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Simon snagged her hips as she turned to leave. “It was a lot more than a good fuck. You were crying. Just tell me if they were good tears or bad tears,” he asked, his voice warm with concern.
“Good. Definitely good.” Unwilling to say anything more, she brushed her lips against his and forced herself to walk away. She knew how Simon felt about sleeping with someone. She’d have to be content with what had just happened for now. “I need to shower. Someone made me all…wet.”
Laughing at the low growl she heard behind her, she slipped away to her own room to shower and crawl into bed, falling into an exhausted but contented sleep.
Everything ok?
Kara smiled down at the text message from Simon as James drove sedately toward Helen’s Place. She hadn’t talked to Helen in several days and they had made arrangements to have coffee. Since Helen couldn’t stand to tear herself away from the restaurant, Kara usually popped in after school during the slower hours to chat.
She sent a return text.Yes Daddy. All’s well.
It was Friday, almost a week since the incident at the clinic. Simon checked in with her every day, usually several times a day, to make sure everything was okay. She might joke with him about being like an overprotective father, but she secretly found it touching that he cared about her safety.
They hadn’t gotten physical since the night of the incident at the clinic. They joked, they talked, but they didn’t screw. It was almost as if they were both afraid that what happened couldn’t be repeated. Or maybe it had just scared the shit out of both of them. It had certainly frightened the hell out of her. She had never experienced anything quite that intense.
Her phone beeped again.
Be careful. Let me know when u leave. RU there yet?
She replied.Pulling up now. Will obey orders, sir.
The car pulled in front of Helen’s restaurant as her phone beeped again.
I wish. Only in my dreams do you ever obey orders.
She snickered as she put the phone in her front pocket, almost able to hear Simon speaking those words out loud in a disgruntled voice. “Thank you, James. I’ll see you in a little bit.” She smiled at the kind, elderly man as she reached for the door handle.
He grinned broadly at her. “Have a nice visit, Ms. Kara. I’ll be here waiting for you. Give Helen my best.”
James had worked for the family for several years and knew everyone.
“Will do.” She slid from the vehicle, lifting her hand in a wave to James as she reached the door.
Even during the slower hours, Helen’s Place wasn’t lacking customers. The place was well known in the area for having reasonable prices and great food. Kara made her way to a corner booth and was about to seat herself when Helen came rushing from the back doors, a wide smile on her face and her arms open wide.
Kara hugged the older woman fiercely as she arrived beside the booth, breathing deeply, taking in the welcoming scent of vanilla that always seemed to radiate from Helen.
Helen pulled back and grasped Kara by the shoulders. “How is my son treating you? You look good. Rested.”
“Let me get us some coffee.” Kara went behind the counter and snatched two mugs, filling them with steaming coffee, before making her way back to the table, grabbing a bowl of creamer on her way. “I’m doing well. Classes are good. It’s getting to crunch time.” She slid a mug in front of Helen before seating herself in front of her own.
“Honey, you don’t have to serve coffee. You aren’t an employee anymore.” Helen shot her a grin, one so similar to Simon’s that Kara was momentarily distracted.
Leaning back, she studied Helen for a moment, trying to find other similarities to Simon. There really weren’t many. After viewing tons of photos of the two brothers with their mother, Kara had come to the conclusion that Simon must take after his dad, even though she had never seen a photo of his father. Helen looked like Sam, with her short, wavy, blonde hair and green eyes. Her friend had always dressed with casual elegance. Today, it was a paisley calf-length skirt with a button-down pink sweater. Large, pink, dangling earrings fell from her delicate ears, bumping against the side of her neck every time she moved her head. Helen’s rather flamboyant earrings were the only ostentatious thing about her. She was a truly kind, gentle soul.
Kara smiled. “I need my caffeine fix.” She dumped liquid creamer into the steaming brew. “I just got you some at the same time.” She added sugar and picked up her spoon to stir the mixture. “And Simon is treating me fine. More than fine. He’s a wonderful…friend.” Kara nearly choked on the last word. Well, Simon was a friend.
Helen sighed. “He sounds happy. I talk to him almost every day. I haven’t heard him so upbeat in a long time. He sounds completely smitten.”
“He’s not,” Kara answered quickly, nearly choking on a sip of coffee. “We’re not. I mean, we’re friends.” God, she couldn’t lead Helen to believe there was anything permanent in her relationship with Simon.
“Uh huh. And Simon talks about you every day, nonstop for an hour because…why?” Helen shot her a teasing look over the rim of her mug.
Kara shrugged. He did? Really? “I live in his home. He’s helping me. It’s only natural that he talks about a roommate. We see each other every day.”
Helen snorted. “Sweetie, he and Sam see each other every day, too, and he certainly doesn’t ramble on about his brother. And he’s never talked about a woman before.”
Kara tried to get her hopeful heart under control. Just because Simon mentioned her in his conversations with his mom didn’t mean anything. “He and Sam don’t live in the same home.”