Twenty-Four
After a full day of rest, Sophie was ready to go back to work. When Grady told her that wasn’t an option – she proceeded to pout.
And complain.
And pace.
And glare at him.
And then she pouted some more.
Grady couldn’t take much more of it. “What do you want from me?”
“I feel better,” Sophie said, clutching the sides of her flannel sleep pants desperately. “I need to do something.”
“The doctor said you were to remain quiet for a few days,” Grady said. “It hasn’t even been forty-eight hours and I’m ready to kill myself.”
“You?” Sophie’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m the patient here. I should get what I want.”
“You’ve got magazines, movies, and nail polish,” Grady said. “What more do you want?”
Sophie scorched him with a look. “You don’t know me at all, do you?”
“I know you’re seriously starting to piss me off,” Grady replied. “I know that.”
Grady was relaxing on the couch, flipping through the newspaper, and watching her freak out from the corner of his eye. As annoying as he found her little tirade to be, he also found her delightfully endearing to watch.
A dramatic sigh escaped Sophie’s lips as she settled on the couch next to him. Grady tried to ignore her, but it was difficult when she started running her fingers up and down his arm suggestively. “We could find something to do in the bedroom.”
Grady tried to inch away from her. “The doctor said you had to rest,” he said. “That’s not resting.” The truth was, after two nights of his body being pressed against hers – with no way to find relief – Grady was on edge and open to suggestion. Her flirty voice and full, pouty lips, were enough to make him forget the doctor’s orders.
Sophie brushed her lips against his ear. “I have some news I could share with you.”
Grady lowered the newspaper, fixing her with a hard look. “I know what you’re trying to do.”
“I should hope so,” Sophie said. “I wasn’t trying to be subtle.”
Grady smirked. “Why can’t you be a good little girl and just sit there and watch television?”
“Maybe I’d rather do something else.”
Grady sighed. “You know, when Mandy was sick, she watched the entire run of Lost.”
“Mandy seems very entertainment oriented,” Sophie said.
“You’re not?”
“I like real life.”
“How about a book?” Grady suggested.
Sophie rolled her eyes.
“There are non-fiction books.”
“My head hurts too much to read,” Sophie said. “What else do you have?”
“We could play a game,” Grady said. “I could go and buy a Monopoly board or something.”
Sophie’s face scrunched up. “Monopoly?”
“What? You like Battleship better?”
Sophie considered the question. “Why don’t you go and buy Twister.”
“Okay … I … wait a second,” Grady said, eyeing her suspiciously. “You’re an evil woman.”
“So I’ve been told,” Sophie said, sighing. “I’ve never known a man to complain, though.”
“I’m not complaining.”
“I’ve also never known one to shoot me down.”
Grady faltered. “I’m not shooting you down. Trust me. I just think you should take it easy. What’s one more day?”
“You should know, if I’m going to have to sit here in this house with nothing to do – including you – I’m going to go stir crazy. It’s not going to be pretty. There could be some property damage involved.”
Grady shook the paper, straightening it, so he could pointedly return to his reading. “I’ll try to find a way to survive.”
Sophie ran her tongue over the front of her teeth. “You’re really not going to give in?”
“I’m really not.”
“Even if I do this?”
Grady jumped as Sophie’s hand moved over his thigh and settled between his legs. He could feel himself stiffening under her touch. Crap. “Nope.”
“Really? Because you seem distracted from the newspaper now.”
“I’m not falling for this,” Grady warned. “You’re purposely being a pain – oh, crap, you need to stop doing that.”
“Doing what?” Sophie’s face was all faux innocence and light.
Grady dropped the newspaper. “You’re asking for it.”
“Asking for what?” Sophie purred, rubbing his erection while a small smile played at her lips.