My Remedy (Open Door Love Story Book 3) by Stacey Wallace Benefiel Page A

deposit bag with him.”
    I look out the door. “And he’s getting into Cera’s car. What are the chances she also needed to go to the bank?”
    Duncan sighs. “Whatever. I just hope he doesn’t act like a dick and screw her over.”
    I lower myself down and get ready to do another pull up. I start doing what my body thinks is kipping and Duncan chews his bottom lip, analyzing me.
    “What?” I ask.
    He tosses his head from side to side, deciding. “Let’s lose the band. It’s a crutch you don’t need and it may be messing you up.”
    I get back on the box and take the band off my foot and push it over to the side of the bar by the post. I lower myself and immediately push down with my foot like it’s still in the band.
    “Stop thaaaaaat,” Duncan teases. He stands behind me and puts his hands on my shoulder blades. “Push forward.” I do. “Pull back.” I do, surprised that this gets my body moving. I still want to use my legs – like pumping to get a swing going. “Stick your feet together. See if that helps you focus on your shoulders.” I press the insides of my feet together and continue the motion with my shoulders. “One,” Duncan counts. “Two. Now up on thr—”
    I pull myself up, my chin farther over the bar than I’ve ever gone before. An ecstatic smile spreads out across my mouth. And then I crack the bottom of my chin on the bar, see stars, and let go.
    Duncan is still behind me, he grabs hold of my hips and I slide down in his grip. His left hand shoots forward and braces against my chest to keep me from falling on my face.
    “Ouuuuuuuch,” I whine, and then start giggling because Duncan is basically hunched over me with one hand on my butt and one on my boob. “This was your plan all along, wasn’t it coach?”
    Duncan squeezes my boob twice. “No, but all’s well that ends well.”
    I turn in his embrace, lifting my head. “How is this well?”
    He kisses the underneath of my chin lightly. “Weller?”
    I shake my head no. He moves both of his hands down and grabs my ass while he kisses my chin, my neck, my collarbone, back up to my jawline, over to my mouth.
    “Weller?”
    “Yes,” I say, closing my eyes and turning my face so that my lips are next in line to be kissed.
    The alarm on Duncan’s phone goes off, alerting us that it’s time to go to the noon meeting.
    Duncan presses his forehead to mine and I open my eyes.
    “What if,” Duncan says, his voice husky, “we skip the meeting. Just this one time.”
    I smile. “Do I have pull up bar sex in my future?”
    “Sex, yes, but not here, okay?”
    I nod. “Lead the way.”

Chapter Thirteen
    ––––––––
    I ’ve been to Duncan’s apartment a handful of times, mostly for him to take a quick shower and change his clothes before we went to a meeting. It isn’t anything special, just your standard one-bedroom apartment in one of the bazillion complexes in Beaverton, but he keeps it clean and tidy and I appreciate that. So many times I’ve been at a guy’s house and wanted to just, you know, wash off my face or get a drink of water and they don’t even have a towel that isn’t also doubling as a bathmat, or a clean Solo cup for me to use. Duncan has two large towels, a hand towel, a bathmat, and an entire set of dishes and glasses – enough for six people – and they are put away in the crumb-free cupboards.
    So, I know, as we walk up the stairs to his place on the second floor, that I don’t have to worry about that. And I sort of love him for it. I feel wanted and taken care of. Duncan makes me worry less. He’s better than blasting music, or taking a drink, and then another, and then five more. He’s that two-drink tipsy warmth where I’m relaxed, but still in control.
    Duncan unlocks the door and sets his gym bag to the left by the wall and takes his shoes off and puts them on the rack to the right. I put my shoes on the rack too and then we stand there in our sock feet grinning goofily at one