“You drive a hard bargain.”
I walked with him into the bedroom and tucked him in, placing a cool washcloth on his forehead because he was still running a fever.
Leaning down, I pecked his mouth. “Now get some sleep.”
“Where are you going?”
“Downstairs for a little bit while you rest. I’ll be back up later to check on you and see what you want to eat.”
He looked at me like he wanted to ask me something but then thought better of it. “Okay.” I walked to the door. “Zoe?” I turned around to face him. I didn’t think I’d ever tire of just being able to look at him. “Thank you for helping me. I love…” He paused for a few seconds before finishing. “Love that you’re here.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
5
Words couldn’t describe the gratitude I had for Zoe. She didn’t have to stay here with me while I recovered, or make sure I was fed or give me that sponge bath the other day. But she did, without question.
She’d been staying in the guest bedroom at night, afraid she’d either disturb me as I slept or knock into me and hurt me. No matter how much I tried to convince her otherwise, she wouldn’t budge.
“I’m going to wash your bedding while you take a shower.” She snatched my spare pillow and tugged off the case, yanking off the fitted sheet directly afterward.
“I guess I’m taking that shower now.” I chuckled, lifting myself into a sitting position before swinging my feet over the edge of the bed. My fever broke early this morning and I wasn’t experiencing as much pain as I had been, taking my pills faithfully. Addy had been by last night to check my wounds and she affirmed I was healing nicely, clearing me to shower as well. Hence, Zoe’s eagerness to get me in there so she could take care of the bedsheets.
“What do you want for lunch?” she asked, moving around to my side, waiting for me to stand so she could finish removing the rest of the bedding.
“You don’t have to make me anything.”
“I want to. Besides, you need to eat more than you have been.”
“Luckily, my appetite is coming back. But I can scrounge up something for myself. Don’t worry about it.”
With the sheets folded in her arms, she cocked her hip and raised her brows, pursing those delectable lips at me in faux annoyance. “What do you want to eat?”
“You.” She rolled her eyes and smiled, continuing to stare at me. “I think all I have are eggs.”
“Eggs it is. Now go take a shower.” She gave me a kiss, then disappeared from my room. I watched her walk away and still couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have met her, then for her to be interested in me was another blessing.
I’d had my share of women but none of them compared to Zoe Casteel. They didn’t even come close. Only one other time in my life did I think I was in love, but those feelings were diminished compared to what I felt for Zoe. I wasn’t gonna say I loved her, but I wouldn’t deny it either. To myself, at least. We hadn’t known each other long and I sure as hell wasn’t gonna confess those types of feelings anytime soon. I didn’t want to scare her off with my intensity.
I came off as formidable. I was often told this throughout my life, especially as I got older, and bigger. My father was of average build and stood at six foot even, and my mom was a small-statured woman, so I had no idea where my size came from, but I wasn’t complaining. No one messed with me, and tatting up my neck with the skull seemed to deter even more people from approaching me. I never had trouble with getting women, though. My size and ink intrigued them. Even turned them on.
It seemed I had the best of both worlds.
Guys moved out of my way and women ran toward me.
Then my entire world changed when I laid eyes on a gorgeous redhead at a ten-year-old’s birthday party four weeks ago. The beauty just so happened to be Roman’s sister… and Ryder’s daughter. I noticed her as soon as she strode into the backyard and couldn’t stop staring the entire time, even after Ryder warned me to stay away.
I caught her in the hallway outside the kitchen an hour later and we talked for a bit. I wanted to pin her against the wall and kiss her senseless, but I restrained myself, barely. We exchanged numbers and I didn’t wait, calling her late that same night.
And here we were. Her staying with me and taking care of me after having been shot twice.
My shower took longer than normal because I had to take extra caution washing around my injuries. On top of that, I was still on unsteady feet and face-planting out of the tub wouldn’t be such a great thing right now.
After I finally dressed, donning a simple white tee and a pair of athletic shorts, I meandered downstairs and found Zoe in the kitchen. Her back was to me when I approached, but she knew I was there. Then again, I had a heavy foot.
My eyes were glued to her ass when she bent over to retrieve a fallen spatula, the pink yoga pants she wore fitting her like a second skin.
“It’s almost done.” She looked at me over her shoulder, her eyes doing a slow sweep over me and darkening. “I can bring this up to you if you want. You should be lying down.”
“I can’t lie in bed anymore, especially since you won’t join me.” She didn’t say anything, but I caught her smiling as she turned back around. “Smells amazing.” Pulling out a chair, I took a seat.
“I made you a three-egg omelet with cheese and the two slices of ham you had left in the fridge.” A glass top clanked shut over the pan, and two seconds later, she was next to me, running her fingers through my damp hair. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close. I could see she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath her white camisole, and it was all I could do to restrain myself from stripping it off her and feasting on her tits, which were right in my line of sight since I was sitting.
“What are you eating?”
“A plain omelet. I used the other two eggs you had. You have nothing else to eat in this house. I really need to go to the grocery store.”
“Can’t we order takeout?”
“Sure. But how long do you think it’s gonna be before we get sick of that?”
“I never do.” Takeout was mostly what I consumed since I didn’t cook, choosing the healthier options from whatever restaurant I called because too much grease and fried food made me feel like shit.
“Well, I like to cook.” Jackpot. “I’ll have one of the guys pick me up and take me.”
“I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean? I thought I wasn’t supposed to go anywhere without someone.” She tilted her head, continuing to play with my hair.
“You’re not. But I’m not having anyone else go with you. Can’t you call up somewhere and have them deliver the food?”
“Sure. But I always end up picking up a few extra items, and I won’t know what they are until I get there myself.”
“I’ll go with you.”
I didn’t trust anyone to watch out for Zoe except me. Even when Stone and Addy took her to see Ryder, I was going out of my mind with worry the entire time she was gone, even though Stone would protect her with his life if necessary.