Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Tessa nodded at his request, even as she held back a sigh. He certainly hadn’t been coping so well when she’d first arrived and found him stranded on the stairs, but at least she had gotten things off to a good start with a no-nonsense approach—even if she felt gooey to the core every time she glanced his way.
The Davenport women said their good-byes, and Erin pressed a business card into Tessa’s hand. “Text me,” she urged, “so I have your number.”
Tessa smiled down at the business card for the Sea Shell, Carmel’s weekly newspaper. She’d been in town for weeks, and was close to Margaret Percy, but it felt like she’d just made her first friend her own age.
After the women left, she offered Arch one more chance to take something from the plate of goodies before she put them away. “You’re not going to bust me for eating junk food?” He sounded surprised.
“No. Seeing your mom and sisters did you good, I can tell. And a couple of cookies aren’t the end of the world.”
She could tell from his physique that he kept himself in prime shape. She did not need to give Archer—or rather, Arch—a lecture on eating well and avoiding junk. Besides, she wasn’t a complete purist about food. She understood that sometimes a treat helped a patient as much as a well-timed visit from people they loved.
He patted his flat belly anyway. “I’d love to get straight back to the gym, or at least the pool,” he said, “but I know I’m not strong enough yet. The physical therapist I saw in the hospital wrote me a daily workout plan. It’s at the back of the file with the nutritionist’s notes.”
Tessa pulled out the workout plan and read through it. She’d helped enough patients heal from broken bones that she had a pretty good notion what the exercises would be. As she’d expected, this was a more rigorous plan than someone of Margaret’s age and strength would receive, but she could ensure Arch did the exercises properly. She offered to gather the equipment he needed and bring everything up to the ground floor.
To her relief, Arch didn’t attempt to dissuade her from lifting anything or try to haul himself downstairs to the gym.
“Why don’t you change into your workout gear, and I’ll meet you back here in ten minutes? I’ll set up the mats.” But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake. “Or do you need some help changing?”
She was trying so hard to be professional, but at her own suggestion of helping him off with his clothes, she felt heat rush to her cheeks.
It was so difficult to talk to him as she would with Margaret, whom she frequently helped with her clothes, or any other of her countless patients who had needed that same level of care. It wasn’t even like Arch was the first handsome man she’d worked with. And yet, all her cool flew out the window at the very suggestion that she might assist him in unzipping his pants.
The truth was, she was afraid of getting that close to him—as if one touch would be all it would take for her to lose the battle. To not fall completely under his movie-star spell. Although, to be fair, he didn’t act like an entitled movie star. She waited with bated breath for his reply, hoping against hope he could handle his pants himself.
* * *
Arch stared at Tessa, trying to read her neutral expression. Was that a flush of color across her tanned cheeks, or was he only seeing what he wanted to see?
He was tempted to reply that he did need her help getting changed into workout gear. Just the thought of her hands on his skin filled him with warmth. As did super sexy visions of the two of them tangled together on his bed, pleasure humming through every part of their bodies.
But the truth was that he didn’t need help. He’d managed to dress himself the last few mornings, and he could easily pull on a pair of shorts. Plus, he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries with Tessa.
At least, not yet.
He sensed that winning her heart was going to take time. So he would have to move slowly and respect that she was in his house as a professional.
What’s more, there was a vulnerability to Tessa that she did a good job of hiding beneath that efficient exterior. But he could still sense that she had been hurt in the past. Not physically, but emotionally. Her guard was up.
At one time or another, he had seen something similar with his sisters. A short burst of fury went through him at the thought that someone had hurt a woman as precious as Tessa. He’d been pleased when Erin had asked her to join her and Mila for coffee. Their letting another woman into their tight circle was a big deal, and he was glad for Tessa that she was going to have two of the coolest women in Carmel as new friends.