Necessary Roughness

by Julie Brannagh

  “What’s up?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “I can’t believe I agreed to do this,” she said. “I should go home. Barb can take care of you, and I’ll see you at physical therapy.”

  “Chickening out already? I thought you were tougher than that.”

  She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the same time. She couldn’t figure out why he got under her skin so badly. He was annoying. He was also handsome, which made the annoying part even worse. She’d never had a client like him before. She was confused, somewhat dazzled, and wishing he came with an FAQ or whatever.

  “What’s the problem, then?” he said. She was a bit shocked to see him attempting to look pitiful. The slight pout he currently wore was sexy on him. Any other guy would look pathetic. “You’ll have a captive audience too.”

  “Didn’t you have a driver? I thought that’s how you got to your appointments.”

  “He listened to country music in my Highlander.”

  “Then tell him not to,” she said.

  Her voice sounded a bit desperate to her own ears. She wasn’t sure why she felt so helpless at the moment. Maybe it had something to do with the fact he was staring into her eyes and she couldn’t seem to look away from him. For a guy she allegedly disliked, he’d started to grow on her. Plus, she felt . . . tingling. She’d like to believe that she was interested in Tanner’s mind, but she wouldn’t be human if she didn’t admit she was a little attracted to him. It was alarming. She’d heard of hate fucking before, but she’d never engaged in it. She could only imagine how that would go too. It would play out in her worst nightmares. He’d give her the smirk she’d already seen several times today and say something like, “That was—nice. Be sure to shut the door when you leave.” The imagined humiliation sent a chill down her spine.

  The corner of his mouth twitched. “Things were fine a little while ago. What happened?”

  She wanted to tell him she’d had an encounter with his nurse, but that would sound whiny.

  “We don’t like each other,” she said. “I’ve lived with someone I didn’t like before.”

  “You don’t like me?” His eyes widened. “I never would have guessed.” His voice dropped. “What are you afraid of? This house is big enough that we could go for days without seeing each other. I promise I won’t visit your cottage in the woods without permission.”

  “Cottage in the woods? What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t all Disney princesses live in a cottage or some place in the forest or whatever? Something you have to climb to get into?”

  “That was Rapunzel. She escaped with the hunky guy.”

  “So, what’s your point?”

  “Your nurse hates me,” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

  “She hates everybody. What did she say to you?” The teasing smile faded from his mouth.

  “She seems concerned we’re romantically involved.”

  “Like it’s her business. Did you tell her that it’s never going to happen?”

  “She doesn’t seem to think that’s a problem.”

  “She’s wrong.” He reached into his sweats pocket and pulled out an iPhone. “I’m not into hate fucking.” He hit a button on the screen and put the phone down on the table.

  He let that sink in for a minute or so while Jordan concentrated on keeping her mouth from dropping open. She wasn’t about to explore his comments, so it was time to change the subject.

  “I have some questions for you,” she said.

  “I’ll bet,” he muttered. His head came up and he stared into her eyes. “Shoot.”

  “Does Harrison live here, or does it just seem like it?”

  Tanner let out a burst of laughter. “He spends more time here than he does at his place. I told him he’s welcome to the couch.” His voice dropped. “I’ll tell you a little secret.”

  “Okay,” Jordan said.

  “Barb hates him too.”

  “I’m guessing that means I’m not so special.”

  “Nope, DP. Next question.” He leaned forward and rested both elbows on the tabletop. She’d worked with a lot of athletes before, but she’d never seen one with forearms like Tanner’s. The muscles bunched and flexed as he used one finger to push his phone away.

  “Who’s doing the housework and cooking around here?”

  “I have a housekeeper. She comes in here once a week, cleans, and does the laundry. The cooking is a bit more of a challenge. I had a chef, but he quit about a week after I got hurt. He’s getting ready to open his own restaurant.” He raised one eyebrow at Jordan. His smirk was back.

  “I don’t think you want me doing the cooking.”

  “I got some of those meal kits that are shipped to my house,” he coaxed. “It’s hard for me to stand up long enough right now to cook.”

  “I’m not an expert—”

  “If you’ll cook, I’ll buy the food.” It looked like it was all he could do to not burst out laughing again. “This deal’s off, however, if you have some exotic eating habits.”

  “‘Exotic eating habits’? What does that mean?”

  “You know. Are you a vegetarian? How about a vegan? Paleo? Gluten-free? Fruitarian?”

  “And what if I was? That stuff is not exotic.”

  “I like food and lots of it,” he said.

  “What’s your point?” she burst out.

  He got up from the table, crossed the kitchen to his refrigerator, and drew out a couple of boxes. “Here’s tonight’s dinner.” He set the boxes down in front of her. “I got the family plan because I eat the leftovers for lunch the next day.”

  She had to admit that crispy salmon with orzo, green bean, and cucumber salad didn’t sound too bad. Everything was already in the box, complete with directions. Anyone who could follow directions could cook the meal. She wasn’t going to admit that, however.

  “What would you have done if I couldn’t boil water?”

  “Call for pizza,” he said as he sat down at the table. “Let’s make a deal. If you will help with the cooking tonight, I’ll start looking for another chef.”

  “This means we’ll have to see each other twice a day.”

  “I’ll make the sacrifice. You’re saving me from being left alone with Nurse Barb.”

  A yellow Lab padded into the kitchen. He stroked the dog’s head. “There’s my good girl. Sit.” He nodded at Jordan. “Sadie, this is Jordan. She’s going to be living with us for a while.” Tanner glanced at Jordan. “Want to meet her?”

  “I’d enjoy that.”

  “Sadie, visit,” he said. The dog approached and laid her head in Jordan’s lap.

  “Hello, Sadie,” Jordan said. The dog licked her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Okay. Dinnertime.” He reached out to grab the directions from the box. “Are you hungry? I’m starving. How about some crispy salmon?”

  It wasn’t hard to find the pans and utensils she needed to cook dinner in Tanner’s kitchen. Half an hour later, the food was ready. She had to admit she’d enjoyed using his top-of-the-line appliances and cookware to come up with a meal that wouldn’t have been out of place at an expensive restaurant.

  “How about a bottle of wine?” he said. “I can’t drink right now, but if you want some, the wine fridge is right there.” He nodded at the glass front set into his kitchen island.

  “It’s a work night. I’ll have some ice water. Would you like some?” she said as she put a plateful of delicious-smelling food down in front of him.

  “That would be great,” he said. “Thanks.”

  Jordan busied herself with getting them both more ice water and sat down in front of her own plate of delicious-looking food.

  Tanner was shoveling the food in like he hadn’t eaten for a week. “This is good,” he managed to say between bites.

  Jordan took a bite of salmon. Delicious. The salad was fabulous too. He bent over his plate again. She took another bite of her dinner and watched him mow through one
portion of salmon in short order. There were people in the world who wanted to savor a good meal. They took their time and enjoyed it. Tanner seemed to believe that relishing food was for wimps or something.

  “Don’t choke,” she said.

  “Oh, I won’t.” He caught her eye. “You might like that.”

  “I haven’t performed the Heimlich maneuver in a while.”

  “You won’t be doing it tonight.” He’d cut into the second portion of salmon and had polished off his salad. “I’m going to have to order this again.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” she said.

  “My compliments to the chef,” he muttered.

  The slightest bloom of happiness unfurled inside her. She didn’t need a man’s approval to get through a day, but it was a nice feeling nevertheless.

  “There’s that smile,” he said to her.

  She saw the flash of his whitened smile in response.

  ***

  HE’D LOST HIS fucking mind. One small compliment and DP lit up like Christmas morning. She still bugged the crap out of him—no mistake there—but damn, she was beautiful when she smiled. Her eyes twinkled. The little dimple in her chin made an appearance. She even got that flush of happiness on her cheekbones too. There wasn’t a man alive who could resist that kind of shit, and what was he going to do now?

  He’d told DP that he wanted her to live in the guest room for a couple of months because he could get more physical therapy if she was on premises, but he had to admit that the fact that Sadie stuck close to her already reassured him he’d made the right decision. His dog was a better judge of people than he was, and it seemed she approved of his new houseguest. Oddly enough, Sadie refused to go anywhere near Nurse Barb after he introduced them. It wasn’t a good sign.

  Nurse Barb was going to be “assisting” him in the shower five days a week, which made his balls shrivel at the thought. There was something off about her. He wasn’t sure what DP could do to save him from the big bad agency nurse, but at least there was a witness. Out of all the crap he’d endured since he’d had to be carried onto the team plane to go home that cold Sunday afternoon eight months ago, this was the most embarrassing. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had to have “supervision” in the shower when he was in the hospital post-surgery and the rehab facility he spent three weeks in before he busted out. He did. The nurses in question were professional and pleasant. He didn’t mind so much because they didn’t make him feel like he was a burden, or it was ruining their day that he’d like fifteen minutes to rinse off, wash his hair, and get into some clean clothes. He had no problem telling people that were pissing him off to go fuck themselves, but he felt vulnerable. He didn’t like the feeling. Even worse, he felt helpless.

  It occurred to him that he was acting just like Barb was to every person in his life, but he didn’t want to sit and analyze why he was cranky to everyone right now. He might have to change if he did that. Plus, he hated to admit it, but he wanted a little consideration and compassion. He didn’t know how to ask for it without coming off as desperate, but he needed it.

  If it came to a choice between the sometimes annoying but pleasant DP and someone who should consider a career in which she didn’t have to work with actual people, he knew whom he’d pick.

  DP had cooked dinner for them, they’d conversed like adults, he’d given her a compliment, and now she was asleep in his guest room downstairs. He grabbed his crutches and headed toward his now-bedroom.

  ***

  JORDAN AWOKE THE next morning in a sumptuous four-poster bed that felt like she was floating on puffy clouds. The room was flooded in shortly-after-dawn sunshine. The pale sheers covering the window fluttered in the warm breeze blowing off the lakefront. She felt a warm, heavy body next to her on the bed. Tanner’s dog, Sadie, let out a snort, opened one eye, and went back to sleep seconds later.

  She’d always thought that dogs would want to sleep with their owners. Maybe Sadie liked the guest room instead.

  She shoved herself into a sitting position and looked around. She hadn’t been dreaming. The room was as beautiful and comfortable as it had been last night. She’d woken a bit earlier than usual, so she had a few minutes to enjoy her surroundings.

  She stood up, crossed to the window, and stared out at the lake. If she got ready for work and Tanner was awake, they could spend some time in his gym before she had to leave. As her grandma would have said, speak of the devil.

  Meet me in the gym.

  Yes, she texted back and headed toward the guest room shower. Sadie jumped off the bed, headed toward the toilet, and started slurping water.

  ***

  TANNER LOWERED HIMSELF into the plush chair in one corner of his room shortly after dawn the first morning he was home from the rehab place. He’d managed to handle most of the morning stuff on his own. He’d have to wait to take a shower until Barb was on duty, but he’d made progress since last week. He’d be happier when he healed up enough that he didn’t need two live-in babysitters.

  DP must have still been asleep. He was betting that Sadie was sleeping in her room too.

  He was pretty sure that when Jordan awoke, teeny animated bluebirds would fly around the four-poster bed and sing especially for her. It was the damnedest thing: she could get under his skin sometimes, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t think she was hot. He was running through everything he could think of to make things below his waist settle down whenever she was in the vicinity: Multiplication tables. The last visit he’d had with his great-aunts. That cooking show with the woman who had the ridiculous French accent his ex-girlfriend liked to watch DVDs of.

  Just the thought of his ex-girlfriend made everything below his waist deflate. She was still sending him texts. He kept deleting them unread. He’d told her a hundred times that they were over and he had no interest in seeing her again. He wasn’t sure what it was going to take to make her knock it off.

  If he was super-careful, maybe he could shower before Nurse Barb was on duty for the day. If he maintained his balance, he could get his underwear and most of his clothes on without assistance too. The makeshift big-garbage-bag waterproofing he’d used before had been replaced with a waterproof sleeve he secured with Velcro. He dried himself off, wrapped the towel around his waist, and hobbled over to the padded bench that ran the length of the small room the master toilet was in.

  Barb walked into the bathroom.

  “I wasn’t aware you were taking your shower so soon. It’s not safe for you to be in here by yourself,” she said.

  “I thought I’d get in and out so I could get a start on the day.” He didn’t meet her eyes.

  “Sorry I missed it,” she said. The hair rose on the back of his neck at her voice, low and sultry. She strolled over to him. She was a bit too close, and he tried to move away. She reached out to grab his wrist.

  “I need to get going,” he said.

  “Let’s get back in the shower,” she said. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

  He pulled away from her and grabbed the bathroom counter for balance. “No thanks,” he said.

  “You’ll enjoy it,” she said, and he heard footsteps in the hallway outside the bathroom. If it was DP, hopefully she’d hear him.

  “I’m not interested. Please leave.”

  “You don’t really mean that,” Nurse Barb said. “Let’s have some fun.”

  “No,” he said again. He pushed off the bathroom counter and limped to the door leading to the hallway.

  ***

  JORDAN HAD WAITED in the gym for almost twenty minutes and decided to come upstairs to see if something was wrong or Tanner needed her help. Seconds later, he limped out of the bathroom, holding onto the wall for support. His face was flushed. If it was possible to breathe fire, Jordan was sure he would have incinerated the bathroom. He wore nothing but a plush white bath towel around his waist and some type of waterproof covering on his knee. If she’d heard correctly, Nurse Barb had come on to him and he’d told h
er no. Multiple times.

  Any woman would be hard-pressed not to stare. Jordan’s mouth went dry. He hadn’t been able to perform the full range of workouts that kept any NFL player in stellar condition for the past eight months, but his muscles still had muscles. His shoulders were well developed and broad, his hips were narrow, his abdomen was flat, and he still had a six-pack. His chest was covered in dark curls, complete with the vertical line that ran from mid-belly to below his towel. He shook his head once, sharply, shaking droplets of water out of his hair.

  “I need a favor,” he said to Jordan. “Would you go in the bathroom and grab my crutches?”

  “Yes,” she said. Before she could take a step, Nurse Barb was in the hallway with them.

  “I don’t know what you think you heard in there,” the nurse said to Jordan, “but nothing happened.”

  Tanner braced himself against the hallway wall with both hands. “It doesn’t matter. Barb, I’d like you to get your things and leave. You’re fired.”

  “I said nothing happened.” Barb stared into his face. “Star warned me about this. She warned me about you. You want me as much as I want you. Why fight it?” She moved closer to him, and Jordan reached out to brace Tanner’s arm as he backed away from her.

  Tanner’s mouth dropped open. “Get out of here. If you won’t leave on your own, I’m calling the cops. Leave. Now.”

  “The agency won’t send another nurse.”

  “I’ll deal with that later,” he said. “Leave.”

  Barb went into the room she’d been staying in. They heard her slam the door.

  “I’ll get your stuff,” Jordan said. “I’ll be right back.”

  She grabbed the remaining clean clothing he’d left on the countertop and his Ziploc-covered cell phone. He was standing in front of the elevator when she came out of the bathroom again. He hit Door Open, and they stepped inside. He wasn’t going to be able to carry the clothes and maneuver his crutches. The elevator ride took less than thirty seconds.

  “I’ll put this stuff in your room for you. Do you need any more help?” she said.

  “I’ve got it.” He moved to the doorway as she laid the items on his bed. He was still waiting when she emerged.