Page 60 of Crash

“And you’re going in?”

“Have some things to look into.”

“Me,” I thought. “My labs.”

“I have a team working on this. Want to check their progress.” He paused. “Maria, make fettuccine Alfredo tonight. Fresh bread, grilled chicken.”

Maria’s eyebrows shot up. “But tonight’s brussels sprouts and?—”

“Warm bread,” he specified. “And a Caesar salad.”

My fork stopped halfway to my mouth. That was my favorite meal, the exact one I’d mentioned during a casual conversation years ago. More surprising than his perfect memory was his willingness to deviate from his rigidly controlled diet.

“Maria, make sure Tessa eats whatever she wants for lunch.”

Maria nodded, a knowing smile playing at her lips.

“Call if you need anything, Cupcake.”

Oh, I had needs. None of them appropriate to voice out loud.

Once he was safely out of earshot, Maria smiled. Cleared her throat. “Would you like me to make you a cup of coffee?”

“Tea would be great.”

She frowned. “I’m afraid Mr. Morrison doesn’t have tea, but I’d be happy to?—”

“I brought some,” I clarified. “Brought a few things from my place.”

“So, no coffee in the mornings?”

I had no idea what Blake had told her about my staying here, but given she was partly responsible for what I ingested while under this roof, she deserved some explanation.

“I cut it out when I started getting sick. Figured green tea might be …” I shrugged. Might be what? Magic that erased my problems?

“Did it help?”

I frowned.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I waved my hand. “Tell me. How do you function when he walks around like that? Because I’m going to need survival tips.”

She smiled, cleaning up the mess. “I’m afraid you’ll need to get used to it if you stay here; Dr. Morrison frequently wears no shirts.”

Well, that should have been disclosed before I’d moved in here. Hello, you big distraction.

But him being comfortable wearing no shirts brought me joy because no one knew his history of hiding his skin.

“Is he always like this?” I wondered aloud, finally picking up the first pill.

“No,” she answered thoughtfully. “I’ve never seen this side of him.”

“Really? I figured he always acts like a massive control freak.”

“Loving,” she clarified with a smile. “I’ve never seen him act loving like this before.”

I froze mid-swallow.