“I fell asleep in the sun. It’s fine really. The lidocaine I sprayed on earlier must be wearing off.”
“What the hell? Wasn’t your … wasn’t Bradford, or whatever, supposed to be with you?” If I didn’t know better, I’d think he deliberately butchered Brandon’s name.
“Brandon!” I burst out at the same time as Keri Ann and catch her eye. We chuckle at our synchronization, and I latch onto the humor like a life raft. “Of the chocolate brown eyes!” we chorus. We’d taken to calling him that for the whole year he’d spent persuading me to go out with him.
“Have y’all been drinking?” Joey asks, nonplussed at our hysteria.
I chuckle again. Something is crossing Keri Ann’s face that looks remarkably like mischief. She gets up and goes to the pantry cupboard, pulling out the first aid basket. She pulls out two items and flings them at Joey as he steps away from me. “Catch,” she says, but he’s already snatched them one after the other.
I realize what she has in mind. “He’s not—”
“I’m not—” Joey says at the same time.
“Yep,” she chirps with a mischievous grin. “Yep, you are. I’m going to shower the Grill off me. Then let’s order pizza and watch a movie.”
I watch her leave, shooting daggers at her back. No way. Swallowing hard, I turn to Joey. I can see the struggle on his face. He’s made such a big deal about my sunburn, he’d literally be defying his Hippocratic Oath by denying me relief.
I actually find myself taking perverse pleasure from his discomfort. Why not make this fun? “Fine.” Taking a deep breath, I lock eyes with him and slip my dress strap down on one side. His eyes track the movement. Then I reach for the other and I see his jaw harden.
I sigh and wink at him. “Let’s see what you’ve got, Doctor Butler.”
He meets my eyes, one eyebrow arched, his mouth twisting. “You did always make me want to play doctor, Miss Fraser.”
It takes nano seconds for his words to register and scalding shock to flood my system, and then eons for the surprise to ebb and release my tongue. By that time, Joey has cleared his throat and rolled up his sleeves. He squeezes lidocaine into the palm of one of his strong hands, then uses the other to swing a chair out to sit on.
I swallow some saliva back into my mouth. I didn’t expect him to flirt back.
“Shift around,” he says gently. “So your back is facing me.”
I do as he asks. The sound of the zipper on my sundress going down seems to reverberate around the room like a Boeing engine.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you speechless before.” He chuckles, warm and husky just as the cold cream hits my skin. “Is there anywhere else that hurts?” he says into my ear.
Is he serious right now?
The iciness of the cream steals my outrage, and I inhale with the uncomfortable sensation. Then I moan in relief.
Finally, annoyance surges in the wake of his suggestive comments. What the hell is he playing at? Did he seriously just say that? I almost want him to repeat it. Actually why the hell not? “Did you just say I make you want to play doctor? Like sexy doctor? Like, ‘let me examine you’ suggestive weirdness?”
“Shut it.”
“No. I won’t.”
“I preferred you speechless.” He swipes more cooling lotion on my back.
“So let me get this straight. You don’t want me, but the second you hear I’m seeing someone else you start coming on to me?” I keep my back to him though I know he’s done. And feel, rather than hear, his body shift away from me. My zipper slowly rises. He’s quiet.
I scoot around on the seat until I face him, my bare knees knock against his rough jeans. “Coz that’s what you just did, isn’t it?” His eyes are cloudy and brooding and locked on my mouth. His skin is flushed. Why does he have to be so Goddamn sexy?
“I never said I didn’t want you.”
Holy—
I swallow. Speechless for the second time in the space of five minutes.
“But,” he adds. “This—us—just wasn’t advisable.”
I process his words.
What a complete jackass.
Abruptly I stand up in front of him, my dress straps are still down, it makes me feel half undressed. I’m practically standing between his legs I’m so close.
Looking down at him, I narrow my eyes. “Actually, Doctor. I do hurt somewhere else.”
He winces almost imperceptibly. His eyes flick to my chest.
My heart? Is that what he thinks?
Oh, no fucking way.
“Actually …” I lean down and grab his hand and slide it up my dress and between my legs.
Joey expels a shocked breath.
“It hurts right here.”
His blue eyes flare dark as the surprise and arousal stuns him.
I press his hand against my underwear. “Feel like soothing this ache?” I hiss.
I’M HOLDING JOEY’S hand between my legs. Holy shit. He flirted and I totally called him on it. Not just a call. I doubled down.