Page 17

"How many serums do you have, Elizabeth?"

Beth Bowen

After James changes into a clean tracksuit the guys brought, we stop by the hospital pharmacy to get his medication and some ice packs. Once we’re all geared up, Aaron and Marissa drive us home.

“Thanks again, bro,” James says when we reach his apartment.

He turns the lights on, and I blink back in surprise.

Though I’m not sure why. It’s not like I ever took the time to imagine what his apartment would look like, but I would never have guessed it’d be so nicely decorated.

The entrance corridor alone holds a couple of paintings, an elegant mirror, and a classy console table.

It also smells really nice, like vanilla or balsam, thanks to a diffuser sitting on the tabletop.

“No problem,” Miles says. “Tomorrow, I’ll grab your stuff from the arena and drive your car back.”

James snickers. “Looks like it’s your lucky day. You’ll finally be able to drive the Lambo.”

“I don’t give a crap about the Lambo,” Miles grunts, and Marissa glances at me, shaking her head.

James smirks. “Yeah, you do. You’ve been wanting to sit behind the wheel since I got it.”

“Fine,” Miles says, rolling his eyes. “Guess that’s the other upside of you being injured.”

James barks out a laugh, and the sound warms my heart. “Don’t worry. I can still drive, so I don’t need you to get it for me.”

“I’m not so sure,” Miles teases. “We have to see if there’s permanent damage to your head. Jury’s still out.”

“I think it’s time for you to go,” James replies, flashing a bright smile.

“Can I grab my stuff from your place quick?” I ask Marissa, and she nods.

“You girls go ahead. I’ll sta y with this one in case he faints again,” Miles says, and they keep bickering about the car and James’ head as Marissa and I exit the apartment.

Once we’re in the elevator, Marissa turns to me. “Are you going to be okay?”

“What? Taking care of James?” I swat a hand through the air dismissively. “I’ll be fine.”

“Were you the one who offered?” she asks, her blue eyes set on me.

I stare at the floor. “Yeah, I did. Felt bad about him having to stay at the hospital because he didn’t have anyone.”

“Well, Aaron would have stayed with him, for sure,” Marissa says as the elevator chimes open.

My cheeks heat up. “Oh, right.” To tell the truth, I didn’t even think about that. Of course he would have. Half of the team would have stayed over.

“But it’s better this way. I’m sure James would prefer you taking care of him. He wouldn’t get any rest with Aaron,” she says with a chuckle.

“Yeah,” I say quietly as she unlocks her front door and pushes it open. “Honestly, I wasn’t really thinking when I offered. It just felt right, I don’t know. Plus, I’m kind of in between places.”

I almost tell her that I feel guilty about what happened, but I don’t want to invite even more prying questions. Right now, everyone thinks that figh t was just the product of that stupid Sharks-Raptors rivalry, and I’m cool with that.

I grab a change of clothes for tomorrow, my beauty products, and a set of pajamas. “I think that’s all I’ll need for one night,” I say, scanning the room to make sure I’ve got everything.

She arches an eyebrow. “ That’s your overnight bag?”

“What?” I say, glancing at my large tote of skincare products. “We won’t be twenty-eight forever, Marissa. Gotta take care of our skin.”

She bubbles out a laugh as she walks me back to the entrance. “Do you need help with that?”

“I’m good.” I give her a nod. “Talk tomorrow?”

“I already called Celia, and she said she can open for us. Feel free to come in whenever. Heaven knows if you’ll get any sleep with that one.”

My cheeks effectively burst into flames, and I try to stutter out a reply.

“He’s probably going to love you taking care of him. And I think he’ll need a lot of attention.” She winks.

“Marissa!” I blurt out, almost dropping everything I’m holding.

“I’m kidding,” she says. “But seriously, it’s two a.m. already, and you do have to keep an eye on him, so I’ll open with Celia.”

“All right,” I say, shaking my head. “See you tomorrow.”

I walk back to the elevator, my heart still pounding with every step that I take.

When I get back upstairs, their laughter carries from further in the apartment.

I close the door behind me and venture inside.

On the left, at the end of the hallway, is a large living area with a dining room, living room, and the most beautiful kitchen I’ve ever seen.

White marble countertops, shiny stainless-steel appliances, and plenty of counter space for making elaborate preparations.

“There she is,” James says from the couch, and they both stand up.

“All right, bro,” Aaron says, wrapping him in a hug. “Get some rest, okay?” He taps my arm as he walks past me, offering a smile. “Later, Beth.”

“Here. Let me help you with that,” James says, grabbing my beauty bag. His eyes widen. “Wow, that’s heavy. What do you have in here? Is it kinky?”

I roll my eyes. “Beauty products.”

“Beaut—” He breathes out a huff, shaking his head. “What kind of nonsense is that? I’m pretty sure you don’t need half the things in here.”

“Um, I do, actually.”

H e frowns, opening the bag slowly just to gauge my annoyance. Frankly, I don’t really care. “Hmm. Let’s see what we have here. Day cream, serum, night cream, some kind of weird-looking patches, serum, another serum.” He stops to gawk at me. “How many serums do you have, Elizabeth?”

I pause, taking in the sight of him holding my vitamin C serum in one hand and the retinol serum in the other, and a laugh bursts out of me. Never in a million years would I have ever thought I’d be in James Adler’s apartment as he rifles through my beauty stuff.

“Just the right number,” I shoot back, a smile still teasing my lips. “That’s enough inventory for one night. Let’s get you to bed.”

“Yes, please,” he says, standing up with a smirk. “By the way, I didn’t know the private nurse gig was your thing. I’m into it.”

I roll my eyes. “You wish. I’m only here because you need a babysitter. And since I’m respons—”

He tuts, cutting me off, and I smile.

“Fine, since I’m somewhat responsible for what happened, it works.”

“Right. Let me show you around first, and then we can get me to bed,” he says with a wink.

His apartment has the same layout as Aaron’s, although a bit bigger. He has four bedrooms while Aaron has three, plus two full bathrooms. Everything is nicely decorated and smells like clean linens and vanilla.

“You’re really into diffusers and candles, aren’t you?” I muse, spotting more.

“Oh, yeah. Nothing worse than the stench of hockey gear,” he says. “Even though I don’t really bring it home anymore, I kept that habit.”

“I like it.” I pick up a cotton-scented candle, then set it down.

“Here’s my room,” he says once we reach the end of the hallway. It’s the biggest of the four, and I’m pretty sure I spot an en suite closet and bathroom. “Maybe we should sleep in the same bed. You know, just to be cautious.”

I burst out a laugh, partly because I know he’s just playing, but also because I’m glad to see him back to his old self. “Not gonna happen. But I’ll set my alarm to check on you.”

He studies me for a second, then a small smile appears on his lips. “Take whichever room you prefer,” he says before retreating into his own room and shedding the jacket of his tracksuit.

I quickly avert my gaze. “Okay, thanks.” I grab his medication from my bag, placing it on his nightstand. “The doctor said you can take two of thos e if you wake up feeling pain, okay? I’ll go grab you a glass of water.”

“I can do it,” he says. “I can still walk, you know.”

“I know you can,” I say with a smile. “But I’m dying to take another look at that kitchen.”

He rumbles out a laugh. “Right. I forgot I was hosting the best pastry chef in town.”

I step back into the hallway and let out a small sigh when I see his glorious kitchen again.

I run my hand along the cold white marble, and my eyes widen when I glimpse the state-of-the-art oven.

Wow. This is beyond incredible. After opening a few cupboards, I finally find a glass and fill it with water from the dispenser on the fridge.

“So, what’s the verdict?” he asks when I come back. He’s sitting on the edge of his bed, his shirt off, and I almost drop the glass.

“Um.” I avert my gaze. “It’s amazing. Do you love to cook or something?” Please say no, or I might combust into a pile of ash on the ground.

“No,” he says, a hint of amusement in his tone.

Thank heavens.

“But my grandma used to bake, and she taught me a few tricks. The apartment came furnished with that cool kitchen. Maybe you can make use of it.”

A thrill courses through me. “A re you kidding? I’d love to.”

One corner of his lips tilts into a crooked smile. “Perfect.”

“Well, I’ll let you get some sleep,” I say, carefully placing the glass on the nightstand. “I’ll check up on you during the night, but if you need anything or don’t feel good, call for me, okay? I’ll leave my door open.”

He nods, and my eyes fall to his perfect chest. Darn it, why am I looking? Probably to see whether that commercial was a lie. Unfortunately, with the way he’s sitting, I can’t really check out his abs.

“Thanks, Elizabeth. For being here. I really appreciate it.”

A smile tugs at my lips. “I’m happy to. Sleep tight.”

“You too.”

“Door open or closed?” I ask when I reach the threshold.

“Open, please. That way we can be sure I’ll wake you up if I’m screaming in pain.”

I shake my head, smiling. “All right. Good night.”

Right. As if I’ll get any sleep tonight with James Adler only a couple of doors away.