of a quick—albeit shallow—bath, feeling fairly refreshed and ready for bed, he was sound asleep. He hadn’t even taken off his shoes.
Julie put her crutches on the floor, sat next to him on the bed and studied his face. Sleep softened the worry lines on his forehead and bracketing his mouth. When he smiled, those lines got deep and his eyes sparkled bright, and it turned him into one hell of a sexy package.
She pulled off his boots. His eyes opened into slits and he started to sit up. She pushed him back. “I’ve got them. Go to sleep.”
He leaned back on the white sheets and watched her, his eyes dark and sexy. She noticed the hard ridge in his jeans and held back a grin since she hadn’t done anything to warrant his erection. After all, her baggy T-shirt and sleep shorts did nothing for her figure. Like his hands, his feet were big: solid and strong, just like the man. When she got his socks off, he tugged her down next to him on the bed. He didn’t make any moves, didn’t even try to kiss her. He just held her close and Julie soaked up the contact. The sense of safety she felt with this man was unparalleled.
It seemed she’d just fallen asleep when his voice woke her up.
“Julie,” he whispered. “Time to get up. We need to hit the road. I brought you a chai and some breakfast.” He looked guilty for waking her up while it was still dark outside and because he was going out of his way for her, she didn’t want him feeling bad.
“Did you put it on my tab?” she asked as she gently stretched sore muscles.
“This one was on me. Sorry I crashed on you last night.”
She peeled back the covers, sat up and took the chai he offered. “It’s okay. Driving is tiring. I could take a turn, you know.”
He shook his head. “I like knowing you’ve got your leg up in the backseat. It’s not a problem. Besides, I don’t want you to get behind in your pain meds.” He zipped up his bag on the luggage rack and turned toward her, his face expectant.
Too late for that. Her leg was throbbing already. “I guess you’re giving me another twelve minutes to get ready?” she asked.
“Take fifteen. You deserve it.” He flashed a rogue grin and her heart tumbled over. “Hey, I was thinking since you’re not at home, now’s the perfect time to get the garage door fixed. I know a guy with a garage business and he owes me a favor.”
“Wow, first plywood and now garage doors. You know all kinds of helpful guys.” Julie didn’t see a reason to argue. “I may as well. I have to fix it before I can sell it. Between Abbey and Cal, someone can be there while the workers are there. Thanks.”
Troy nodded. “You’re welcome. I’ll leave a message for him while you’re in the bathroom.” He glanced at his watch. “You’re down to fourteen and a half.”
Julie groaned as she sat up. “That shouldn’t count as my time. You stalled me.” This close to him, she smelled his aftershave. She could breathe him in all day long.
Sitting in the close confines of the car, she realized she would.
* * *
Abbey unlocked Julie’s front door and set her backpack on the entry table. She thought she’d get a little vacation time with Julie gone, but she should’ve known better. It didn’t matter where Julie was, she always had something going. Something that required Abbey’s time or energy.
Right now, Abbey needed to be at the studio practicing for an upcoming audition. She wanted to work on the signature moves the choreographer was known for. She brought a couple of DVDs to aid her rehearsal. If she could nail down a few numbers now, it would be easier when she got into the audition. Or so she hoped. Luckily the original audition had been postponed from now to tomorrow, which gave her more time to rehearse. This way, she didn’t have to panic about getting to Julie’s house to open up for the workmen coming to fix the garage door.
Abbey strode into Julie’s huge den, glad for the bamboo flooring. She wouldn’t be able to do any of the spin moves on carpeting. She stripped off her baggy T-shirt, tossed it over the leather recliner and got down to her dance threads, a form-fitting strappy black top and leggings.