Not Just Another Romance Novel Read online

  “My painkillers have expired.”

  “Okay.” He flipped onto his back. “Just give me one minute.”

  He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, focusing on a spot on my ceiling.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  He glanced over at me. “I’ve got a, um, tenting situation.”

  “Morning wood?”

  He shrugged and turned on the mega-smile for me, and I couldn’t help my giggle. He narrowed his eyes at me, and then he threw off the blankets and headed to the kitchen for my pills. I sat up in bed, leaning back on my headboard.

  “Dax?” I yelled.

  “Yeah?” he yelled back from somewhere in my apartment.

  “Would you mind bringing a pillow from the couch, too?”

  He appeared in my doorway thirty seconds later with two pills, a glass of water, and the pillow I had requested.

  “You’re my hero,” I said.

  He handed me the pillow with a smile, and I stuck it under my ankle. “You’re welcome.”

  Then he handed me the pills and the water, and I was good to go for four to six hours.

  “What time is your class today?” He got back in bed and snuggled in beside me.

  “It’s Tuesday, right?”

  He nodded.

  “One.”

  “I have to meet the guys at noon for practice, but when we get up I’ll push it back.”

  “Stop. I’ll be okay. I’ll call Austin.”

  For the first time in a while, I thought about Scott. He’d always been the one I called first, but for some reason, Austin’s name popped out of my mouth.

  Not Scott’s.

  When I woke up four hours later, I smelled coffee and my ankle was starting to throb again. The painkillers marked four to six hours clearly wore off after four.

  I swung my legs over the side of the bed. I needed to figure out how to rely just on myself. Dax certainly couldn’t be around all the time to help me, and living alone meant I didn’t have a roommate to help me. It was just a sprained ankle, anyway. Yes, it hurt. Yes, it was swollen and purple and ugly. But it would heal.

  I put all of my weight on my left leg and sort of hopped to my door. I realized this probably wasn’t the best idea given my coordination issues, but I really had to pee and I really wanted to brush my teeth before Dax caught up to me.

  Each hop caused a throb in my ankle, but I was tough. I could do this. I could walk/hop across my room without crying.

  I made it to my door and opened it. I peered down the hallway. The bathroom was right across from my bedroom. I just needed four more hops and I’d be there.

  In the middle of hop number two, Dax appeared at the end of my hallway. “You want your crutches?” he asked.

  He leaned up against the wall, arms crossed over that broad, beautiful chest. Unfortunately he had put his shirt back on. I had a feeling if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been so focused on the throb in my ankle. Other, needier body parts would be throbbing.

  “Nah. I got this.” I hopped again and plowed into the doorframe.

  He rushed over to me. “Careful, Grace.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him, and he did that adorable manly giggle thing I remembered from our first date.

  “I don’t think I like my new nickname,” I said, rubbing my arm where it had hit the doorframe.

  “I don’t like giving it to you,” he said, wrapping his arm around my waist and helping me into the bathroom, “but it does seem to apply after the last twelve hours.”

  I shrugged. He was right.

  He turned to let me do my thing. “Yell when you’re done. I’ll get your crutches.”

  I shot him a look of gratitude, and then he shut the door and left me to my business.

  I checked the mirror, mortified he’d just seen me in the state he had. Hair stuck up everywhere in a tangled mess. Make-up smeared all over my face in all the wrong places. I looked like a disaster.

  I stared at my shower for a minute, trying to figure out how the hell I was going to get into it. I had one of those tub and shower combos.

  I needed to shower before I faced Dax again. He was perfect in the morning. He looked like he always did. Meanwhile I looked like I’d spent the night crying with the smudged eyeliner and mascara tracks down my cheeks.

  To get in, I’d have to put my weight on my ankle. Or I supposed I could sit on the edge of the tub and swing myself in. That would have to be the solution.

  I carefully unwrapped the elastic bandage the emergency room doctor had given me the night before.

  My ankle was pretty ugly. I sighed, accepting my new reality. It would fully heal in a few weeks, but it would definitely be an inconvenience in the meantime.

  And it was my first ever sex injury.

  I debated whether or not to add this new twist to my report. I’d probably leave it out.

  I sat on the edge of the tub and leaned over to let the water warm, and then I swung my legs over and slowly stood. I pulled the shower curtain shut.

  Well that hadn’t been so bad. I was in the middle of washing my hair when I heard a knock at the door. “Yeah?” I yelled, trying to rinse my hair quickly without getting soap in my eyes.

  I heard the door open, and a shudder ran through my body.

  I was wet and naked in the shower, and Dax stood in my bathroom with me.

  “Do you need any help?” he asked, his voice husky. I still clearly made out the amusement in it.

  As much as I wanted him to join me in the shower, somehow I never imagined he’d see me naked for the first time as I took a very much needed shower while I stood on one leg.

  “I think I’m okay,” I called back.

  “I’m pretty free this morning if you need help washing your back.”

  “Too late. I already got my back.”

  “Need any help with the front?”

  “Dax!”

  He man-giggled out the door, and I couldn’t help my giggle by myself in the shower, too.

  After I dried off, I noticed the steaming cup of coffee sitting on the bathroom counter with my bottle of painkillers next to it. This man really was kind of a dream.

  I combed out my wet hair and applied a little bit of make-up. I threw my pajamas back on because I hadn’t brought any clothes in with me. I felt human again.

  I opened the door and called down the hall. “Dax?”

  He appeared in the doorway ten seconds later.

  “Can you rewrap my ankle?” I asked helplessly. I’d been too shocked that I had actually injured myself the night before to watch what they’d been doing.

  He nodded. “Sit,” he said, nodding toward the toilet. I sat on top of the closed lid, and he grabbed the elastic bandage from the counter. He sat on the floor in front of me.

  I rested my ankle in his lap and his fingers carefully inspected my injury. His hands on my body were doing things to me. The quiver of desire started in my chest and exploded out everywhere else.

  This rock star boy was so dangerous. I’d thought it before, and the thought was right at the forefront of my mind again. There was so much more to him than his raw musical talent.

  He was a kind caretaker. He anticipated my needs before I told him what they were. And he was so ridiculously, outrageously attractive that it took everything in my power not to fall on the floor of my bathroom into his arms.

  After he cautiously wrapped my ankle, he carried me out to my couch and put a pillow on the coffee table for my ankle to rest on. “What do you need?” he asked, his blue eyes soft and caring.

  “My bag and my laptop. I’ve got a reflection paper I totally blew off due at one.”

  He chuckled as he brought my school bag and my laptop over to me.

  “Will you be okay for an hour or so while I run out to grab some food?”

  “You don’t have to. I’ve got some oatmeal in the cabinet.”

  He made a face. “I’ll be right back.” He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, caus
ing about a billion butterflies to soar through me.

  My phone started ringing, and he stood up, grabbed it off the counter, and tossed it to me. “See you soon,” he said, and I blew him a kiss before I looked at my phone.

  I didn’t recognize the number.

  “Hello?”

  “Piper Andrews, please.”

  “This is Piper.”

  “Alice McClelland calling for Mr. Greene from Greene Apps.”

  “Oh, hi Alice. What can I do for you?”

  “Mr. Greene’s schedule has shifted for next Tuesday and I am calling to reschedule your meeting. He had a cancellation tomorrow at eleven-thirty in the morning or a fifteen minute window on Thursday at one.”

  “I’ll take tomorrow,” I said probably a little too eagerly. I couldn’t do Thursday because of my Clinical test. I had no idea how to dress professionally for this meeting while I tried to get around on crutches, but I’d figure out something. Maybe Shannon could go in my place.

  I chuckled inwardly at the thought of sending a friend to an interview with a rich, young, sexy CEO. She’d probably end up with her happily ever after, just like the books.

  “Typically I call in a reminder twenty-four hours in advance of all meetings, but please consider this your reminder call. Mr. Greene will see you at eleven-thirty tomorrow. Please wear professional dress and arrive a minimum of fifteen minutes early. As a warning, the building has metal detectors, and security searches all bags. Mr. Greene is an extremely busy man, so come prepared for your meeting. Do you have any questions?”

  “Nope!” I said, my reply a little enthusiastic considering the canned warnings she’d just read me. “See you tomorrow, Alice!”

  “Ms. McClelland.”

  She cut the call and I grinned as I got to work on my reflection of the article Dr. Prestbury had left us with a week earlier.

  My door opened just as I typed my final sentence. Dax walked in with a plastic bag in one hand and a bigger paper bag in his other hand.

  “How’s it going, sweets?” he asked.

  I stretched and set my laptop on the couch next to me. “Good. Just finished my reflection.”

  “Good timing. I’ve got two things for you. You want your present first or your food first?”

  “You brought me a present?” I asked with a grin.

  “There’s my answer.” He laughed as he handed me the plastic bag. “I stopped at a pharmacy and asked if they had any recommendations for getting around easier on a sprained ankle. They showed me that thing.”

  I opened the bag and pulled out a white canvas lace-up ankle brace. Under it was a Snickers bar and a bag of Twizzlers.

  I giggled as my heart absolutely melted for this amazing man. “They pointed you to the Snickers bars?”

  He laughed.

  “Thank you, Dax. This is really, really sweet. I can’t wait to try it out.”

  “Just want to make sure my girl’s doing okay.”

  There it was. Again.

  My girl.

  I loved the sound of that.

  “And I wasn’t sure if you were a chocolate girl or a sugar girl, so I just got both.”

  “Both are perfect.”

  He frowned at me.

  “What?”

  “I was planning to eat whichever one you didn’t want.”

  I giggled. “How about we split both after we eat?”

  He grinned, and then looked at me wistfully for a second. “I hate to rush, but you have class soon. You ready to eat?”

  I nodded, and he pulled two packages out of the paper bag. He handed one to me.

  “Thank you,” I said, still unsure what it was.

  Next he handed me a container of salsa, and then he pulled a bag of tortilla chips out of the paper bag.

  “Best breakfast in San Diego,” he said.

  I opened the wrapper and found a breakfast burrito. It smelled delicious, and my mouth watered…although that could’ve been from my proximity to Dax as he sat next to me on the couch.

  “What’s in it?” I asked.

  “Egg, potato, and bacon.” He bit into his, and this look of utter bliss crossed over his face. I forcefully restrained myself from throwing my burrito on the ground and attacking him.

  I wanted to cause that look of bliss on his face.

  And I knew someday I would.

  I glanced over at the clock. It was already half past noon. “Didn’t you have practice at noon?”

  He nodded. “I told them I’d be late.”

  “Dax, you shouldn’t have.” I took a bite of my burrito, and I was pretty sure that same look of bliss crossed my features, too.

  He shifted slightly as he watched me. “It’s no problem. They’re playing with riffs we can set to some lyrics I wrote. We worked out the basics at our practice yesterday.”

  “That sounds like something you should be there for.”

  He shrugged. “I will be. You needed me.”

  I was one really, really lucky girl.

  After we finished the best breakfast in San Diego, Dax laced up the brace over my elastic bandage. It was too swollen for shoes, but he tied up one sneaker on my good foot, grabbed my crutches, and drove me to the Psych building.

  When I crutched my way into class, Austin immediately jumped to his feet to help me. “Oh my God, Piper! What happened?” he asked as he helped me hobble over to our usual table. Scott and Shannon weren’t there yet.

  “Sprained it.”

  Just as I settled into a chair, Scott and Shannon walked in.

  Scott looked tired, even a little angry, but his eyes softened when they met mine. My heart stuttered a little in my chest when our eyes met.

  What the hell?

  I was falling for Dax. He was the total package—smart, talented, sexy. He took care of me. He brought me breakfast and chocolate and sugar and an ankle brace.

  Yet my heart told me Scott was in there, too.

  This was monumentally confusing. Everything pointed me to Dax, and when I was with Dax, everything was exactly how it should be.

  But every time I’d seen Scott over the past couple of weeks, this wrench of confusion pulled at me and twisted everything up in my mind.

  I looked away.

  “Piper! What the hell happened?” Shannon shrieked.

  “It’s nothing,” I muttered. “I just sprained it.”

  “How?” she pressed.

  Oh, fuck.

  I hadn’t thought about how to explain my injury to my friends.

  “Uh…I just rolled it. Came down funny on it and rolled it right under me.”

  “Were you with the rock star when it happened?” Shannon asked.

  I nodded, hoping I’d be able to avoid what had really happened. “He took me to the emergency room last night and they gave me these stupid things,” I said, nodding to my crutches. “And painkillers.” I flashed a smile, and Austin and Shannon giggled with me. Scott, however, remained silent. His jaw was clenched, the muscles working back and forth as he stared ahead at Dr. Prestbury.

  God. He was so goddamn confusing. I was really starting to hate him.

  After class, the four of us went to the library to share notes and complete our study guide for our test on Thursday. Shannon carried my bag and Austin volunteered to buy me a soda. Shannon excused herself to the restroom just as Austin walked away, and it was just Scott and me at the table.

  This strange awkwardness descended.

  We’d never had awkward before. Our conversation had always been fun, free, and flowing. But lately, it was the opposite.

  We were both quiet. I could feel tension between us, and I didn’t know what to do to get it to go away.

  Scott stared down at his notebook, and I stared over at Scott. The more I watched him, the more handsome I found him. I’d never looked at him that way, but the jaw that working back and forth so tirelessly was strong and solid. It was covered with a sexy smattering of stubble. He had high cheekbones and full lips and thick lashes. I focused on
his lips for a second. I couldn’t help wondering what they’d feel like against mine. They looked soft and plush.

  I brushed away the traitorous, errant thought.

  He glanced up at me, catching my eyes on his lips. I flicked my eyes to his. “You feel okay?” he asked quietly.

  I nodded.

  “Need anything?”

  I shook my head.

  And then Austin came back. He handed me a Sprite, and Shannon returned a minute later, and then we got down to studying.

  I studied Scott as we worked. He never looked directly at me. He avoided me unless I directly addressed him.

  Something was up, but he wasn’t going to talk to me about it.

  18

  Can I bring you dinner?

  Dax had been texting me periodically throughout the day, making sure I felt okay and seeing if I needed anything.

  That sounds awesome.

  My ankle was throbbing again, probably because I’d been up and moving around too much. I probably should’ve skipped class and stayed on my couch all day, but I knew how much damage missing one class could have on my GPA.

  So I powered through two classes plus my study session with my friends. I finished my homework and made a list of interview questions for Mr. Greene. I had no idea how ask him on a date during our conversation, but I’d get creative. I supposed I wasn’t really taking Alice’s advice into account to be prepared for the meeting. The throbbing ache in my ankle and the painkillers prevented me from feeling too anxious about it, though.

  And the throbbing ache down low in my belly caused by Dax wreaked havoc with my brain.

  I was crazy with desire for him, and between that, my ankle, my project, and this weirdness with Scott, I felt completely out of whack.

  I actually started to really look forward to Thanksgiving. A few days away back home with my family sounded perfect.

  And then I remembered my plan to hit on my stepbrother, and all thoughts of a sweet, picture-perfect family Thanksgiving vanished from my mind as dread took over.

  I couldn’t ask him for a “date” like the others on my list. I had to handle that situation with care.

  And if I had time before I left for Vegas, I’d definitely need to put on Clueless—my favorite nineties movie and the original stepbrother romance.