I show her exactly what I want her to do, and I’m relieved when she takes in a long albeit jerky breath. “Good. Again.” The second time around, she manages a smoother inhale and a longer exhale. “Excellent, Ceecee.”
Her tightly strung body begins to loosen. Sweat beads on her forehead. We breathe together for another thirty seconds, and when I move to release her hands, she grips mine, not quite ready to do this alone. Eventually, her body relaxes completely and she sighs. She looks exhausted.
I move to the water cooler and fill a glass of cold water. I hand it to Ceecee and rub her back as she drinks. “Good job. You handled that really well. I’m impressed.”
She looks up at me, eyes filling with tears. Her bottom lip trembles as she mumbles, “It hurts.”
I nod in agreement and respond in the gentlest tone I can muster, “Yeah. That’s bound to happen though, when you stop exercising, honey. Your body is really tightly strung. You need to help loosen it.”
She looks down at her now-empty cup. “Thank you. For helping me.”
I smile at the uncertainty in her voice. “You’re so welcome.”
Chapter Fifteen
Max
I watch from the door as Helena talks Ceecee through the spasm. Part of me told myself I should step in¸ the other part was curious to see what she would do. She handled it like a pro. Even though the pain has ebbed, they continue to breathe together, long and slow. And it might sound cruel, but I’m glad Helena got to witness this. Maybe I can ask her for advice. Whit is great and all, but he isn’t a woman. I need to talk to a woman about this, a woman who has experience with people having a spinal cord injury.
Helena walks to the back of the room to get Ceecee a glass of water. She’s so focused on my little girl she still doesn’t see me. Ceecee drinks the water in one gulp. Helena rubs her back, still looking mildly concerned. It’s probably going to sound stupid, but she’s never looked sexier to me than she does right now. If it weren’t completely inappropriate, I’d lay one on her, nice and slow, kissing those full, pouty lips.
Ceecee looks down at her hands. “Thank you…for helping me.”
Helena smiles down at my baby. “You’re so welcome.”
In that moment, a decision is made. What’s that saying?
Oh yeah.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
***
Helena
“Sweet baby Jesus,” I breathe.
James replies, “I know.”
I’m awestruck. “It’s just so…” I can’t even finish my sentence.
He nods next to me. “I know.”
“Is this heaven?”
He snorts. “It may as well be.” He moves forward in the line, but I’m so busy looking at the list above the counter that I don’t see it. A hand attached to my wrist pulls me forward. He laughs when I don’t even stop to look at him. “You weren’t kidding, were you?”
“Sshhhh. You’re ruining the moment,” I whisper. Every time the line moves forward, James has to tug me along with him. I’m like a kid in a candy store. Or, more accurately, an adult in a cake store.
Before I know it, we’re at the beginning of the line. The woman in her fifties with kind eyes smiles and says, “Hi there. Welcome to Icing on the Cake. What can I get you today?”
I still. My breathing heavies. I’m in a panic. “I don’t know! I want it all!”
She smiles harder. “That can be arranged. We have a sampler box option for cakes and cupcakes. It comes with one of everything.”
My eyes widen and my mouth gapes. I’m pretty sure my heart stops. “You’re shitting me.”
She chuckles. “I assure you I’m not.”
I look up at James with a goofy smile on my face. He shakes his head at me, lip twitching. “We’ll take two sampler boxes, one cake, one cupcake. One for you and one for me.”
I should get a box for the ho I call a sister. After all, she did lead me here. “Make that two cupcake boxes.” James looks at me funny. I promise him, “For my sister.”
He mutters, “Sure it is.”
I kick at his leg and he dodges it with a chuckle.
Another woman appears by my side. In front of her, she holds a tray of white cupcakes. They look incredible. She smiles from me to James and asks, “Would you like to try our newest flavor combination?”
My brain can’t form words to answer this question. I look back up at James with a smile that is so goofy it borderlines special. His shoulders shake in silent laughter. “Yes, please.”
We both take a cupcake, and without thinking, I remove the wrapper and shove the entire thing in my mouth. As soon as the sweetness hits my tongue, I have a mouthgasm. My eyes roll into the back of my head as I garble, “Holy shit, that’s amazing.” James nods in agreement, biting into his cupcake like a normal person.
The older woman tells us, “This one’s a light vanilla base with white choc macadamia ganache.”
But I physically can’t right now. I lean back into my boss and rest my head on his shoulder. “Jesus C. I can’t even. That was just…I’m not even…so, so good. So damn good.” His shoulder bobs and I know he’s laughing at me again, but I don’t even care.
The woman smiles at me. “You like?”
Prying my now-sleepy eyes open, I respond through a sigh, “I love.”
Her nose wrinkles with amusement. She turns to her co-worker. “Verna, add one of these to this young lady’s sample boxes.”
My eyes snap open. “No way.”
Behind the counter, an amused Verna replies with a soft shoulder shrug, “Way.”
I turn to James, bottom lip trembling with emotion. “Best day ever.”
I’m not surprised when he wraps an arm around my shoulder and squeezes. But I am surprised when he lowers his lips to my ear and whispers, “You’re adorable.” I’m surprised, because James ticks all the boxes for me. He’s attractive, tall, and sweet as sugar, but the spark…it’s missing.
Stupid son of a spark bitch. Show yourself! I know he said he doesn’t date employees, but he didn’t mention anything about having sex with them. I mean, I’m due, for crying out loud! It’s been forever since I’ve had sex, and right now, James is looking like a mighty fine contender. He’s also been giving all the go-ahead signs. Or, at least, I think he has. Maybe I’m just hoping he’s sending those signs, and because I’m horny, the horniness is fogging my intentions radar.