Indulgent Pleasures

by Karen Erickson

  “Ah, don’t worry about me. I’m going to be confined here at my house for a while, though.”

  “For how long?”

  “At least a couple of days, maybe three? I don’t know, my doctor wants the swelling to go down and the only way that’ll happen is if I don’t do anything.” He paused. “I’m going to be bored out of my mind.”

  “Do you want me to come over and take care of you tonight?” As soon as the offer flew out her mouth, she wanted to take it back.

  He probably thought she was taking this too far, her wanting to come over. And maybe she was. This wasn’t anything serious and taking care of someone when they weren’t well was definitely the realm of serious.

  “No, you don’t have to do that,” he said quickly. “I’m fine, really.”

  “But I want to. That is, if you want me to.” Maybe he didn’t like being fussed over. Maybe he preferred to be alone so he could sulk and be cranky all he wanted.

  The idea of going to his house and making sure he was all right filled her with warmth. Taking care of him, seeing to his every need, would that send their relationship into another realm? Make it all feel a little more serious?

  Did he want to make it more serious? Did she? Is that why he didn’t want her there?

  God, she was thinking about this way too much.

  “I don’t want to put you out, Stephanie. It’s a long drive and to be honest, I’m really grouchy and I probably won’t be much company.”

  “Have you had anything to eat?”

  He sighed. “Just some cereal when I first woke up. I’m starving.”

  “Then I’m definitely coming out there to help you. You really don’t mind?”

  He paused and she waited, felt as if her entire world would come crashing down upon her if he said yes, he did mind.

  Dramatic but true.

  “No, no, I don’t mind. I really appreciate this, Stephanie.”

  “It’s no big deal. I’ll call you when I’m on my way, okay?” She hung up, excitement bubbling within her.

  She should be disappointed that they weren’t going to do anything naughty but she was secretly thrilled to play nurse to Justin.

  Hmm. Nurse. Maybe they could do something a little naughty, a little role play. She had that costume from a Halloween party she went to a few years ago. It still hung in her closet.

  If he was up to it, that is.

  Glancing at the front door of the restaurant, she sighed. She’d have to deal with her sisters, tell them she had to unexpectedly leave. And then she needed to stop at Whole Foods and pick up a few things before she started for Half Moon Bay. She needed to feed that man right, give him the treatment he deserved.

  She couldn’t wait.

  Chapter Seventeen

  With a frustrated growl, Justin pointed the remote at the big screen TV and turned it off with the push of his thumb. He threw the remote onto his bedside table. With a sigh, he stared up at the ceiling and watched the fan above turn round and round.

  What, he’d been on bed rest for a few hours and he was already ready to climb the walls? Or tear them down, whatever was easiest.

  Saturday afternoon and his knee had been a raging mess. It had been giving him regular trouble for the last couple of weeks, pretty much ever since he started seeing Stephanie.

  Hell, the woman might be bad for his health.

  No, more like she distracted him and he forgot everything but her. What she felt like, what she tasted like. He’d become careless, not taking care of himself as well as he should’ve and now he was paying the price.

  By Saturday night, he’d been in so much pain he couldn’t take it anymore. Luckily he’d been able to contact one of the Miners’ team doctors and he’d come right out to check on Justin. And then the doc had promptly delivered all the bad news.

  Reluctantly Justin had agreed with him. He didn’t need to screw up his body any more. It was already screwed up enough. And he hated feeling like a complete invalid. It brought him back to the time of the accident and those first few days in the hospital. When the doctor and his coach had come into his room together and given him the bad news.

  Unfortunately, you’ll never be able to play again. We’re so sorry, Hawk.

  Those remembered words from his coach, the shine of tears in his eyes had devastated Justin. It was a moment he didn’t like to remember.

  Yet it was always right there, lingering in the back of his mind.

  His biggest problem was the way he acted whenever Stephanie was around. He forgot everything and became too distracted by her. And now he suffered for it.

  He’d tried to be strong, tried to resist her, but when she asked if she could come see him and offered to take care of him, he’d grown weak and agreed. When was the last time someone had wanted to take care of him? Since his grandmother when he was young? But once he hit a certain age, he’d turned into the caregiver, doing everything he could to make sure his frail grandma was okay.

  Doctors had taken care of him but they didn’t count. His coaches had taken care of him too but hell, they really didn’t count either. They were all just doing their job.

  When was the last time a woman had wanted to take care of him? And he’d actually let her? He honestly didn’t think it had ever happened.

  So he should enjoy this, let Stephanie pamper him and make sure he was comfortable. It sounded as if she wanted to cook him a meal, indulge him a bit and by all means, he was going to let her.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a home cooked meal made just for him.

  Maybe if he spent more time with Stephanie doing non-sexual things he could regain some sort of control. At least of his cock since it seemed to have a mind of its own every time she came around. It was ridiculous, downright embarrassing how out of control he became. Like a wild animal with one purpose only.

  To get inside of her sweet little body as quickly as possible.

  She’d called a while ago and said she was on her way and he figured she had to be close now. The second he’d got off the phone, he’d limped to the front door and unlocked it so she could walk right in.

  That way she didn’t have to see exactly how bad it was. He could barely stand to look at his swollen knee. Stephanie would probably run screaming if she took one look at that thing.

  Just a couple of days and hopefully the water retention would drain and the swelling would go down. Then he could resume his normal activities, head back to physical therapy and get into the best physical shape possible. He had a future job in the works and he needed to be in top condition.

  Curt was still in negotiations with the network, hammering out the logistics and the terms of their new agreement. Justin didn’t want to sign anything that would lock him in until he tried out the gig to see if he even liked it.

  It sounded ideal but he wanted to make sure this was the new career for him.

  The doorbell sounded and a few seconds later he heard the door open, Stephanie’s sweet voice calling hello. His cock did a little happy dance at the first sound of her voice and he grimaced, reaching beneath the sheets and adjusting his jersey shorts.

  Fuck, he was ridiculous. There would be no dirty deeds going down tonight. He was in too much pain and he had no business putting himself through strenuous acrobatics just to get some.

  Right now, it really wasn’t worth it.

  Justin frowned. He could hardly believe he even thought that.

  “Hi,” Stephanie greeted when she finally walked into his bedroom, a little smile curving her lush lips. She went to him and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. “How are you feeling?”

  He was feeling embarrassed but he didn’t want to admit it. It was strange having her here, almost too personal. That she wanted to take care of him still took him aback.

  “I’m all right.” He shrugged. “Knee’s killing me but I’ll survive. I’ve survived worse.”

  That last statement hung in the air between them and he wished he could take it
back. Hell, yes he’d survived worse. The accident that had nearly claimed his life, the entire reason he lay there in his bed miserable and in so much pain.

  Amazing how a life could change in the blink of an eye.

  She forced a smile but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. No, her eyes were full of sympathy. Like she might feel sorry for him.

  He hated that he put that emotion in her expressive eyes. He’d never been comfortable with people feeling sorry for him.

  “Do you mind if I use your kitchen? I brought some stuff so I could fix you an early dinner.”

  His stomach rumbled at her words. “Have at it. If you can’t find something just keep looking. The kitchen is pretty much fully stocked. I bought every pot, pan and gadget you can imagine when I renovated it.”

  Why, he hadn’t been exactly sure. Not as if he was a great cook. He could throw something together when he had to but hell, he’d hardly been home so he’d rarely used the damn thing. It had given him comfort though, knowing the kitchen was ready to be utilized fully at a moment’s notice.

  Not necessarily wanting to go there, he figured it had something to do with his dead grandmother and her love for cooking.

  This time Stephanie’s smile was genuine. “Well then, I can’t wait to get in there. I haven’t cooked much lately and I really enjoy it.”

  His gaze wandered over her and he noticed that she looked more casual than usual. She wore wide-legged jeans and a red and white striped fitted T-shirt. Her cheeks were pink, a natural flush versus blush since it appeared she wore no other makeup, not even lipstick. As normal, her hair was pulled back since she rarely wore it down. A trait that drove him nuts.

  “Why don’t you ever wear your hair down?”

  She stopped, seemingly startled by his abrupt question. Her wide-eyed gaze met his. “I don’t know. It’s always in my way. It’s easier to just throw it up in a ponytail.”

  He stared at her, wondering if he should go there, wondering if he even had the right to do so. “I prefer it down. It’s so thick and pretty.”

  Pressing her lips together, she dipped her head, a little sigh escaping her. “Even in pain and on bed rest you know how to throw on the charm.”

  “I’m not trying to throw on the charm. I think your hair is beautiful.” He hoped he sounded earnest since he wasn’t giving her a line.

  This woman made him want to be honest.

  Her head lifted and her gaze met his once more. “Thank you.”

  “Take out your ponytail.”

  She grimaced. “If I do my hair will look all rumpled.”

  “I don’t care.” He really didn’t.

  Slowly she reached up behind her head and tugged the elastic from her hair. She shook her head, the shoulder-length dark locks tumbling all around her face and he noticed she was right. There was a slight ridge along her hair from the elastic holder.

  It didn’t detract from her beauty though. He was still filled with the urge to run his fingers through her hair, test the silky smooth tresses.

  “Does it look bad?” She appeared truly concerned as she ran a hand over her head as if to smooth it out.

  “Not at all.” He shook his head, trying to control the urge to leap from the bed and wrap his arms around her. Bury his face in her hair and breathe deep.

  Holy shit, he had it bad for this woman. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to embrace the feeling or run like hell from it.

  She smiled, it lit up her entire face and she waggled her fingers at him. “I’ll come back in a few and check on you.”

  “Sounds good.”

  He watched her go, his chest hurting, his mind a whirlwind. Emotions surged through him, both incredibly powerful and amazing in their intensity.

  Leaning back against the pillow, he closed his eyes and rubbed the heel of his hands over them. Fuck, he didn’t know what to do, what to think. He’d never experienced anything like this before and he’d always thought if he did, he’d know better and flee before he got caught in the trap.

  But now, with Stephanie, he didn’t want to run from it. He wanted to spend even more time with her, get to know her, learn from her.

  She actually gave him hope. Something he hadn’t felt in way too long.

  * * *

  Stephanie tucked her hair behind her ear and continued sautéing the mushrooms in shallots and garlic. She knew he liked Italian so she was making chicken marsala for dinner. Not only was it one of her favorite meals to eat but it was also a cooking specialty of hers.

  Her mind drifted yet again to their earlier conversation and the way he looked at her when he said he preferred she wear her hair down. How handsome he’d appeared lying in that big bed, no shirt on, all of that delicious hard flesh exposed for her private perusal.

  For about the one hundredth millionth time she wondered what he saw in her. She was packing at least ten extra pounds, probably more because she refused to weigh herself. She was round and curvy and really not all that sophisticated. Most likely nothing like the women he usually associated with.

  Yet the way he’d stared at her, his eyes soft, his expression downright...vulnerable. And a little stunned.

  Maybe it was because she’d so willingly volunteered herself to help take care of him. He’d told her about his grandmother yet he never mentioned his parents. Had he not received much love when he was a child? Had his parents ever been around?

  She wasn’t quite sure and didn’t feel close enough to him to ask.

  Well, she didn’t feel comfortable enough to ask him such a personal question. She didn’t want to pry.

  Going to the kitchen island, she grabbed the pan of lightly floured chicken breasts and set it by the stovetop. His kitchen was unbelievable, like a professional would use and she wondered if he ever cooked. Had another woman been in this kitchen, cooking a special meal just for him?

  Something told her the answer was no. She didn’t believe he allowed too many women get close to him.

  This made their situation feel even more special. Like maybe she meant something more than just a quick, satisfying lay?

  She sighed, grabbed the handle of the sauté pan and dumped the sizzling mixture into an empty stainless bowl. She cut off another thin square of butter and dropped it into the pan, followed quickly by the chicken.

  Again, she was looking more into this than she should. She was having fun, she was having orgasms on a regular basis and their sexy indulgences were giving her terrific fodder for her articles. She had one due to Zoe on Tuesday and she already had it halfway written in her head.

  So that’s all this was between them, something easy, something fun and something she shouldn’t stare too hard at. Enjoy it for what it was and hope it didn’t end too soon.

  And when it did end, hopefully they would remain friends. She liked him, he was truly her ideal man but really was there an ideal man for every woman out there? No one was as perfect as Justin seemed. A chink would always eventually show in the armor and honestly, she didn’t want to be around when it was exposed.

  At least, that’s what she told herself.

  So she shouldn’t get too comfortable in his wonderful kitchen. And she shouldn’t familiarize herself with his gorgeous home that he remodeled. She definitely shouldn’t get too comfortable with the big, beautiful man who lay in wait for her in his bed.

  Yes, she shouldn’t do any of that. Her heart probably wouldn’t be able to take it when the final blow was delivered.

  Secretly, deep down inside where she didn’t want to admit it, she wondered if it was too late.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “This is delicious,” Justin said for about the tenth time since they sat down for dinner. He forked another generous bite into his mouth and gave a low murmur of approval as he chewed.

  Stephanie smiled at him from across the table, thrilled that he liked her cooking so much. She’d enjoyed making dinner for him too, though she’d been more than a little upset when he’d insisted they eat in the nook right off
the kitchen.

  She’d tried her hardest to convince him to stay in bed and she’d bring him a tray but he wouldn’t hear it. And heaven forbid she get in the way of such a stubborn man. Once she’d tried to stop him, he’d seemed even more determined to get his way.

  So reluctantly, she’d given in and watched as he’d limped all the way into the kitchen, refusing her help every single time she’d offered it. His mouth drawn in a firm line, sweat actually dotting his forehead and his face a strained grimace, he’d finally settled himself in a chair at the little round table.

  “See I told you I could do it.” His triumphant smile had been ruined with the lines of pain etched into his face.

  Well, there was the first minor chink in his armor. Stubborn and he refused any type of help. Men like that usually drove her crazy.

  “Would you like more?” She’d made an overabundance knowing that his appetite was probably at an all-time high and he’d already had a second helping. She figured tonight was as good a time as any to indulge him with food.

  “I shouldn’t.” He patted his flat belly, now covered by a gray Miners T-shirt. “I’ll get fat if you keep feeding me this good.”

  She doubted that. There wasn’t a spare amount of flesh on the man whatsoever.

  Smiling, she stood and stacked their dinner plates on top of each other. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

  “I enjoyed all of it.” He stopped her from leaving the table, his fingers sliding around her wrist. His thumb did a slow stroke across her pulse point and her skin tingled where he touched her. “Thank you, Stephanie. I really appreciate you doing all this for me.”

  Her cheeks warmed and she tore her gaze from his, a little embarrassed. It had been fun, feeding him, basking in his praise, laughing when he teased her. But it felt a little weird when he got all serious.