She gave me a loose grin and lifted up the back of Asa’s hand so that she could rub it against her bruised cheek. “You would like all the people I’ve let into my life, Dom. You just need to give them a chance.”
I looked between the two of them and nodded solemnly. “Point taken.”
I hung around until the doctor came in and offered her a mild painkiller for her injuries. They wanted her to stay for observation for the rest of the day, and it was clear Asa had things under control and that he was who she was going to turn to for comfort and help, as it should be. I offered to stay to be the buffer when Royal’s mom showed, but Asa told me he could handle it and I was inclined to believe him. There didn’t seem to be much this southern charmer couldn’t handle. I didn’t want to be impressed by a guy with a criminal record as long as my arm but I was, and there was no denying the proof that was right in front of me that he would do anything and everything for my best friend. He might have her heart, but it was obvious it was a fair trade because Royal held his just as tightly.
It wasn’t until I was in my truck and headed back towards my apartment building that I remembered I had somewhere else I was supposed to be that day. I tried to call Lando’s cell phone and it went right to voicemail. I thought about going by the clinic but didn’t want to interrupt him if he was with another client, so I called his cell back and left a rambling message about why I had missed my appointment. I didn’t want him to get any ideas that it had anything to do with what had gone down between us during my last session.
When I pulled into my spot in front of my building, the sleek sports car that was parked in the spot next to it immediately caught my eye. So did the tall man holding a cup of Starbucks in his hand as he got out and made his way up to the sidewalk where I stopped to look at him.
“What are you doing here, Orlando?” I sounded as surprised as I felt.
He stopped before stepping off the curb, so for once I had a height advantage on him. “I was worried when you missed your appointment. Your new trainer called a couple of times and it went to voicemail.”
I frowned and pulled out my phone. “I just called you and it went right to voicemail. Royal was in a car accident and she’s in the hospital. I turned my phone off when I was in her room.”
His expression pulled into one of instant concern. “Is she alright?”
“She’s been better. Do you make house calls when all your clients are no-shows?” I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to prod him, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I never could with him.
He muttered something under his breath and I saw his long fingers tense around the white cup in his hand. “I was worried. About you. About us … I don’t know. I’ve never stepped over the line with a client or a man like that before. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
His anxiousness was cute. He was cute, and I was really glad he was here. I never really had anyone else to lean on when shit went south. I was usually the pillar that held everyone else up.
“You and I are fine, Lando. In fact, you and I might be the only thing I can honestly say is A-OK at this point.” I reached out a hand and put it on the side of his neck. A thrill shot through me as his pulse immediately leapt up to kiss my fingertips.
“It’s been a pretty shitty day, so if you don’t have to go back to work, why don’t you come upstairs with me and we can get naked and do really fun and dirty things to one another?” I said it jokingly, but the way his light eyes sparked at the suggestion made me think there was nothing funny about the two of us getting naked together.
He hissed out a breath between his teeth and closed his eyes briefly. When they snapped open, I knew he was coming upstairs with me.
“I’ve got a few hours.”
I chuckled. “That might be enough time. Let’s find out.”
Chapter 8
Lando
It felt like the most natural thing in the world to follow those wide shoulders up the stairs and into the darkened apartment. There was no doubt, no second thoughts, and I found myself wishing I didn’t have to go back to work for my final client of the day.
When Dom had been a no-show for his appointment, all manner of the worst things that could have happened to him started running through my mind. I wondered if he had hurt himself again, if maybe our liaison hadn’t left him as twisted up and anxious for a repeat as it had left me. He was assertive and flirty, but there was a chance that things had gone further than either of us intended and that made me panic on a personal and professional level. The last thing I wanted was my rampaging hormones where the hot cop was concerned to taint my reputation. The world was more open-minded than it had ever been, but I could only imagine the way some of my clients would react if they thought they were going to have to fend off my advances during a session.
My relief that there was a totally logical reason why Dom hadn’t shown was palpable and probably part of the reason I offered no resistance when he took my almost empty coffee cup from me and took my hand to guide me through the run-of-the-mill apartment towards what I assumed was his bedroom. The décor was very typical single-dude style. Heavy black furniture and lots of sleek electronics. There were pictures on the wall of him and two young women that looked so much like him that I knew they had to be his sisters. There was also pictures of him in his uniform with an attractive older woman that I assumed was his mom.
The sight of him dressed in his patrol uniform sent a surprising jolt of desire blasting through my system. I liked boys in uniform, but those uniforms usually involved bulky pads and tight football pants. I had no clue how sexy a man with a badge could be, not to mention the handcuffs.