Teddy Spenser Isn't Looking for Love - Kim Fielding Page 0,39

take a magic smart pill in the meantime.

“Darling, in a short while my driver will leave a debit card for you at the hotel reception desk. Please use it to treat yourselves to some nice meals. And do some clothes shopping as well—I realize that when you packed you didn’t expect to stay this long.”

“Wow. That’s really generous of you.” And a relief for him.

“Don’t be silly. We all know I possess unreasonable amounts of money. Now, you boys have a good time, and you rest your foot. Two o’clock tomorrow.”

He set the phone on the bedside table and looked at Romeo, who hadn’t lost that something in his eyes. In fact, that something had grown and taken shape, and now its identity was unquestionable: attraction. The same type of attraction that Teddy had been fighting since they arrived in Seattle. Hell, be honest: since long before that. In Teddy’s somewhat limited experience, this was a look that led rapidly to groping and the shedding of clothes and stroking and thrusting and sweating and...regrets and silent coldness soon afterward.

“I guess we’re not out of the game yet.” His voice came out hoarser than usual, and he sniffed as camouflage. He had, after all, spent hours outside in the rain.

Romeo licked his lips, which was downright mean. “Yeah. Guess not.”

“What do you think she’s going to make us do to prove we’re smart?”

“No idea, man.”

With a sigh, Teddy leaned forward to unlace his boots. At which point Romeo hurried over, batted Teddy’s hands away, and did it for him, removing the one on the injured foot with exquisite care. Teddy, who’d never once in his life entertained a medical kink, found Romeo’s actions so unbearably sexy that he nearly injured himself yanking the comforter up over his lap. Seemingly oblivious to Teddy’s condition, Romeo remained kneeling at the bedside. “How’s it feeling?”

For a wild moment, Teddy thought Romeo was referring to a part of his anatomy that, while also somewhat swollen at the moment, would not be relieved by ibuprofen. Then common sense prevailed and he gave a shaky laugh. “It’s fine as long as I don’t walk on it.”

“I put your ice packs in the mini fridge. They just barely fit in the teeny freezer.”

“Thanks.”

Romeo still hadn’t moved. One of his hands lay on the comforter. Not quite on Teddy, but almost. He was so close that Teddy could smell him: a pleasant combination of pine needles, hotel shampoo, and peanut butter, the latter thanks to their energy bars. He likely tasted good too. Oh, and the nape of his neck was undoubtedly soft and warm, and his chest—

“Dinner.”

Romeo blinked at him. “Huh?”

“We should discuss what to do about dinner.”

“Uh, yeah.” Romeo slowly rose, which was both a shame and a relief. “We can order in so you can rest your foot. Or I can go out and get us something.”

“You don’t need to be stuck inside tonight just because I am.”

“Wasn’t planning to go out anyway.”

Although Teddy shouldn’t have cared whether Romeo stayed with him tonight, he was happy. He liked having Romeo around, despite the increasing temptation to throw himself into his strong arms.

Romeo brushed his hands together as if he’d made a decision. “I’ll go get us something.”

“Sounds good. And we can clothing shop in the morning.”

“Okay.” But Romeo’s expression had closed down. Teddy had no idea why. And before he could ask, Romeo was striding meaningfully toward the desk. He sat down and started typing at his laptop. “Any specific requests or no-gos for dinner?”

Teddy thought about that for a moment. “You know what? I could really go for a big bowl of pho.” He wanted comfort food, and Vietnamese broth and noodles would hit the spot for sure.

“Really?”

“You don’t like pho?”

“No, it’s great.” Romeo shrugged. “I expected you to want something...fancier.”

That made Teddy frown. Sure, he liked to splurge on a meal now and then, but more often he was a sandwich or pizza kind of guy. Or noodles. Why would Romeo think otherwise? Jesus, did Teddy put on airs that made him come across as a snob? He wasn’t one; he couldn’t afford to be. But even if he were as rich as Joyce Alexander, he’d still appreciate the simpler things in life. In fact, he was proud of his ability to put together a nice outfit or attractive décor on a tight budget.

“I’m cool with whatever you want,” Teddy said.

After a pause, Romeo nodded and stood. “I’ll be back,” he said with a