.
“Thank Christ.” Kevin pushed his way into the house, pinning her against the wall. His body crushed against her and he groaned.
“We aren’t alone.” Lily giggled and hit his chest.
Sophie cleared her throat. She sat on the couch next to Andi, staring wordlessly at Kevin who made no attempt to back away from Lily. Kevin winked at her and refocused his attention on his prey.
“Don’t let us interrupt you there slick.” Andi stood up and stretched. Her shirt rode up, displaying a diamond navel ring. Kevin squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.
“Don’t interrupt, doll. Come join us.” He bit his lip and looked back at Lily. “She’s Tri curious. Think we could show her what the threesome thing is all about?”
“Lil, seriously? Please tell me that you didn’t come all the way out here for a quick trip down ‘I wish I hadn’t gone there’ lane.” Andi headed toward the guest room. “Digging the log ride even more these days.”
Kevin put Lily down and followed Andi down the hall. “Come on baby. Take the front seat on the roller coaster. Get your hands up in the air and let me make you scream.”
She stopped so abruptly, he walked into the back of her. Her face flushed and she stuck her finger in his chest. “I’m not living my life like a walking STD. I believe in relationships, not quickies that leave me itching the next morning. Go on. Isn’t there some Penicillin with your name on it out there?”
He grabbed her arm. “What the fuck is your problem, Ms. High and Mighty? When did you get that stick shoved up your ass?”
“It’s been a long week. Just go play with your toy.” Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them away. “She flew halfway across the country for what you’ve got, Deuce. Go prove you were worth it.” Her door slammed.
Kevin stood in the hallway, the devil and angel battling it out on his shoulders. His heart said break down the door and tell her he wanted her but his brain said run like hell. Score one for his brain. He sighed and walked away.
“Those two are constantly fighting. It’s not you.” Sophie made room for Lily on the couch.
“Soph, that’s not fighting.” Lil watched as Kevin walked into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge. “That’s foreplay honey.”
“What?” Sophie stared at her in shock. “No way.”
Lily laughed. “Reason number 839 that I love you so much. You are so naïve that you fail to see what’s right under your nose.” When Sophie flinched, she continued. “That’s not a bad thing, Soph. You have such a pure heart and you’re a romantic. A hearts and flowers girl. But some of us fight constantly when we love someone.”
Sophie smiled. “Foreplay. They’ve been fighting for months.”
“It’s gonna be one hell of an orgasm.”
Kevin jolted awake in bed. After arguing with himself for an hour, he walked Lily and Sophie out to the car and agreed to meet them for lunch the following day. He had held Lily on the couch and laughed while Sophie told them stories about Mario. But his mind wandered to the closed guest room door and he knew he couldn’t bed Lily without guilt.
Something had woken him. He looked around the room and yawned. Slipping on his boxers, he stepped into the hallway. He heard the noise again. “Andi?” He jogged toward the guest bath. “Are you ok?”
“Go away.” Her voice was muffled.
“I’m coming in.” Kevin tried the door.
“No.” Andi flushed the toilet and moaned. “Just go.”
He shoved the door and it opened. Andi was crouched on the floor over the toilet. Her body was covered in sweat and shivering. He kneeled next to her and brushed her hair over her shoulder. “What can I do?”
“Go. Don’t touch me. You’ll get sick.” She dry heaved and groaned. “There’s nothing left.”
Her skin was burning but her teeth chattered. He frowned. “I’ve got you.” Kevin lifted her from the floor and carried her into his bedroom.
She protested once and gave up. Her head rested on his shoulder, hair matted to her forehead, body trembling. “I’m freezing.”
“You’re on fire.” He pulled his covers back and laid her down in the center of his bed. Pulling open his nightstand, he grabbed a bottle of fever reducer and poured two into his hands. He uncapped his water and handed it to her. “Take this, baby.”
Her hands shook as she reached for it. “Do you have a thermometer?”
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“No. But I’ll go get one. Let me tuck you in.”
She swallowed the pills. “You have to get away from me. You’re going to get sick.”
“I’m not leaving you.” He pulled the blankets over her body and sat on the edge of the bed. Her eyes closed slowly. He ran his hands over her forehead and down her cheek. “I’ll be fine. What do you need?”
“Warm me up.” Her voice was a whisper but she pulled the covers back to let him in.
Kevin crawled in next to her and pulled the blankets over them both. She moved into his side, curling her body around his, trembling from the fever. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.
She groaned. “I can feel that.” She hit his chest with all the energy she had left.
Kevin chuckled. “I can’t help it. I’ve pictured this. Us, in this bed, you all sweaty.”
“You’re a pig.” She whispered and slumped into him as she fell asleep.
When she began to lightly snore, Kevin smiled. “Someday you will sleep here because you want to.” He whispered.
An hour later, Kevin’s arm was thrown back as Andi ran from the bed, landing on her knees in his bathroom. He grabbed his phone and sent off a text before following her. Her body lurched as she emptied everything left in her stomach. He handed her a cold cloth and she shook her head. Tears ran down her face.
“I’m dying.” She wiped her tears and attempted a smile.
“Do you want to take a shower? Can I get you something to drink? I don’t know how to help you.”
She stood and shook her head. “Bed.”
“Thought you’d never ask.” He smiled at her and picked her up. “Sleep, doll. It will be better in the morning.”
“Talk to me. Tell me something I don’t know.” She curled into his side. “Talk to me until I fall asleep.”
“Now?” When she nodded, he took a deep breath. “I got really sick after I gave Ryan the bone marrow. I wouldn’t let Jena tell anyone. She admitted me after a few days of fighting with me about my fever. I had a pretty bad infection and J was pissed that I waited so long to call her.”
“Don’t want to cross that one. She’s serious about her doctor stuff.” Andi yawned. “I’m glad you’re ok. It wouldn’t be much fun without you. Tell me more”
Kevin rubbed her back, feeling her relax into his chest. “I think I would follow you anywhere. Harassing you is what I do best.”
“Seducing me while I have a fever doesn’t count. I’m not of sound mind.” Her finger drew a circle on his chest and she sighed. “It wouldn’t count.” She repeated in a whisper.
Kevin’s whole body went on alert. They weren’t fighting and for the first time, he thought she might feel the same. It terrified him. “Sleep, Andi.” He kissed her on the top of the head. “Sweet dreams.”
Jena awoke to the sound of a text alert. She stretched and looked at the screen.
‘Andi is sick. What’s the name of the stuff you gave me when I was sick after.. well you know? She needs some. She keeps throwing up. I’m worried. –K’
She leaned over and kissed Caleb on the cheek. “I’ve got to run out. Your sister caught our flu.”
He pulled her back on top of him. “Give me five minutes. I’m feeling so much better.”
She laughed. “I’ll come right home. If Deuce is worried, it has to be bad.”
Caleb groaned. “When did you start calling him Deuce?”
Jena winked. “The minute I realized Andi was in love with him.”
“Shit.” Caleb covered his head with his pillow.
Chapter 4
Andi stretched her legs and groaned. She hurt everywhere. Blinking, she tried to see through the darkness. Reaching for the lamp, she felt the tug on her arm. “What the hell?” She looked at the IV and followed the tubing to the bag of fluids being pumped into her body.
Voices drew her attention to the hall. She strained to hear what they were saying but it was no use. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Her stomach rumbled and her head pounded.
“Kevin?” Andi’s voice was small.
The bedroom door opened and Kevin and Jena looked back at her. “How are you feeling?”
“How long have I been out?”
Jena smiled at her as she felt her head. “Two days, on and off.”
“Two days!” Andi tried to stand but stumbled. Strong arms wrapped around her waist.
“Gotta walk before you can fly, doll.” Kevin chuckled as she squirmed in his arms.
She glanced down at her clothing. Gone were her pajamas. Instead, she was wearing one of Kevin’s white t-shirts and a pair of his boxer shorts. Her eyes locked with Kevin’s, panic sweeping across her face. “Where are my pajamas?”
“Lie back down and I’ll go start a bath.” Kevin leaned onto the bed and pulled the covers over her. She could feel his breath on her face. He brushed his lips across her jaw and whispered in her ear. “That nipple ring is the hottest thing I have ever seen. I’d like to see it again sometime when you aren’t unconscious.”
Andi pushed against him and he laughed. “Not ever gonna happen.”
“Never say never. You said you’d never be in my bed and look where you’ve been the last forty-eight hours. You’ve been burning up my sheets, baby.”
“Jena, please tell me I can come home. He’s sucking the life out of my soul.”
“Speaking of sucking..”
“Kevin!” The girls yelled in unison and he laughed all the way to the bathroom.
Jena capped the IV and pulled a fresh t-shirt and boxers from Kevin’s drawer. She unwrapped a new toothbrush and then sat on the edge of the bed. “You can come home tomorrow. I want you to have some more fluids and I want to see you eat something. Kevin bought some soup on his way home from work. Andi, he’s been great. He sent me a message asking me for help as soon as he knew you were sick. He’s been taking care of you and he even slept on the couch last night. He almost seems…”
“Normal.” Andi smiled when Jena laughed. “Thanks for coming over and helping me. I know you and Caleb aren’t feeling great either. This is miserable.”
“Let him take care of you. If you are half as stubborn as your damn brother, Kevin deserves a medal.” Jena hung another bag of fluids. “Just restart this when you’re finished in the bath. I’m going to head home. It was a long day at the hospital today and I want to spend some time with Caleb. Call me in the morning. Sooner if you need something.”
“Rub a dub dub.” Kevin stood in the bathroom door and smiled. “Let’s do this.”
Andi stretched her sore muscles and sank deeper into the bubbles. The bath was heaven, even if it had taken all her energy to get into it. She vowed to get a flu shot, the second it was available, every year, for the rest of her life. She had known it was foolish not to get one. Working in the hospital, she was surrounded by germs. But it was so late in the flu season that it didn’t seem likely that it would happen. She dunked her head under the warm water and held her breath. Peace and quiet. Water had always been her sanctuary. The stillness of being under it, the silence of being alone with it, the pure joy found floating in it. She had spent her high school years swimming, competing at state and getting a scholarship to college to swim. She had given it up when she had declared her major. Constant focus had been on her studies. Long nights in the library, no fraternity parties, anxiety over chemistry experiments and calculus. She wouldn’t go back. But it had been an amazing time in her life.
Sensing she was being watched, she opened her eyes. Kevin looked down into the water with a strange expression on his face. She pushed to the surface and wiped her eyes. “You alright there, deuce?”
“You were under there awhile. I got worried. But you looked so peaceful.” Kevin sat on the edge of the tub and grabbed the shampoo. “Feeling any better?”
“I’m sorry I kept you busy the whole weekend Lily was in town. I know you were looking forward to pinning her up against a few more walls.” She smiled
a shy smile at him. She wasn’t sorry at all.
“No worries, Doll. There will always be walls. There’s only one you.” Kevin rinsed her hair and put conditioner in it.
Andi shivered. His hands felt like heaven. She closed her eyes and moaned. His hands stilled. Her eyes flew open and locked with his. Kevin’s bright silver gray eyes were hooded, desire written all over his face. She bit her bottom lip and her body flushed with want.
“I’m going to go… do something.” Kevin stood and handed Andi the bottle of conditioner. “I’ll make you some soup.” And with that, he walked out of the bathroom and shut the door.
Andi sighed as she slid under the water once more. Four words echoed through her head. This cannot be happening.
Kevin cleaned the dishes from dinner and walked back into the bedroom. Andi was starting to fall asleep and he smiled. Even sick, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Even sick, she was a huge pain in his ass. She opened one eye and smiled at him.
“I need to hop in the shower.” Kevin yanked his shirt off and tossed it into the hamper. “Will you answer my phone if it rings? We’re just days from Layla’s due date and I expect the call any time.”
Andi reached for his phone, her fingers brushing his. “I’ll be happy to.”
He winked and stepped into the bathroom. The hot water felt amazing on his body. He had debated a cold shower but thought better of it when he realized he was starting to feel a little chilled. He tried to concentrate on anything other than the half naked woman in his bed. Hearing the muffled sound of his phone ringing for at least the third time, he turned off the water and began to dry his hair with the bath towel.
“Oh, I’ll be sure to tell him that. Yeah. Bah bye.” Andi rolled her eyes and threw the phone at Kevin as he stepped from the bathroom.