She laughed, but then she was suddenly transported to a dream she’d had when in her coma. At least, she’d thought it’d been a dream. Two women in her room, probably going over her chart, talking.
“He’s the hottest PT we’ve ever had here.”
“Maggie actually dated him for a few months. She fell in love with him on the first date but he carries his dad with him everywhere.”
Simon cupped her face, his warm hazel eyes filled with concern. “You went somewhere. You okay?”
“I just remembered something.” She put her hand over his. “I’ve told you some of the things I heard when I was in the coma. I forgot one. The nurses or two techs, I’m not sure, they were talking about you.”
“Me?”
“Called you hot.”
He grimaced.
“One of them talked about someone dating you. Someone named Maggie.”
“I thought Kelly told you that.”
“Yes, but I didn’t make the connection until now. She dumped you because you were carrying your dad around. At least that’s what I thought I heard. But you weren’t carrying your dad, you were caring for him.”
He shook his head, looking marveled. “Yes. I can’t believe you heard all that and retained it. You’re a miracle, Em, you know that, right? A walking, talking, beautiful, amazing miracle.”
She felt her heart swell up against her rib cage, and the words she’d been biting back escaped her. “I’m emotionally invested in you too, Simon.”
He let out a rough breath, closed his eyes, then opened them again. “You should know, you could actually take me out at the knees if you wanted.”
“I . . . wouldn’t.”
That got her a smile. “No?”
“No,” she whispered.
“That makes me feel better.”
She smiled.
“Actually,” he said, “I feel better than I have in a long time.”
“Yeah, spaghetti does that for me too. We should have ice cream for dessert. That always helps too.”
He laughed low in his throat. “It’s not the spaghetti.” He shifted closer, his warm body at her front, the counter against her back. “It’s not that I need ice cream either.” Putting a hand on the granite on either side of her hips, he slowly leaned in and rubbed his jaw along hers. “It’s you.”
“Simon?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you scared right now?”
Giving her a hungry look, Simon replied, “No. I think you cured me.”
Emma’s heart was thundering now. She pressed up against him, letting out a low sound of pleasure that she couldn’t hold in to save her life, and he answered with a slow, deliciously deep kiss.
“Your call, Em.” His voice was husky with desire when he pulled back just enough to speak against her lips. “What do you want to do now?”
What did she want to do? Ride him like a pogo stick.
“How far does that security camera app allow you to go?”
“As far as I want.”
She took him by the hand. “My place then,” she said. Smiled. “Which is also your place, apparently.” She tugged on his hand, but he resisted until she looked back at him.
“Bring the heels.”
She laughed until she saw the heat in his eyes. Not a minute later, she had Simon’s hand in one of hers, her pretty shoes dangling from her other as he tugged her up the stairs. “Normally you make me do this all on my own. Thanks for the assist.”
He brought their joined hands up to his mouth and kissed her palm. “I don’t want to wear you out. Yet.” At her door, he pressed her up against the wood, brushing his lips against her earlobe, absorbing her full-body shiver. “Just to be clear, I’m staying fired.”
“But . . . I like you.”
“Good. I like you too.”
She laughed. “I mean as a PT.”
He shook his head. “Pick.”
She stared up at him, making the decision without a question. “I pick you. Not as my PT, but as the giver of orgasms.”
“Good choice.” Laughing low in his throat, he kissed her. “But it’s more than orgasms.”
She knew that, but not quite ready to discuss it, she pulled his head back to hers. When they finally broke for air, she had her hands beneath his shirt, one north, one south. His eyes were hot, his hands tightening their grip on her. “Inside, Em.”
She fumbled behind her and managed to open the door.
“It wasn’t locked?” Simon asked.
“I forgot.”
He held her back from entering and stepped into the apartment first, moving through it. She stepped inside, shut her door, and watched him.
“It’s a safe neighborhood,” he said, coming back to her. “But you can’t bank on that. You need to be careful.”
“I know. But after this past year, sometimes I feel . . . indestructible.” She grimaced. “I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s true.”
He came back and wrapped her up in his arms. Lowering his head, he kissed her softly. “I get it, I do, but you need to be careful with you. For me.”
She nodded, suddenly feeling a little distracted by what she’d brought him up here to do. Was her bed made? Did she need to brush her teeth?
His warm hand slid to the nape of her neck, his thumb running along her jaw. She looked up at him, finding his gaze serious. “Is this too fast, Emma? I can go.”
“You should.” She smiled. “You should go straight to my bed. And if you could carry me while you’re at it, that’d be great. I mean, I could walk, you literally taught me how, but at the moment, I can’t concentrate on that and this.”
“This?”
Tightening her grip in his hair, she kissed him, pouring all her need and hunger and desire into it, making him groan.
“I love the this.” He lifted her up, helped her wrap her legs around his waist, and started toward her bedroom.
“Wait!”
He froze.
She pulled free and slipped her feet into her strappy high-heeled sandals one at a time, using his arm for balance, eyes locked on his. “Okay, now.”
With a low, appreciative groan, he reached for her again, just as his phone buzzed a notification. He swore creatively and she knew it had to be the security app.
“Get it,” she said.
He let her slowly slide down his body and pulled his phone from his pocket. When he brought up the security cam, he snorted and turned the screen so she could see it as well.
His dad was sitting on the side of his bed. He was holding the camera, staring into it. “Son? You there?” He shook the camera before bringing it up to his mouth like it was a phone. “I don’t mean to interrupt you,” the lips said. “I mean, I really hope you’re getting some. But I kinda doubt you’re lucky enough to catch that sweet, amazing girl. Anyway, just in case, I’m scout’s honoring you. I won’t leave this bed until daylight. You are welcome. Oh, and P.S. to cutie pie Coma Girl—he’s pretty amazing too.” Then he set the camera on the bookshelf in the hallway and went back to bed.
“He’s kind of adorable,” Emma said.
“I’m pretty sure no one in the history of ever has accused him of being kind of adorable before.”