Chapter 21
My head hurt a little more than I let on, but I knew Spencer was a drill sergeant. I'd learned that over the last few weeks. In fact, I was surprised and pleased by the way he'd grown up so much, taking responsibility seriously and applying a strong work ethic. When I took a moment to step back from my own emotion about things and notice how he'd changed, I was proud of him. I had yet to tell him, however, because even the slightest hint of personal conversation was met with a brick wall.
Until now.
He squirmed on the couch beside me trying to hide his morning wood, and I tried to ignore it. I even rubbed my eyes more times than needed so he'd have the chance to get up and leave, but he sat there, staring at me. All I could do was curl up against the back of the couch and wait for him to say something. I felt out of place here. If I were at home I'd have gone for coffee, showered, anything but just sit around.
"Uh, I can make some eggs and bacon--turkey bacon, because it's lower cholesterol. How does that sound?"
"Blech," I grumbled. "I'll take eggs, hold the fake bacon." I grinned at him and he stood--and so did is dick. I had to hide a snicker. His morning wood was a fucking tree.
He turned quickly, walking away. He probably hoped I hadn't noticed, but I did, and it aroused me a little, thinking of how incredible I knew it felt to take a stroll in that forest. I bit my lip hard, bringing myself out of that revery, and glanced at his phone. I had no clue where mine was. I had been carrying it when I was running, but I lost the past twenty-four hours to sleep.
"Where's my phone?" I asked, sitting straighter as he pulled a pan out of the cupboard.
"Ah, it's in the bag with all your things from the hospital. They did an MRI, so they had to take your bra off too. It's in the bag."
When he mentioned a bra, my hands instinctively shot to my chest and I squeezed my boobs. Fuck... He had helped me change last night. I was so out of it I hadn't even realized he had seen me nearly nude, and I'd be damned if I let him see me like that again. At least not willingly. I felt my cheeks burning and looked up at him as he cracked a few eggs into the skillet on the stove.
"I was a perfect gentleman," he said, probably reading my mind.
All thoughts of my phone were gone, replaced with internal loathing that the idea of Spencer seeing me naked both repulsed me and aroused me. I felt my groin burning, the ache slowly building as I watched him cook. Had he been aroused by me? Or was that morning wood?
"I called us both in for today."
"I'm fine, Spencer. We can go in." I pushed myself up, shaking away the feeling of tension between my legs. "Let's just have breakfast and go."
"No, you need more rest. The concussion might not be as bad as the doctors thought, but you took a very hard spill. You need to rest today."
I rolled my eyes hard at him and stood, walking to the bathroom. I felt his eyes on me, probably watching my ass, but he had annoyed me already. The bit of arousal I felt was gone with a wipe of toilet paper after relieving my bladder, and I intended to not let that happen again. When I came out of the bathroom, he was plating eggs already, so I sat down across from him at the bar and he slid the plate in front of me.
"You know what I really want?" I asked, spearing a bite of egg with the fork he handed me. Spencer stood and used a fork to eat the egg right from the skillet. Again, I rolled my eyes at him as he spoke with a mouth full of egg.
"What's that?"
"The coffee shop on Fourteenth Street... They have the most amazing iced lattes and I usually get one on my way to work every morning." I had a huge bite and savored the flavor of it. I didn't know what spices Spencer added to the mix, but it was incredible. I hadn't eaten in more than twenty-four hours, so I was famished.
"Yeah, I can run out and get you something."
"No, I want to go," I insisted. "You can't keep me locked up here. What am I? Your prisoner?"
"Not at all," he said, sheepishly. "But I did tell Curt you would be safe with me and that I'd make sure you were okay. So, Doctor's orders." He smirked as he shoved the final bite of his eggs into his mouth.
I huffed and took another bite as he set the skillet and his fork into the sink and dusted his hands. "Just let me get dressed. And you'll have to put on some shorts." He snickered and I clenched my jaw.
For someone who was so attractive, he was sure a jerk sometimes. I looked over my shoulder as he walked toward the bathroom and I shouldn't have. The way his muscles corded across his back, showed me he hadn't just been working on his intelligence and professionalism. He'd been working on his body too. And fuck if it didn't turn me on. I was going to need clean panties if he walked around without his shirt for very long.
I dressed quickly while he was in the bathroom and then scarfed down the rest of the eggs, thankful that the nausea was gone. I had no clue where my shoes were--they weren't in the bag--but we were only going through a drive through. When Spencer came out with a ball cap on and a t-shirt, flipflops on his feet, I was instantly transported back in time to the days of living with him. My body betrayed me, surging deep into arousal without my consent, and even my eyes betrayed me, lingering on his broad shoulders and the way his ass curved perfectly in those board shorts.
"You ready?" he asked, looking me up and down.
