This! This is my BRONZE SHADOW!!!
Bronze hottie, you mean.
MY BODY IS READY
Nikhil sighed as he put his phone away. He really, really needed to stop lusting after his old prom date.
He started his car, glad he only had the fifteen-minute drive to Marley’s house instead of the hour drive to his parents’. When he got there, he parked on the street, let himself in with the key she’d given him on Sunday, and rolled his suitcase into what would be his home for the next two weeks. He paused in moderate shock the moment he was inside.
Marleyhadtold him it was Shayne’s grandmother’s house, but this wasn’t what he expected. Well, he wasn’t really sure what he expected, but not this. The exterior of the house was old white siding, and he expected the interior, since it was Marley and Shayne’s, to be sleek, stylish, and perfectly staged like a magazine spread. Instead, it was… funky. Like 1970s funky, with some ’80s flair, too. The house was small, so he could see most of the main floor from the entryway, including the orangey-yellow sofa and the huge number of plants in colorful ceramic pots, and hanging from the ceiling. On the hardwood floor was a multicolored shag rug with interlocking concentric circles that would probably look amazing if he were stoned. And a round wicker coffee table. Everything was kind of warm and cozy… It looked curated, not simply left behind. Well, everything was cool except a hideous brown fake-suede recliner next to the sofa in the living room.
There was a cat on the recliner—a long-haired beige thing that barely looked up when Nikhil came in. That must be McQueen. Marley had mentioned him that night at the hotel.
“Hello, cat,” Nikhil said.
At that, McQueen hopped off the recliner and rubbedagainst his leg. Nikhil leaned down to pet its head. It was softer than he expected.
There was a knock at the door. Good—the groceries he’d ordered earlier were here. After bringing the bags inside, he put the food and kitchenware on the kitchen counter, then explored the cupboards. The kitchen was simple—it looked like it had been redone ten to fifteen years ago, and it was mostly stocked, but he was glad he’d added a food processor and Instant Pot to the food order.
Nikhil put away the groceries and started cooking. When he told his father he was going to take care of Marley after surgery, Dad had given him a list of foods with healing properties to help her get her strength back. A mung bean daal with extra ginger, turmeric, and cumin seeds was at the top of the list. He opened the bagged beans and rinsed some in a colander, then put them in a bowl of water to soak while he diced an onion.
He probably didn’t need to cook—Shayne had assured him that Marley’s friends and family would be bringing her meals daily. But he didn’t feel right to just sit on the sofa waiting for Marley to get home. He needed to be doingsomething. And he needed to think—which had always been best done while cooking.
Esther’s comment earlier about him being too demanding wouldn’t leave his head. All he did was insist that the studio accommodate his chosen stylist while she had major surgery. The fact that he couldn’t get that chosen stylist out of his head was beside the point. The fact that he’d slept with her was even more beside the point. He wanted to work with Marley because she was damn good at her job, and she respected him. And he wanted to help her make her career dreams come true.
Nikhil closed his eyes and took a breath. Being here, takingcare of someone—this would be good for him. He needed to feel useful. He needed to focus on something other than work.
He texted his sister while the daal was cooking. Nalini said Mom was having a good day and had even had dinner with them. He exhaled. Then she told him about this app her biology class was using that had 3D renderings of the human body. She asked if he’d taken his iPad because she couldn’t find hers.
A car pulled into the driveway then, and Nikhil immediately went outside, taking care to make sure the cat didn’t follow him. Shayne got out of the driver’s side as Nikhil walked around to the passenger side. “Is she okay? Should I carry her?” Nikhil asked, seeing Marley through the window. Her eyes were hooded, and her head was leaning on the seat. There was a pillow across her chest under the seat belt.
“I can walk,” Marley said. She didn’t raise her head or move.
“She was nauseous on the drive,” Shayne said. “I had to lower her window.”
Nikhil opened her door and put his arm out to help her. She was in sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. Her face was twisted in pain as she reached to undo her seat belt. Nikhil’s heart clenched at seeing her like this. He leaned over and got the seat belt for her. She grabbed his arm to help herself up.
“Perfect,” Shayne said. “You and your biceps get her. I’ll get her bag.”
“How is she doing? Is she okay?” Nikhil asked Shayne.
“I hurt like hell, and I feel like I’m going to throw up, but I’m not dead. You can ask me,” Marley said, scowling.
“She’s a little crabby,” Shayne said, closing the trunk. He walked toward the door carrying a pale-pink duffel bag.
Marley didn’t even look at Shayne. “Let’s see how crabby you’d be after major surgery and rush-hour traffic,” she said. Then she winced again.
Nikhil put his arm around her waist, trying to take all her weight as she slowly walked into the house. Thank goodness she wasn’t resisting his help. She even put both her hands on his as she kicked off her shoes. McQueen meowed at her in greeting.
Nikhil had expected… hoped… that seeing Marley like this was all he’d need to squelch this infatuation of his. And yes, she really wasn’t looking her best. Her normal icy-warm eyes were currently red and puffy. Her flawless skin was blotchy. Her silky hair was a mess and actually looked a bit greasy. And she smelled vaguely like a hospital—of antiseptic and sweat.
But she was still the most beautiful person in the world to him.
Well, crap. Maybe this was more than a mere infatuation.
“Her painkillers have worn off,” Shayne said. “Marl, you want to be downstairs or in your room? I’ll get your meds once you’re settled.”
“Upstairs,” she said, but then she looked at the flight of stairs in front of her and winced. “Every step hurts.”
