Page 30 of Code Word (The Atrous #3)

I hobbled out to the kitchen, testing my knee.

It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t too good either.

I made some toast and poured some juice and was putting it back in the fridge when Luke reappeared.

He had the jar of ointment and a small medical kit.

“I found this upstairs,” he said, producing a roll of athletic tape.

“But I think maybe a trip to the doctor is a good idea.”

I put a slice of toast in his mouth and gave him a bear hug instead. He laughed but I didn’t let go. “I wanna stay right here,” I mumbled. “Like literally right here.”

“Are you being clingy to avoid the doctor?”

“No.” I totally was. But being clingy, as he called it, wasn’t all that terrible. Plus, it gave me the perfect opportunity to kiss his neck. “This spot right here, specifically,” I said, kissing up to his ear. “I wanna stay here.”

He pulled back, smiling as he chewed his toast.

I thumbed his bottom lip. “And this mouth. Now that I know what you can do with it, I’ll never look at it the same again.”

He shoved my arm, embarrassed. “God. Don’t say that.”

I laughed. “That was so fucking hot.”

He frowned at me, cheeks a rosy pink. “Sit up here,” he said, patting the kitchen counter. “I’ll tape your knee.”

I did as he asked, took a slice of toast, gave him a bite first, then shoved the rest of it in my mouth. He inspected my knee. “There’s some bruising and it’s a bit swollen on this side. ”

I didn’t care about my stupid knee. Using my not-stupid leg, I slid it around his back and pulled him in closer. I took his face in my hands and tilted his head back so I could kiss him. Just a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. “Hmm,” I hummed. “This fixes my knee.”

He smiled up at me. “You are extra clingy this morning.”

I didn’t even care. “I just need to be near you,” I murmured. “Touch you. Smell you. Kiss you.”

I did those three things, in that order, and he wiggled in my arms. “Maybe we should start every day like this.”

I laughed. “Actually, this day started with your ass against my dick and then an awesome BJ and mutual orgasms. But yes, all days should start like that.”

A knock on the door startled both of us, then Alma called out, “Hola. Hello?”

Luke stepped away from me and swatted my thigh when I laughed. “Yes, come in. We’re in the kitchen.”

She walked in. “I didn’t want to intrude. Just wanted to check on the patient. How is the knee?”

“I was just about to tape it,” Luke said. “He says it’s not so bad, but...”

She looked at my knee and frowned. “But it’s not good.”

I tried not to sigh too petulantly. “It’s been worse.”

Luke looked at me like, Really?

I smiled for Alma. “That ointment is great though, thank you.”

She made a face. “But for the smell.”

“Yeah, it smells like—” I stopped short of saying unwashed assholes. “Not great.”

“I told him he should see a doctor,” Luke said, as if ganging up on me would work.

She nodded. “I agree. The hospital is not far.”

Hospital?

“Hospital?”

Luke looked at me with amused pity, if that were a thing. “ We should. If you leave it, it could get worse, and then you’ll need surgery again.”

I pouted. And whined.

Alma patted my not-stupid knee. “Be brave.”

Luke laughed, and so I was very brave the entire time he rubbed more unwashed-asshole ointment on my knee and wrapped it with the bandage.

I didn’t whine at all. I probably should have because ten minutes later, I was on the back of the moped with my leg straight, bandaged knee and all, hanging onto Luke as he drove us toward town.

I did love it here. The sunshine felt different. There were no walls closing in around us, no asshole paparazzi or fans pushing us or shoving cameras in our faces.

Everything here was on our time.

Including the waiting room at the hospital.

“Should I be concerned that you’re smiling?” Luke asked.

I chuckled, leaning my head against the wall behind our chairs. “I’m still serious about staying here,” I said. “I love the whole vibe. It just feels different; more relaxed. Everything’s on our time.”

His eyes met mine, kinda sad. “We can’t stay here forever.”

“Maybe not. But we can check out some real estate options. No huge-ass mansion. Just something small by the beach, away from people. We can ride the moped to the market every couple of days and no one gives a shit who we are.”

He smiled. “You really are serious about that, aren’t you?”

“Hell yes. It doesn’t have to be here, exactly,” I offered.

“Somewhere like it. Just you and me and wherever the vibe is like this. And we can spend a few months here, go back to LA when we have to, and when the bullshit gets too much, we come back here and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist. It’s only a few hours by plane.

It’s not like I’m suggesting we buy somewhere in Nepal where we have to trek three days on a yak to get to the nearest airport. ”

Luke smiled. “On a yak?”

“Or Koh Samui or Bora Bora. For real, I would if you wanted to, but at least Mexico is close. Or Hawaii if you wanted to stay in the States. Hell, I’d live in a yurt in Mongolia if you wanted to.”

Luke chuckled. “Well, I can’t say yaks or yurts were on my bingo card for today.”

I sighed. “Neither was a trip to the hospital.”

Just then, a middle-aged man in a white coat came into the waiting room, clipboard in hand. “Blake Acosta.”

I stood up and Luke quickly propped himself under my arm, and ignoring the few looks we got, we hobbled behind the doctor into the cubicle.

I explained the surgery I’d had and how running on the sand in the dark hadn’t been my best idea to date, and despite the terrible-smelling ointment, he did his doctor thing.

Then he did his MRI thing to rule out tears or ruptures, stuck me with a horse needle right into the joint, and told me I needed to rest it.

Oh, and to keep using the ointment as the horrid smell might keep away the nosey nurses from trying to catch a glimpse of me. Apparently word had spread since he hollered my name out in the waiting room.

“You are someone famous?” he asked.

I shrugged it off. “Used to be someone.”

Luke’s eyes cut to mine. “Still is someone,” he said flatly.

The doctor ignored that and reiterated his instructions of rest and care. “Anything else you need?”

“Uh, actually,” I said. “There is.”

Luke studied me, surprised, waiting.

I smiled at him, then at the doctor. “Sexual health tests. Can we do that here? ”

Luke just about swallowed his tongue, and I tried not to smile.

“Yes, of course,” the doctor said. “I’ll have the clinician come take care of that. For one, or both of you?” he asked.

“Both,” I answered before Luke could. I grinned. “Definitely both.”