A Beautiful Thought (The Beautiful Series) (8 page)

I could see the disappointment briefly flash through Marvin’s expression as he neared the door.

“Marvin, you’re almost there. Just be patient, and give your body the time it needs to mend itself.” I stepped closer to him, feeling terrible for the guy, and I set my hand on his shoulder in a reassuring gesture. “Please just give me four more weeks, and you’ll be as good as new.”

“All right, Dr. Bennett.” He nodded. “See you next week.”

“Take care, Mr. Jarvis.”

It was nearly seven by the time I walked up the stairs to my apartment. Updating patient charts had taken forever to finish, and I was dead on my feet. I unlocked my front door and walked inside.

“Hey there,” Damon said from the kitchen as I entered the room. He was stirring something on the stove as he turned around to smile back at me.

“Hi,” I said in utter amazement. “Whatcha cooking?”

“Dinner.” He grinned and turned off the burner.

“Oh.” I set my briefcase on the counter and inched my way closer to see what he was making.

He dumped the pan over two bowls, pouring macaroni and cheese into each of them. Then, he carried the dishes over to the table. He pulled out a chair and said, “I thought you might be hungry after a long day of work.”

My heart sputtered in my chest at his gesture. I ambled over to where he was standing. “Macaroni and cheese,” I said in awe.

“It’s not much.” He shrugged. “But it’s food.”

I took a seat and smiled. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

Damon went to his place setting and sat down. He reached for the ketchup. “Want some?”

I scrunched up my nose. “For what?”

“To put on the mac and cheese.”

I had to laugh. “That’s gross,” I teased, watching him squeeze the bottle over his bowl.

“No, it’s not,” he retorted, chuckling. “It’s good. Have you tried it?”

“Nope.” I took a bite of my food. “And I don’t plan on it.”

“Wimp,” he scoffed playfully. Then, he put a spoonful in his mouth.

“I am not!”

“Are to,” he countered with a grin. He lifted the bottle again and waved it in front of me. “Come on, just give it a try. You might actually like it.”

I could have said no if it was not for his muscular arm flexing so close to me and the devastatingly handsome look on his face.

“Okay,” I sighed in defeat.

He squirted the ketchup over my food. “You’re gonna love it.”

“That’s enough!” I screeched out in amusement, shoving the bottle back. “You’re going to drown it, and I won’t be able to taste the cheese!”

He pulled back, waiting for me to take a bite. I filled my spoon, mindful to include only a tiny bit of ketchup. Then, I glanced between him and my utensil.

His chest vibrated with mirth. “It’s not going to jump out at you.”

“I know that,” I replied, glaring at him before putting it into my mouth.

At first, the mixture tasted weird, but when I was almost done chewing, it tasted good in a peculiar kind of way.

Damon grinned impishly. “Good, huh?”

I gave him a sideways glance and took another bite, just to be sure. The second spoonful went down a tad smoother.

“See?” Damon smirked. “I knew you’d like it.”

I reached into my bowl for a third time, going for a thick part of the red sauce, and I swiped my finger in the ketchup. Feeling bold and playful, I pretended to bring it to my mouth, but I connected it with Damon’s nose instead. I held my breath as I waited for his response.

“Oh, girl,” Damon purred, wiping his nose off with his napkin. His eyes sparkled with challenge as he dipped his finger in his bowl. “You asked for it now.”

Oh shit.

I leaped from the table, ran for the living room, and rotated to face him. Damon was already coming my way, and then his broad body trapped me near the end of the treadmill and the corner of the couch.

I placed my hands in the air. “How about a peace offering?”

Damon’s lip curved, creating a sexy dimple in his cheek. “I’m more of a get-even kind of guy.”

“Damn,” I muttered. Another idea clicked. “What about all the meals I make?” I pointed my finger at him, backing up until my torso bumped into the arm of the treadmill. “If you put that ketchup on my face, I won’t cook for you anymore.”

“I’ll survive.” He shrugged, and his mouth twitched as if he was stifling a smile.

I faked a step to the left, but then I moved to the right, hoping to slip through the small space in front of the couch. He was too fast, and he caught me with one hand around my waist, pulling me against his firm chest.

Damon’s expression was full of thrill and excitement as he peered down at me. His other hand held the ketchup a mere inch from my nose. “Any last words?” he asked.

Impulsively, I launched myself forward and closed my mouth over his finger, quickly sucking it clean. A husky groan left Damon’s throat as I drew back.

Mortification sank in, fast and hard, as I looked around the room at anything besides him.

I can’t believe I just did that!

I somehow mustered enough courage to finally glance up at him. A feral, lustful look filled every part of his eyes. A brief silence lapsed over us as we got lost in one another.

My body battled against my mind. I yearned to feel his lips against mine, wondering if they would be as smooth and warm as I imagined, but I also knew this couldn’t happen because it would ruin everything. Furthermore, I had no room for error. Caroline and my family were counting on me.

The doorbell rang, saving me from myself.

“Are you expecting someone?” Damon asked in a tone that was still gruff.

“No,” I answered honestly, pulling back. “I’d better get it though.”

When he let me go, I made my way over to the door and opened it. My neighbor, Matt, was standing on the other side.

“Hi, Gail.” He smiled at me.

“Hi, Matt.” I returned his expression. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to let you know that you left the dome light on in your car.”

“Oh, thank you. I’ll be right down.”

“Are you alone?” Matt asked, attempting to peep into the apartment. “I keep seeing this new truck in the parking lot, and I was wondering if you knew who it belonged to.”

“That would be mine,” Damon broke in, bumping his chest into my back as he towered over me.

Well, this is awkward…and kind of funny.

I pointed my finger over my shoulder, lightly poking Damon in the chest. “This is my new roommate, Damon, and that’s his Ford outside.” I was hoping Matt would finally get the hint that I was not interested in spending more time with him.

Matt stared at Damon, sizing him up, before he shifted his eyes back to me. “So, Gail, want to have another dinner with me?”

I resisted the urge to glare at my neighbor. “My schedule is pretty crazy right now, Matt,” I said, forcing myself to speak as kindly as possible. “But maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”

“I can bring dinner to you instead?” Matt offered.

I sighed, exasperated.

The big, boxy hulk behind me cut in, “I think she said she’s busy,” he stated with a trace of humor rising in his voice. He snuck his finger in the waist of my elastic scrubs and gently tugged me back as he started to close the door with his free hand. “Thanks for stopping by, man. See you later.”

I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the look on Matt’s face before the door closed. Damon swiftly pivoted me until I was facing him.

“Who’s that pigheaded asshole?” he asked with an irrational, speculative glance.

“My neighbor.”

“I figured that,” he replied. “I meant, what is he to you? He asked you to have
another
dinner with him.”

“That is none of your business,” I countered.

I was pissed off because Damon was overstepping his boundaries and acting jealous even though Matt had exaggerated dinner when he’d only given me a slice of pizza one night on the porch.

“Oh, yes, it is.” He lifted his hand, keeping his face in check. “You just
sucked on
my finger.”

“Uh…” I stammered. I wished I had answered his first question. Then, this awkward moment would have been avoided. I waved my hand at him. “That was a spur-of-the-moment idea, and Matt is
only
my neighbor.”

Damon stepped toward me, and I inched back until my torso was flush against the wall. He gave me a look, radiating challenge but oozing sex, with every second passing between us.

He lifted his hand and placed it on the wall above my head. “You can deny this attraction between us all you want, Gail.”

He ran his opposing hand down my cheek, igniting a raging desire within me.

“But you can’t hide the look in your eyes when you gaze into mine or the way I make you feel when we are standing this close to each other.” His breathing deepened. “And this…”

He ran his hand back and forth along my bare skin, leaving a trail of scorching sensations I had never felt before in its path.

“I don’t know what this is, but I want to find out, so think about it,” he said before walking off to his room.

Breathe. Just breathe, Gail,
I told myself as my mind, body, and heart all reeled after him.

Gaping, I tried not to watch the way his ass moved in his jeans with each confident stride. Speechless, I let him go.

No one had ever made such an impact on me, and a part of me wanted to rewind the last few minutes and pretend it had not just happen. Because now that it had, it could never be undone. It left me completely out of my realm on where to go from here.

~Damon~

While listening to some good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll, I lowered the two-hundred-pound weighted bar down on my chest for a rep and then another and another in an effort to block the sexy yet frustrating-as-hell brunette woman out of my head before I went home and crashed for the night.

I could not get a read on her for the life of me. With one look, she would make me feel as though she wanted me, and then she would seem to be pushing me away. I was trying damn hard to give her some space, so she could get to know me better. But when she’d sucked on my finger—impulsively or not—I’d wanted to pin her up against the wall and kiss her senselessly.

Jason walked up to me as I set the weights down, and I sat up. I tugged the earbuds out of my ear.

“Did you work out your sexual frustration yet, bud?” he teased, already knowing the story of what had happened with Gail.

“You’re an ass.” I laughed, nudging him on the arm, as I went to grab a set of forty-five-pound dumbbells.

“Ah, come on”—he grinned at me—“you know you love me.”

“Right now, I don’t,” I lied.

“You cut me deep, bro, real deep.” He rubbed his chest. “So, what are you going to do about Gail?”

“I don’t have the slightest clue.” I pumped the weights in my hands until sweat broke out across my forehead, but I made myself lift them again and again.

“Since when are you the type of guy not to step up, take control, and get your woman?” Jason asked.

“I’m giving her space,” I retorted. My biceps screamed in protest, but I pushed forward. “We just met a few weeks ago.”

“Women don’t like space,” Jason scoffed in good humor. “They want a man who takes charge.”

I stopped midair and narrowed my eyes at my brother, who was trying to be funny at the moment. “Stop giving me relationship advice before I beat you.”

“You could try flowers,” he added.

“Who are you?” I said, bending forward to drop the weights. I stood straight again. “And what have you done with my brother?”

Jason roared with laughter. “Oh, just wait, little brother.” He grinned at me, shaking his head. “You’re about to find out what falling flat on your ass in love is
all
about.”

Love
seemed like a strong word to use right now, but I was feeling more than ready to get my girl after I caught up on some much-needed sleep.