Page 45 of Broken: Taylor

The brightnessof the sunlight confirmed she’d slept in. Allison winced when she touched her forehead. Yep the accident had actually happened. One leg and then the other, she moved them and was glad there wasn’t any discomfort. The same went for her arms and midsection, which she touched gingerly at first.

There was one last test. She wiggled her nose. “Ouch.” Face and head were another matter. At least her headache was gone. Leah had checked on her several times during the night. Every two hours as the doctor had prescribed even after she grumbled and told her not too.

The mirror over the dresser beckoned from across the room. If she looked like a raccoon, it would be horrible for business. There was only so much makeup could do.

She slid from the bed and made her way to the mirror, unsure of what she’d seen. It turned out to be not as bad as she expected. However, it did look as if she’d been in a three-round fight with a boxer, who’d knocked her out with one punch to the nose.

“Shit.”

Someone rapped at the door. Leah was persistent. She gave her that.

“Come in.”

“Good morning.” The first thing Taylor did was look her up and down. The only thing she wore was a tank and panties. “How are you feeling?”

Frozen to the spot, she could only gape at him. Her hair was probably all over the place. She had black eyes, a swollen nose and lip, and was half naked. “Uh...okay.”

“Aren’t you cold?” The corner of his lips twitched. He was looking at her nipples. The man ignored the fact she looked like Frankenstein’s little sister to focus on her boobs.

Crossing her arms, she rushed to grab a robe Leah had thrown over the edge of the bed and put it on.

And queue the awkward silence. “Where are Luke and Leah?”

“Luke’s out working. Leah went to town. Asked me to keep an eye on you.” Once again he seemed to struggle to keep from a smirk. Taylor was enjoying this way too much.

“I’m fine. As soon as I get dressed, I am going to head to town. Need to work.”

He stood without a cane, self-assuredness emanating from his large body. Want came next, like a wave over her. There was something about a man who radiated masculinity despite being injured. Even in his pain, which she knew he’d suffered for many months, he somehow maintained an outward appearance that he could kick anyone’s ass without much trouble.

“You coming to the kitchen? Or should I come in?”

“What?” What was he up to? “I’ll come to the kitchen. Give me a moment.”

“Seem steady enough. Not that I could be much help. We’d probably land on the floor on top of each other.” Again, the telltale smirk told her what he thought of them on the floor.

“Yeah, well I can manage. Good thing I don’t need my face to walk.”

The hazel gaze scanned her face. “Even with the bruising, you’re beautiful.”

Okay now she was blushing like an idiot. “Ha. You’re funny.”

I took several minutes to pull her hair into a messy bun, and then she splashed cold water on her face. There was some lip balm, face powder and a trial size tube of mascara in her purse. She used the lip balm and a bit of powder. Deciding the mascara would not help her eyes, she put it back into the makeup pouch.

Thankfully Leah had left behind sweatpants and a loose-fitting fleece long-sleeved shirt for her. After dressing, she felt much better.

Taylor was at the stove. The smell of bacon frying made her stomach tighten in anticipation.

She made toast and poured coffee, the morning ritual was like that of two people comfortable in each other’s presence. The opposite was true. Tension was tangible as they managed to keep from getting too close to one another. Taylor limped a bit, but it wasn’t as bad as she’d expected after the extensive surgery he’d undergone.

“How’s your pain?”

He shrugged. “Barely there actually. I may keep the limp as a souvenir though. They want me to start walking without a cane. We’ll see how that goes.”

One plate in each hand, she went to the kitchen table and placed them down and then did the same with their coffee cups.

“I want to ask you something,” she said once he sat across from her. “What is your friend Felicia’s deal?”

Searching her face, brows came together in thought, Taylor let out a breath. “She’s a good friend. We were partners. Why?”