Tasha made a noise that brought him back to the present. He felt kind of guilty for ogling his wife’s best friend. He’d better get it together and get her inside and settled.
Gently, he touched her cheek, “Tasha, you’re home.”
She groaned and winced. He could barely hear her as she spoke, “Okay.”
Tim got out of the truck and walked around to the other side to open her door. “I’m going to carry you inside alright?”
Tasha was still pretty groggy from the medicine. She whispered, “No. You don’t have to do that. I can walk.”
“You’re not walking. It’s cold, it’s icy, and you’re half out of it. Can you move your legs over this way?”
Tasha did her best to do as she was told but it was too hard. Not only was she in pain, her body felt like lead. Her brain told it to move but it wouldn’t.
Tim swooped his arms underneath her legs and picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head against his chest. All she could remember thinking before everything went blank was his arms around her felt…good.
*****
It was late afternoon when Tasha woke up. Instinctively, she stretched and was met with a piercing pain in her side. The pain almost brought her to tears. She told herself, “Take a deep breath.” It took a moment for it to subside. After a second or two she felt a little better. Then, slowly she looked around. How the hell did she get from the hospital to her bedroom? A smile started to form across her face…Eric. Then she remembered…Tim. He brought her home from the hospital.
Speaking of the devil. He stuck his head inside her door, “Hey. You’re awake. How’re you feeling?”
Tasha gave him a thin smile, “I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. But, I suppose I’ll live.” She sighed and even that hurt. “Tim, even though I can’t remember getting from the hospital to home, thanks for bringing me.”
He crossed his arms across his broad chest, “That’s what friends do right? Wait…whoa…what are you trying to do?” He rushed to her bedside.
“Well, I need to use the bathroom and I’m starving.”
“How about I help you to the bathroom and I’ll make you something to eat?”
“You don’t need to do that…” Tasha tried to get out of bed and immediately sat back down. She smiled weakly, “Okay, maybe I could use a little help.”
*****
Tim settled Tasha in the living room on the couch while he made her a late lunch. He was just about finished when he overhead Tasha on the phone.
“Hi Eric. I’m home. I just wanted to check-in to make sure your meetings were going well. When you get a chance call me.”
The sound of Tasha’s voice made Tim want to punch Eric in the face. She really needed him right now and he was nowhere to be found...like always. He waited a moment before coming out of the kitchen.
“Alright. Lunch is served. I’m no gourmet cook but I’m pretty good with soup and sandwiches.”
Tasha leaned her head to the side, “Well, it looks and smells delicious. Thank you again.”
He put the tray over her lap and set her lunch on it before sitting down on the opposite end of the couch with his own tray of food.
Tasha’s eyes were bigger than her stomach. She had a few spoonfuls of soup but couldn’t eat anymore.
Tim watched her intently, “You want something else?”
She looked up at him, “No. Everything was really good…I just don’t have as big of an appetite as I thought.”
“Are you sure? I can make you something else.”
“I promise everything was really good. I’ll probably have some later.” Tasha attempted a smile, “I didn’t know you knew how to cook?”
He looked back down at his laptop, “Like I said, I’m not a gourmet or anything but I can find my way around the kitchen. As long as it’s soup and sandwiches.”
“Well, this was…perfect.”
Tasha continued to look at the man who was so ridiculously busy running multi-million dollar companies sitting on the opposite end of her couch in jeans and a t-shirt.
His t-shirt wasn’t fitted but there was no hiding his broad and chiseled chest. Tasha could still see his muscles peeking through. Those strong arms carried her into her apartment.
That sable hair was tousled from him running his hands through it and his after five shadow was sexy as hell.
Tim’s papers and files were spread out in front of him as he worked on his laptop. Every time he touched the keys his muscles bunched up. Tasha inhaled slowly and deeply.
As busy as Tim was, he was still able to find the time to take care of her. Sabrina hit the jack-pot and didn’t fully appreciate what she had.
She was still staring when he looked up. They gazes locked and time stood still…for the second time. Tasha stopped breathing and Tim’s mouth went dry. Timeless seconds ticked on until the spell was broken by the ringing of his cell phone.
Tasha looked away first feeling embarrassed and guilty.
Tim coughed uncomfortably, “Sorry…its work. I have a conference call that I couldn’t reschedule.”
She could barely find her voice, “Please don’t apologize. You’ve already gone above and beyond what you should have.”
The rise and fall of her chest didn’t go unnoticed. He felt helpless from eyeing that smooth bit of exposed skin between her breasts. Instead of feeling guilty, it made
