Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Dean

If I'm dreaming then please don't wake me.

I roll over and pull the sheet up to my chin. I'm kind of glad Liz didn't invite me in last night. Because if she had, I would have had a hard time saying no. Amongst other things…if you catch my drift.

It would've been super easy to rip that dress right over her head, to let my hands explore every inch of her body, but that's not who I am. I have a hell of a lot more respect for a woman than that.

I jump when I hear the knock at my front door.

"What the crap?" I mumble under my breath then kick the sheet back with my foot. I grab a t-shirt out of my dresser drawer then head downstairs. Normally, I wouldn't bother to see who it is—if someone needs me, more than likely they have my number and should've considered calling first—but I'm up now. The tile floor in the entryway is cold against the soles of my feet but not as cold as the breeze that sweeps through when I open the door and see Liz standing there. With her hair pulled up in one of those bun-thingies that women are always wearing, she's dressed in a pair of denim overalls with a white tank-top underneath. The shorts are a wee bit short, but my mouth begins to water almost immediately.

"Hey, sleepyhead. I brought breakfast." Liz dangles a paper bag in front of her and I'm pretty sure that's a gourmet muffin from Mr. Buns sticking out the top.

When Mr. Buns first opened, the owner would bring extras by the hospital for us to try, but now that his business has taken off, he practically runs out every day.

"Were you passing through the neighborhood or something?" I tug at the hem of my shirt, praying she can't tell that these are boxers that I'm wearing.

"Don't tell me you were still asleep." she teases.

"I'm not gonna lie. I've been awake for a little while, but I was still lying in bed." Dreaming about you, I'd like to add but keep the thought to myself. "Come on in and I'll put a pot of coffee on."

"Ha!" she laughs out loud. "And here I thought you'd have one of those fancy coffee makers that dispenses one cup at a time."

"Nope. I had one and hated the darn thing. It's probably in the garage somewhere collecting dust."

"Me too. I actually gave mine to Mr. Hillman since he limits himself to having just one cup a day. Speaking of Mr. Hillman, I spoke to him earlier and it looks like he's going to be released later this afternoon or first thing tomorrow morning."

"Oh yeah? That's good news. The surgery must've gone well for him."

"Yes and no." Liz says then looks down at her shoes. The joyful expression she had on her face earlier has vanished now. "He'll be going to a rehab facility until he's able to come home. I already know what you're going to say—those places are set up to help people like him, but it damn sure makes me feel useless. I'm a semester away from being finished with nursing school yet I can't even take care of him. Help me make sense of it."

"It's more than just that, Liz. Mr. Hillman is basically helpless right now. You know how difficult it would be for him to take a bath or even get from one room to the other. When he's better, then you can step in and take over from there."

"Six weeks is a long time, though."

"I've known some patients stay there for months, so if that's what they're estimating, he's likely to be released sooner."

"I hope you're right. I have no idea what I'm going to do with all this time on my hands."

"You could volunteer somewhere. Lots of places would love to have you help out, even if it's only for a few hours a week. There's websites with all kinds of listings for people needing assistance."

"But this would be something temporary, only until he comes home."

"I'll ask around at the hospital and see what I can come up with."

I grab two mugs from the cabinet and while the coffee is brewing, I excuse myself to run upstairs so I can put on some appropriate clothes. I've caught her steeling glances down there and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

The kitchen smells heavenly when I return, and I take the chair across from her at the table where she's already sipping on her first cup. "I hope you don't mind that I heated the muffins. I also pulled some butter out of the fridge. Not everyone likes having it on their muffins, so if you want any, I left the knife on the counter."

"These are so good." I take a bite of the delicious goodness, the taste of fresh blueberries teasing my tastebuds. "Mmm."

"I know, right." She picks up a napkin and swipes a crumb off the side of her mouth.

If I'd noticed the crumb earlier, I would've taken care of it myself. Watching her lips move is doing some crazy shit to me, so I grab the carafe from the counter and refill our cups.

"Are you okay?" she asks and stops chewing on her muffin.

"Yeah, why?"

She shakes her head. "No reason."

When she's finished with her coffee and goes over to rinse her cup in the sink, I sidle up behind her. "Damn, you smell good." Leaning over, I trace my tongue over the top of her ear.

"You like giving me goosebumps, don't you?" When she turns around to face me, I can't resist any longer.

I slide the top of her overalls down over her shoulder so that her tank top is fully exposed. And when I see her nipple protruding against the thin white fabric, I can't control what happens inside my shorts. I use my left forefinger to lift her chin then tilt her face towards me. "I want you so bad," I whisper into her ear.

"Hmm," she softly moans and wraps her arms around my neck.

With my leg against hers, there's no way she doesn't feel the hardness.

I lift her up and sit her on my kitchen counter, our faces the same distance apart. Oh hell, I'm in trouble now.

Liz's tongue explores the inside of my mouth and I savor everything about her. Trailing kisses down the side of my face, her lips gently caress my skin. If she thought she was the only one who had goosebumps, she should look down at my arms. I shiver when she slips my t-shirt over my head and when her lips tease the skin just below my neck, I'm about to lose all control. This woman is lighting fires I hope she can extinguish.

I slide my hands underneath her butt, and she slips her legs around my waist. The entire time, I'm silently praying she doesn't think I'm a bad person. I want this woman so badly and I want her in my bed right now.