I turned on the shower, setting it to arctic cold. When I stepped under the spray, the freezing water shot my balls straight into my gut.
After I cleaned up and opened the shower, Avery was sitting on the closed commode with two towels. When I stepped out, he handed a towel to me and put the other over my head before he hugged me. “You’re freezing cold. How was work?”
“It was good. Like I said, I worked overnight on the emergency and then went to help my co-workers. We’re about to finish this job and move to the bigger one next week. How was your day, sweetheart?”
“I was busy creating an advertising campaign for a car wash empire that owns thirty outlets in the area. They’re offering a punch card for nine washes to get the tenth free. It’s not classy, but it brings in money which pays my bills.”
I grinned. “Sweetheart, do you like creating campaigns for car washes or what your other clients ask you to create campaigns for?” The man was capable of doing a lot of things, but I wanted to know what he wanted to do with his life.
Avery exhaled. “It’s not ideal, but we’re a new marketing business and we’ve gotta work our way up the ladder, Holden. I don’t mind paying my dues. I want to be successful through hard work and my own efforts.”
The beautiful man was doing his best to make a name for himself, as I’d been trying to do my whole life. I had no problem backing him in any way he needed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Avery
Sleeping alone for the first couple of nights at Holden’s house was fine. He was a superb human being and he wanted to be sure I could rest so he insisted I sleep in his bed and he’d take the couch. Nobody who ever spent one night in a hospital could say it was a restful experience, so I appreciated his suggestion for thefirstnight.
But two nights alone in the man’s massive bed was more than enough. He needed to get over his worry about me so we could live our lives together and do all the fun things couples in love did every day. I wouldn’t say we’d never set up a camera and tape ourselves for our own enjoyment, though probably not anytime soon.
I took Ossie for a morning walk as I’d promised Holden I’d do, and when we returned to the house, the dog went to his bed in the corner of the kitchen and fell asleep in an instant.
After a teleconference with Brooke and Kyle about the campaign, I emailed them pictures of the rough sketches I’d done, which gave me an idea. I wanted to sketch Holden in a provocative pose to put on the wall in his bedroom. He was a private person, as I’d witnessed, so he’d probably balk at first, but maybe with a homecooked meal, I’d be able to talk him into it.
I opened the freezer to find a frozen lasagna. I was no chef, but I’d learned to heat up some things. Mostly, from Brooke, I learned whatnotto do.
Once I had the pan in the oven and the timer set for an hour, I checked the clock to see I had just enough time to take a shower and kick intoThe Seduction of Holden, Part Deuxmode.I didn’t want to break the man, just loosen him up a little.
While I was in the shower, I thought about why I came to be in Holden Rose’s home with Holly Rose’s heart beating with more love than I could fathom inside my chest. It was nothing short of a miracle.
“Or fate.”It was Happy’s voice in my head.
“I thought you were gone for good.” She’d seemed to tell me goodbye the last time I saw her before EZ did his thing and I awoke in a hospital, fresh out of brain surgery.
“I’ve been given this opportunity to ask how you believed EZ handled the situation with tracking down Hal the serial killer.”
“Are you in the bathroom with me?” Not this again…
“Uh, no. I know you don’t like me to keep you company when you’re naked. I’m just popping in to find out how you found EZ’s approach to solving the problem?”
EZ’s approach?“I’m not sure what that means.”
“This was actually EZ’s first solo job. Management wants you to grade his resolution on a scale of one to five, five being best and one being worst. They just want to know how you felt about the solution.”
“If by solution, you mean that he gave me a brain bleed so I could help him hunt down a serial killer who wanted to kidnap you and keep you in hell with him, I did enjoy the hunt and appreciated being able to do something for you after all you’ve done for me.”
I touched my chest over my heart.
“Those hell hounds are fascinating. So, if you’re asking if there are any hard feelings on my part because I had cranial surgery, I’d have to say I could have done without going under the knife, but look at me now—no, don’t. Here I am in Holden’s shower, in love with him and trying to get him to forget about my doctor’s orders that we wait two weeks to make love. I’d say, aside from the fact that my hair’s going to part crooked for the rest of my life, I’d give EZ a ten out of five for saving you.”
Happy giggled.“Perfect answer. And I have it on good authority that if you succeed in getting my brother to put out again, you’ll be just fine. I love you, Avery.”
“Bye, Happy. Love you, too.”
I hurried to get out of the shower so I could plan the perfect seduction scene. I had a few battery-operated candles in his bedroom, one of his Track and Tire Rescue black T-shirts that I tied at the waist, and I hadn’t forgotten Holden’s comment regarding the red lace panties with the ties on the sides.“Please tell me you wore these onourdate.”
I would make it so!
