Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
As he took the plates and Tessa saw that he was intent on winning the dishwashing battle. “Okay, you can wash. But I’ll dry.”
With that, Arch tossed her a dishtowel, and they embarked on cleaning up the dishes in an amiable silence. As she dried the china plates, Tessa realized this simple act of domestic cooperation was a million times sweeter than any moment with Lewis at home—who would never have done the dishes even if she’d offered him a zillion dollars. And it was made even sweeter because the movie star, with his hands currently in soapy water, was the last person on earth she would have thought would insist on washing up after dinner.
No doubt about it, Archer Davenport continued to surprise her—in really good ways—at every turn. It should have felt great. But she couldn’t help but fear that one day her walls would fall around him. If they did and she let him into her life and heart, there was no possible way that the massive celebrity and the caregiver would make it as a real couple in real life.
Things like that happened only in the movies.
Chapter Twelve
Arch lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Somewhere above his head was Tessa. On her bed. Maybe naked beneath the sheets.
Of course, in his fantasies, she was definitely naked.
Being this close to her and yet with an entire floor between them was torture. He couldn’t stop thinking about her smile, her knowledge and taste in art… and her skill at batting away personal questions.
The more he got to know Tessa, despite her reluctance to open up to him, the wilder she drove him. She was both mysterious and sexy. It was a deadly combination. His entire being was aflame just thinking about her.
The sensation was a welcome distraction from the throbbing pain in his leg. He put on a brave face with work and his family, but he did know that a broken tibia wasn’t the same as a hangnail. He had the pain to prove it. Tessa was the only one who saw his discomfort, but she didn’t nag or fuss. She simply handed him pain relief when he needed it.
They’d completed another round of exercises after dinner, and though the exercises were far less strenuous than earlier in the day, he could still feel the ache in his bones.
Immediately understanding how he was feeling without his having to speak, Tessa had changed tack as his muscles tensed. She slowed down the movements, helping him maneuver into stretches that sent a rush of release through his limbs.
It was like she had a sixth sense for his needs. She made his whole body feel good.
It might be true that she hadn’t been quite as relaxed and sociable as he’d hoped, but he couldn’t deny that Tessa Taylor was an excellent caregiver.
And an excellent cook.
And had a smile more beautiful than any he’d ever seen on another woman.
And there he went again.
All he could think about was that smile, those pink lips… and how badly he wanted to brush them with his own. He was insanely attracted to her, and something about the way she often looked flushed in his presence—especially when she was having to touch him during their therapy sessions—made him fairly confident that she felt the same undeniable chemistry.
Even if she was going out of her way to act like she didn’t.
He tried to shift position, but it was useless. He was stuck on his back, leg raised on pillows. It was extremely irritating. Plus, he knew exactly what would make him feel far better: some fantastic sex with the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about. And, of course, he’d make absolutely sure Tessa enjoyed every blissful second.
He allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment and imagine what it would feel like to have her here beside him. Her mouth on his. His hands running over her delectable curves.
His eyes snapped open, and he stared at the ceiling. She was just a flight of stairs away.
He felt like he had to see Tessa. Maybe she was feeling the same frustrated longing he was. She’d given him her cell number for emergencies. But it wasn’t like he could explain over the phone what he truly needed. He cast his eyes around the softly lit room. When his gaze landed on his crutches propped against his bedside table, he knew what to do.
Shifting to the left of the bed, he grabbed their handles and tossed them out of reach. “There,” he said aloud, feeling satisfied that being stranded without his crutches would qualify as an emergency. “Now I’m stuck.”
He reached for his cell. It was midnight. Would she already be asleep? It had been a long day for them both.
But he decided to take his chances and scrolled through his contacts. His heart leaped anew just at the sight of her name. He hit the number and waited, aware of his heart still pounding in his chest the way it had when he was a teenager and had called the home of his first crush, hoping her dad didn’t pick up the phone.