Page 35 of Indebted

I burrowed under my blanket, the worn material not even fuzzy anymore, but it was comfortable and familiar.

Three distinct knocks came again.

I glared at the door.

The Ramirez’s were usually pretty good about leaving me to my own devices. If they were knocking it must be important.

Taking a deep breath through my mouth, I rolled out of bed. The single movement took more energy than expected and by the time I got to my door, I felt winded.

Whatever oxygen was left in my lungs rushed out when Justin’s piercing blue eyes met mine.

I froze, my mind went right back to the two of us in his clinic, his hand between my legs, his lips on mine.

If I wasn’t flushed before, I certainly was now.

“Justin,” I croaked. “What’re you doing here?” His button up was sans tie, the first two buttons undone, exposing the delicious expanse of his neck. The soft gray coloring highlighted his sun kissed skin and I could only imagine how horrible and pale I looked.

He lifted his hand, a large paper bag clutched between his fingers. “I brought soup.”

My mouth hung open. “I don’t need soup.”

Before I could step in the way, his eyes zeroed in on the bedside table, where my dinner of saltines and water sat.

“Consider it a selfish act, Katie,” he walked right by me.

Please come in. Don’t mind me.

“I need you better and back at the clinic.”

“Funny, considering you told me you didn’t need me there last week.” Right before he’d given me the best orgasm of my life.

He arched one perfectly sculpted brow. “Does this mean you’re going to accept my offer to pay for your schooling?”

He had me and he knew it.

“That’s what I thought,” he looked around, and for some reason it made me nervous. I didn’t have much; toiletries, some strewn about tops, a picture of me and Zoe our freshman summer.

It all probably looked so mundane to him. Soon to be a graduate and I could fit all my possessions into a black plastic bag. I’d never traveled, despite Zoe offering to pay for me to go with her on her family’s crazy trips, and the only expensive thing I owned was my top of the line laptop. A lump on my credit card I was happy to chip away at.

It wasn’t much, but it was mine, and the thought of Justin judging it, left a sick feeling in my stomach. Or maybe that was the flu.

His eyes landed on my shut laptop, the sticker on top reading, “Hello, Sweetie.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Eleven was my favorite too.”

No way.

I blinked.

Justin Kingston was not a Dr. Who fan.

When all I could do was stare at him, he frowned, concern coming into his eyes. “Are you running a fever?”

Before I could stop him, the back of his hand connected to my forehead.

The simple contact shouldn’t have sent a bolt of lust straight through me, but it did. Every time Justin was near, my body crackled. It was frustrating and terrifying.

The most platonic gestures were suddenly felt through my whole body, every nerve inside me waking up.