Page 62 of The Accidental Dating Experiment
I drop a kiss to her forehead, then whisper. “I know.”
I take off on a mission to do whatever I can to make her feel better. Back in town, I rush into The Slippery Dipper, which is closing in five minutes. The man greets me with a curious smile. “Hey there…”
But there’s no time for details. “I need a lavender eye mask.”
“Gotcha,” he says with a crisp nod, recognizing a spa emergency when he sees one.
Next, I’m back in the gourmet store, buying the world’s most expensive Tylenol, then I’m zipping back to the house. The lights are still low, but this time, one shines dimly from the bathroom. The door’s open, so I follow the soft glow, and…
Holy shit.
She is in the tub. She smiles at me. “Took the doctor’s advice.”
I drink in the sight of her in the claw-foot bathtub, draped in bubbles, with only the faintest lights on. It smells like warmth, of honey and cinnamon. Her hair’s piled high in a bun, wet strands framing her face.
I’m strangely glad she never sent me a photo. Not that I’d wish a headache on her. But there’s no picture that would compare to how it feels to see her here, like this, in the flesh.
I could stare all night, but I shake off the clutching feeling in my chest, filling a cup of water from the sink and offering her some Tylenol. She swallows them, then hands me the cup. I set it down on the vanity.
She gestures to the bubbly tub. “Hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of opening the gift.”
“It was for you,” I say, and I can’t take my eyes off her.
“I had a feeling.”
“I’m glad you opened it.”
“Me too. I feel a tiny bit better.” She nibbles on the corner of her lips, giving me an apologetic look. “But not integrity-ruining better.”
I roll my eyes. “Woman, there is no integrity being ruined tonight. I want you to feel better. I want you to feel good again.”
She looks at me, her gaze holding mine. “I do now.”
I close the toilet seat, sit down on it, and hang out with her as she relaxes in the hot water. When she’s done, I get her a big, fluffy towel, and wrap her in it, pressing a chaste kiss to her neck. “Let’s get you back in bed.”
A few minutes later, she’s in her jammies and settling into bed. “I put the sandwiches in the fridge. I’ll have mine for breakfast,” she says.
“Sandwiches for breakfast sound good.”
“It’s a date then.”
I can’t wait for it. I dart out to the kitchen, heat up the eye mask for twenty seconds in the microwave, so it’s warm, then return to the bedroom and hand it to her. “Got you this just now. It should help.”
She takes it and sets it on her eyes as she lies down. “You must be The Slippery Dipper’s best customer tonight.”
I sit on the bed with her. “I think I am.” Then, impulsively, I add, “I thought of you when I was there.”
I can’t see her eyes twinkling, but her playful smile tells me they are as she asks, “Yeah? What did you think about?”
Maybe it’s easier to say this when she can’t look at me. When she can’t disarm me with those bright green eyes. Or maybe she’s already disarming me. I lie next to her. “The day I saw you there,” I admit, my stomach fluttering annoyingly.
“Hmm. I don’t remember that day,” she says, her lips twitching.
“Evil woman.”
“Is that where I ran into you?”
I dip my face, nip her shoulder. “You know you did.”