Indulgent Pleasures (20 page)

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 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.

Withdrawing herself from his gentle grip, she went to the counter and dumped the plates into the sink. She went back to the table to collect everything else, including the salad plates and glasses. He watched, his golden-green eyes serious as they settled upon her and she cast a nervous smile in his direction, wishing he would say something, anything to ease her discomfort.

“So do I get dessert?” He cocked a brow as he crossed his arms in front of his massive chest.

Her mind went to the bowl of fresh strawberries in the refrigerator and she nodded. “If you’re good, you’ll definitely get dessert.”

“Aren’t I always good?”

Now he sounded downright cocky. She ignored his statement and went back to the sink, setting the remaining dishes in it and turning on the water. The unmistakable noise of a chair scraping against the floor sounded and she figured Justin had stood. Probably returning to his bed if he knew what was good for him.

She rinsed the dishes and opened the empty dishwasher that was next to the sink, then set every dish inside. Tucking her hair behind her ear yet again, she set aside the pots and pans, wanting to wash those by hand.

“Do you have any dish soap?” she called as she glanced about but didn’t spot any.

“You never answered me.” His low voice sounded so close that she startled, whirling around to find Justin standing directly in front of her. One foot was slightly lifted, taking pressure off the swollen knee and the wolfish smile on his face clued her in on his intent.

“Justin, I think you should go back to bed,” she started but he wouldn’t let her finish. Instead, he grabbed her by the upper arms and hauled her against him. Before she could get another word out, his mouth claimed hers, giving her a drugging kiss that made her head spin.

“I’ll only go back to bed if you join me,” he murmured against her lips when he broke away from her, his mouth wandering to press tiny kisses along her jaw, down her neck.

“You can’t do anything, remember? Doctor’s orders. And I’m not about to break your doctor’s orders.” She disentangled herself from him and resumed her place at the sink.

A loud sigh sounded behind her and she knew he was frustrated. Probably just about as frustrated as she was. He went to stand next to her, his hip leaning against the counter and supporting the weight off his knee. “You’re right. We shouldn’t do anything.”

She remembered the surprise she’d brought with her and stashed in the giant pantry and anticipation tingled within her. Yes, he couldn’t do anything to
her.
He shouldn’t exert himself in any way possible.

But there was nothing said about her doing anything to
him.

Shutting off the water, she turned to face him. “Look, why don’t you go back to bed and rest for a bit while I clean the kitchen. I’ll prepare dessert for the both of us and serve it to you in bed. How does that sound?”

His expression softened and he leaned in close, dropping a tender kiss to her lips. “That sounds great. I am kind of tired.”

That walk from his bedroom to the kitchen had probably done him in. “You want me to help you back to your room?”

He waved her off, no surprise. God, the man was stubborn as a mule. She wanted to make like a mule and kick him. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”

Hmm, she did worry about him. He was doing too much and not taking care of himself. She couldn’t help but feel a little responsible for that.

She stacked the rest of the dishes into the dishwasher and then started a sink full of sudsy hot water for the pots and pans to soak while she wiped down the counters. All she needed was an apron and a pearl necklace and she’d be completely domesticated, the perfect little woman in the perfect little kitchen.

The idea didn’t sound half bad. A wicked smile crossed her lips as she drew closer to the pantry.

Especially when she thought of the sexy nurse’s costume waiting within. Justin’s eyes were going to pop out of his head when he spotted her serving him strawberries and whipped cream in that outfit.

She couldn’t wait.

* * *

Justin adjusted himself, wincing at the pain in his knee. Once he’d finally made it back to his bedroom, he’d popped a few painkillers and collapsed into bed, feeling as if he’d just run ten miles. Instead, he’d walked a few feet and felt like shit.

Stephanie had been right to turn him down, casting him that stern look he found so damn sexy. He imagined her looking at him like that with a pair of black-rimmed glasses on and wearing a prim dress. Her lips would be red, her hair soft around her shoulders and she’d be slapping a ruler against her palm.

Yes, that image alone was his ultimate teacher fantasy. He’d had a huge crush on his freshman year English teacher and she’d worn sweet little dresses and black-rimmed glasses. Her eyes had sparkled when she spoke, she’d been young and so excited about teaching. Her lips had been full though not as lush as Stephanie’s and she’d had a nice rack. He’d jerked off many a night to her image before he’d finally screwed Sally Chaddock in the back seat of her older brother’s car one early spring night.

Justin shook his head, wondering if he was attracted to Stephanie because she reminded him so much of his teacher Miss Carr. Something he’d never realized before, either.

Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, he wondered what the hell was taking her so long. He had to admit it was kind of nice having someone else in the house. Whenever he was home, he was usually alone.

Huh. There was no usually about it. He was always alone. He didn’t like bringing women back to his place because they thought it meant something. And with all of the other women in his life, they’d meant nothing to him.

Except for this woman.

He heard the click of Stephanie’s heels as she walked down his wood floor hallway and his brows furrowed. If he remembered correctly, he thought she hadn’t been wearing heels, instead she was wearing some sort of flat red shoe.

And he only knew this because he checked out her feet every time they were together. He liked to check out what color her toenails were.

His hand dropped and he spotted her standing in the doorway, holding a tray with a bowl of strawberries and a smaller bowl of fresh whipped cream. But it wasn’t the food that had his attention. It was the outfit she was wearing.

Some sort of nurse’s uniform but not one he’d ever seen an actual nurse wear before. It clung to her curvy form, the top buttons undone to showcase her straining cleavage, the skirt hitting her mid-thigh. She even wore one of those old-fashioned nurse’s hats, shiny red high heels on her feet and holy shit, were those pale white fishnets on her long legs?

Justin broke out in a cold sweat. He probably would’ve had a heart attack if a nurse who looked and dressed like Stephanie showed up in his hospital room.

“I hope I can make you feel better.” She walked into the bedroom, setting the tray on the bedside table. She stood above him, her ample cleavage making him drool, her now ruby red lips filling him with the urge to yank her down and kiss her senseless.