The Best Medicine (10 page)

Lauren released a giggle that quickly morphed into a moan as Scott’s hand rubbed along the waistband of her pants.

“These pants on the other hand,” he said as he kissed along her jaw, “are really starting to piss me off. They’ve gotta go.”

Lauren hummed her assent, but Scott quickly realized that the chair wasn’t the best place for what he intended. In a quick but fluid motion, he stood, lifting her with him easily.

Lauren squealed with the unexpected shift in position, but instinctively wrapped her legs around Scott’s waist, her arms draped around his neck, hands still in his hair as he continued to kiss her on every inch of skin his mouth could reach.

He walked her to his bedroom as she sucked languidly on his ear. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to slam into her, burying his cock so deep that
it was unclear where he ended and she began. But he wouldn’t. She’d selflessly taken care of him the previous day, and he’d be damned if he couldn’t do the same.

He dropped her onto his bed, causing a quick laugh to burst from her. Taking a moment to look at her for a second, he watched as she bit her bottom lip, reclined back on her arms, and stared up at him like she wanted to devour him.
Jesus Christ, has a sexier woman ever walked this planet?
He leaned over her, supporting himself with one hand on the bed as his other deftly popped the button on her pants and dragged the zipper down. He rubbed his hands around to her ass and lifted her a little so he could slide her pants and thong down her legs. Once he had them off, he tossed them to the floor behind him and sunk down to his knees. His bed was the perfect height for having her this way, and he silently congratulated himself on the fact, even though it had never crossed his mind until that point. He lifted her leg and placed her foot on his shoulder, pressing kisses to the tender flesh of her shin. Then he let his lips roam up her leg, getting closer to their destination with every lick, suck, and peck.

“Scott, what are you doing?” Lauren was breathless.

He darted his eyes to catch a quick glimpse of her. She was looking down at him, entranced by what he was doing to her. “I told you. I’m repaying a debt.”

“Fuck,” she said on a sharp rush of air. It sounded appreciative, almost reverent, and it fueled him.

He lifted her other leg onto his other shoulder and pressed a wet kiss to the inside of one of her thighs before settling between them. Scott didn’t go down on women often. But holy fuck did he want to taste Lauren.
He had a sinking suspicion that one taste would hook him and then he’d never get enough. But that didn’t stop him from flicking his tongue over her clit and then shifting even closer so he could give it the attention it deserved.

“Scott,” Lauren moaned.

Hearing her say his name made his cock harden even more than it already had. He was pretty sure he would burst out of his sweatpants if he got any more turned on. He continued to lavish her with his tongue, pushing a finger in to fuck her while his tongue worked her toward bliss.

Lauren began writhing, pushing ever so slightly against his face, clearly trying to deal with all of the pleasure he was unleashing on her body. The gasps and murmurs that left her mouth made him want to both hurry to push her over the edge and slow down so he could relish in what he was doing to her.

“I’m so close,” she groaned, pushing a hand through his hair as he worked her.

Scott pushed another finger into her and felt for that place inside of her that would make her go . . .

“Fuck, Scott. Right there.”

Two more licks of his tongue had her convulsing around his fingers, her entire body quaking as her orgasm hit her full force. He could feel how wet she was making his fingers, and it made him want to lower his mouth to her again and start all over. He pressed a kiss to her inner thigh before looking up at her. What he saw was earthshaking. Lauren lay there, sated and relaxed, her eyes shining brightly, the slightest smile on her lips. She was looking at him like he was the king of her
universe. And even though it caused anxiety to spark low in his gut, he also reveled in it.

“Come here,” she said softly.

He shifted and slowly slid up her body, using his hands to support his weight, but allowing their bodies to touch, connect. He rested his head in the crook of her neck and enjoyed the citrusy scent of her as she tightly wrapped her hands around him.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Lauren spoke. “Once you’re back at full strength, I’m thinking I’ll have to make a list of all the other things you owe me for.”

Scott’s body shook with a chuckle. He pulled back so he could look at her face. “And just what would be on this list?”

“I’m not sure. But to get you to do that again, I’m not above making shit up.”

They looked at each other for a moment before both erupting in laughter.

“Just so you know, I’m pretty sure you owe me for a few things too,” Scott joked.

Lauren’s smile morphed, easing into something more seductive. “I know. And trust me, I fully intend to pay up.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Scott replied as he eased away from her. Almost every cell in his body begged him to collect right then, but he didn’t. They were in a different place in that moment. What she’d done for him—caring for him like she had—it hadn’t been part of their deal. And while it may have sounded silly, he would’ve felt like a prick for having sex with her right then.

*   *   *

Once Scott managed to force himself away from Lauren, he offered to let her use his shower. He expected her to pass, preferring to leave instead. But she didn’t. And the fact that he wasn’t annoyed surprised him.

“Sounds great,” she replied before turning and heading toward his bathroom.

He followed her, got her an extra toothbrush, showed her where the towels were, and summoned every fiber of his being to allow himself to walk out of there without pushing her against a wall and taking her any way he wanted. “I’ll grab you something to wear,” he said softly as he pulled the door shut behind him.

Scott leaned back against the closed door for a second. He wasn’t sure what the hell his problem was. Normally he couldn’t get women out of his place fast enough. But with Lauren he was actually searching for ways to make her stay.
Isn’t this some shit.
He reasoned that it was their friendship that made the difference. He liked hanging out with her, just like he enjoyed spending time with his other friends. It was no different. So what if she was sexy, and witty, and genuine. That in no way factored into his decision to cook her breakfast to try to delay her departure. Not at all.

Scott pushed off the door and returned to his room, rummaging through his drawers until he found an old pair of track pants that hadn’t fit him since college and a tank top he’d worn for Halloween one year when he’d dressed up as a sorority girl. It was a little stretched out, but it would have to do. He knocked on the bathroom door.

“Come in,” Lauren called. She was already in the shower, but poked her head out when Scott entered.

“Here are some clothes. They’ll be big obviously, but they should be okay for you to just hang around in.”

“Thanks.”

And there it was again—that smile. Scott was more than a little worried about what that smile could get him to do. “I’ll make us some breakfast. Anything you don’t like?”

“I don’t like you out there while I’m in here.”

And he was hard again. “I don’t care for it much either. But I’m not a hundred percent. And when I finally get to fuck you, I intend to be.” That wasn’t the complete truth, but Scott couldn’t risk sounding like a jackass by telling her he was trying to be a gentleman. For once.

Lauren’s eyes widened. “Gotcha.”

“I’ll be in the kitchen.” Scott dropped the clothes on the counter and left the bathroom.

Lauren joined him about ten minutes later, looking way too cute in his oversized clothing. “Do I want to know why you own a shirt that says ‘I only bang football players’?”

Scott barked out a laugh as he explained the shirt’s original purpose.

“Well, that’s reassuring. I really didn’t want to be wearing the clothing of one of your late-night conquests,” Lauren teased.

“I don’t keep trophies,” Scott quipped.

“Or girls.”

Scott sobered slightly and looked at her intently. “Nope, don’t keep them either.”

Lauren leaned on the countertop next to where Scott was scrambling eggs. “I bet there’s an after-school-special-worthy story behind the reasons for that.”

She was probing, but Scott wasn’t biting. “Thankfully for us, we’re both too old to still be in school. Oh, wait . . .”

“You’re a real comedian.” Lauren must have clued in to the fact that Scott wasn’t interested in continuing that conversation because she let it drop. “So you seem almost . . .
sprite
this morning. How is that possible? I thought you were a goner yesterday.”

Scott went to the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice before turning to get two glasses out of a cabinet. “Because I know doctors that prescribe good shit. Here, make yourself useful,” he added as he handed her the glasses and juice.

“Where are the plates?” Lauren asked after she’d finished filling their glasses and returning the carton to the refrigerator.

Scott nodded with his head toward a cabinet by the stove.

Lauren set the breakfast bar while Scott finished cooking. He set the pan down by their plates and slid onto a stool beside Lauren. They talked casually until both of them had finished eating.

“That was really good. Your list of talents just keeps growing,” Lauren said with a smirk.

“Baby, you haven’t even seen the half of them.”

“So you keep saying. I’m starting to think you’re all talk.”

Scott simply quirked his eyebrows at her before rising to clean up. Lauren moved to help him, but he stopped her. “Go snoop around or something. I got this.”

She briefly looked like she was going to argue, but ultimately decided against it and walked over to look out his wall of windows.

After he finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher, he joined her, walking up behind her, standing close behind her without touching.

She took a deep breath in. “This is a really amazing view.”

Scott pushed his hands into his pockets. He looked down at the back of her. “Yeah. It is.”

After a few more minutes of quiet window gazing, Lauren turned toward him. “What are you up to today?”

He shrugged. “Just hanging around, I guess. I should probably take it easy, make sure the migraine is gone for good.”

“Sounds exciting.” She walked around him and made her way toward his coffee table, letting her hand brush over the magazines he had there. “Want company?” She said it casually, as though she didn’t really care about the answer.

But Scott knew it for what it was: she didn’t want to leave any more than he wanted her to. “I wouldn’t mind.”

She looked up at him. “Okay.” Then she flopped down onto the couch and reached for the TV remote.

Scott moved behind her and snatched the remote from her hand. “If you think I’m giving you control over the TV, you’re nuts. I have no interest in watching the latest drama on
Teen Mom
or
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
or whatever other nonsense girls your age are into.” He was intentionally baiting her. And as her eyes narrowed, he realized that this was the Lo he liked best. The playful, funny one who didn’t put up with his taunting.

“When you say stuff like that, you just make yourself sound like a pedophile. And I stopped watching the Kardashians when Kim got with Kanye. That was just weird.”

Scott snorted and sat beside her. And that’s how they remained for the better part of the morning, arguing over what to watch and making flippant comments to each other. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself so much.

Around eleven, Lauren sighed heavily. “Okay, I can’t take it anymore. Let’s go out to the movies. Everything on TV sucks.”

Out? Is she serious?
“I don’t want to go out,” Scott stated. It sounded too datelike. Granted, Scott liked spending time with Lauren, but he didn’t want to blur the lines of their relationship any more than they already were.

“Suit yourself,” Lauren replied as she shifted and stood up.

“Where are you going?” he asked. He hadn’t anticipated that she’d leave if he didn’t want to go with her.

“I just told you. To the movies.”

“By yourself?” Scott hated going places alone. It made him feel self-conscious.

“Yup,” she remarked as she stepped into her shoes.

“Dressed like that?” he said with a chuckle.

Her eyes darted up to his. “Is there someone there I’m supposed to be impressing?” She grabbed her purse. “I’ll bring the clothes back to you on Tuesday. Thanks again for breakfast.”

“Thanks for . . . everything,” Scott mumbled.

“Anytime.” She gave him one of those sincere looks that let him know she truly meant it.

As she made her way to his front door and pulled it open, he heard himself speak before he had a chance to think his words through. “At least give me a second to
get changed. We can’t both look like we’re homeless or they won’t let us in.” He couldn’t miss Lauren’s sly grin as he made his way into the bedroom and tried not to berate himself too much for falling right into her trap. He didn’t stand a chance.

Reflux

Scott spent most of Sunday relaxing around the house and recuperating from the remnants of his headache. Though what he really needed to recover from was how he’d been acting around Lo.

Never in his twenty-nine years had he turned down a sexual favor from a woman that he wanted to have sex with. But somehow, allowing Lauren to reciprocate seemed . . . wrong. And that feeling was foreign to Scott. It’s not like he only cared about his own needs. But he just hadn’t ever
not
cared about them before.

Until the past weekend, that is. And when he’d finally had time to dissect his recent actions fully, he noticed that he’d been acting out of character ever since he’d met Lo. Sometimes he’d find himself at a loss for words with her, and other times he’d divulge personal information that he rarely shared, even with those closest to him. And then Saturday . . . Saturday he’d nearly sprinted after her when she’d said she’d planned to go to the movies
alone if he didn’t want to go. Scott Jacobs didn’t chase
women
.
They
chased
him
.

All of it was simply too much for him to ponder, so he did his best to refrain from thinking about it more than necessary. And when Sunday night rolled around, he realized that he’d be getting a bit of a reprieve from his Lauren-centered thoughts.

Unfortunately, that reprieve would have to be Susan Jacobs. His mother.

Though Scott didn’t especially enjoy spending time with her, he couldn’t bring himself to hate it either. Furthermore, after his father’s death, he’d come to the realization that time with family should not be taken for granted. Scott was all his mother had, and even if he’d never be able to forgive her for all the mistakes she’d made, and all the hurt she’d caused, he still couldn’t abandon her. So if a few hours of his time a couple of Sundays a month were required, well, that was a sacrifice he would have to accept.

Scott reminded himself of this fact as he sat in the quiet booth of the upscale Brazilian steakhouse, listening to his mother prattle on about her latest vacation.

“Scott, it was so beautiful,” his mother said in between bites of her lamb. “You can’t see the Irish countryside too many times. You just can’t.”

“Apparently not,” Scott replied dryly. “This is, what, your third time there in the last year and a half?” He knew his question sounded accusatory, and he also knew that’s how his mother would interpret it. But he couldn’t bring himself to care. Ever since his father had died, his mother had toured virtually every inch of the globe. And
she’d done so on his father’s dime, carelessly spending the money he’d worked a lifetime to earn.

His mother took a sip of the water the busboy had just refilled before she responded. “Honey, you know I’ve always dreamed of seeing places like that. We’ve talked about this. I loved your dad. I
still
love him,” she corrected herself. “But our entire marriage was based around your father’s practice and you and Tim. It’s time I focused on the things that I want.”

Scott barely controlled the impulse to remind her of the damage her actions had caused. Thankfully she didn’t give him time to interrupt her.

“You’re a smart man, Scott. But I’m not sure you realize how difficult marriage is. Especially to a man consumed by his career. Love isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.” Susan lifted her deep brown eyes to look at her son and pushed back a stray strand of her auburn hair so that it fell to her shoulder with the rest. “I just wish you wouldn’t make me feel so guilty for doing things that make me happy.”

Scott wanted to ask her to clarify if she meant the trips or the affairs she had throughout her marriage, but he managed to refrain. At that point, Scott just wanted to get out of the dinner from hell and go home. So he did what he always did; he told her what she wanted to hear. “You know I appreciate everything you’ve done. And I know it hasn’t always been easy with Dad getting sick and . . . with Tim. I do think you should try to talk to him though. He’s doing better, you know. Making a lot of progress. He’s not,” he lowered his voice before continuing, “he’s not the son you remember.”

This time his mother was quick to respond. “You’re
right, Scott. He’s not. The son I remember cooked me a Mother’s Day breakfast every year. He had good grades and plenty of girls falling at his feet. The son I remember started varsity lacrosse as a freshman. The son
I
remember would
not
have traded such a bright future for drugs. And the son I remember would have never stolen from his own family to pay for his disgusting habit.”

Susan’s voice was cold, but deep down Scott didn’t doubt that she loved Tim. But that love had become gnarled throughout the years. It had twisted and transformed into something nearly unrecognizable, and definitely not acknowledged. She loved the son she once had. But that son was gone, at least in her eyes. Scott was once again reminded that if a mother’s love could change, any love could.

“You can’t possibly know what that was like for a parent to go through. And I don’t expect you to. To watch your own flesh and blood destroy everything you gave to them, everything you helped them earn. It’s a feeling of unbelievable failure.” She set down her fork, clearly having lost her appetite. “You’re all I have now. That’s why I’m so hard on you.
You
are my pride and joy. Tim
had
that chance. He
made
his choice. It’s up to you to carry on the Jacobs name like your dad would have wanted.”

Scott sat in silence for a few moments, not willing to continue the conversation. He’d known how delusional she was since he was a teenager, and nothing he could say would change the way she saw things. When the waiter returned to ask if they’d like dessert, Scott declined with a polite, “Just the check, please, would be great.”

“Are you seeing anyone?” his mother asked once the waiter was out of earshot.

Scott knew the reason for her question. It wasn’t just a poor attempt to change the subject. It was a subtle probing into his personal life—a way to find out if Scott would be settling down anytime soon to give her the grandchildren she’d hoped for. Other than that not so minor detail, he’d been the ideal son. Smart, handsome, athletic, driven. A perfect substitute for Tim. Family man was all that was missing from his résumé.

“Mom,” Scott replied, a smile playing on his lips in an effort to lighten the solemn mood that had settled over the table, “I think you know the answer to that.”

Susan settled back into her chair and folded her hands neatly in front of her. “I think I do too,” she said.

Over the course of the next ten minutes, Scott managed to pay the check and have the valet bring their cars around. Thankfully, they had driven separately, limiting the awkwardness as the night came to a close.

Well, that went well
, Scott thought to himself as he watched his mother drive away without looking back. But despite his making his mother feel like a callous spendthrift, Scott couldn’t help but laugh that he’d managed to do one thing right. He hadn’t thought of Lauren the entire time.

Well,
almost
the entire time.