“To be continued,” he said to me with a knowing gleam in his eyes before turning to our patient. “The question is, how are you?”
“I’m better,” she replied, holding up her arm to show off a less supportive sling. “We’ve just come from the other doctor and he said I can move over to this one now.”
“That’s great, sweetheart.” I smiled and went over to ruffle her hair. “Where’s your mom?”
I glanced at the door, and, of course, at the exact moment that I stood there staring at it like a lost sailor wishing for a mermaid to appear, it opened again and April walked in. Her gaze connected with mine almost instantly, and she did nothing to mask the worry in hers.
“She’s there.” Adi frowned and pointed at the door, tilting her head as if she wanted to question if I was okay.
Hunter laughed it off, wrapping his arm around her bicep and leading her to the other side of the room. I had an almost overwhelming urge to take April into my arms when she didn’t stop moving until she was in front of me, but the fact that Hunter and Adi were in there with us, plus the expression on her face, made me think she wouldn’t want me to.
“Hey,” I said. “Did you have a good shift?”
“No.” She scrubbed her hands over the side of her face, bringing her weary gaze to mine. “It felt like it was six days long.”
“Why? What’s going on downstairs?” I frowned. “I haven’t heard about anything out of the ordinary happening.”
“That’s because nothing out of the ordinary is happening down there.” She lowered her voice and flicked her hand between our chests. “The out of the ordinary shit all seems to happen up here.”
Glancing over my shoulder to make sure Hunter and Adi were otherwise occupied, I took a step closer to her and rested my hands lightly on her hips. She tensed and checked for them too but then sighed as she relaxed into my touch.
“There’s nothing out of the ordinary about two unattached, consenting adults who are attracted to each other getting together,” I said. “It’s so not out of the ordinary that it’s kind of what the human race depends on for its survival.”
She cracked a smile at my joke, shaking her head as she brought her hand to my stomach and played with the material of my shirt. “Does that mean things aren’t going to be really awkward between us now?”
“No awkwardness here.” Since my back was turned on the room and I was pretty sure I was blocking anyone’s view of us now that we knew exactly where they were, I risked a quick kiss to her forehead. “What we do when we’re alone has nothing to do with anyone else. I don’t know about you, but I enjoyed what we had here. I really don’t think we have anything to feel awkward or guilty about.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to jeopardize Adi’s therapy for anything in the world, least of all for a hookup.”
Ah, so that was what this was about. “Again, what we do when we’re alone has nothing to do with anyone else. Not even Adi. Regardless of how things play out between the two of us, I won’t stop her therapy. I’m not that guy.”
“You mean you’re not spiteful, vindictive, or like to abuse your position?” She lifted her chin defiantly, but there was humor in her eyes. “Good. But you should know if you go back on your word about this, I won’t stop bugging you to keep doing the therapy. No matter what.”
I dipped my head to look into those green eyes and flexed my fingers on her hip. “You mean if I threaten to stop her therapy, you’ll be around all the time?”
She patted my stomach with a coy smile. “Don’t go getting any wild ideas on me, buddy.”
“I think we should stop therapy immediately.” My voice was so low it was almost a whisper. “I’m also not your buddy, April. I’m so much more than that.”
“Are you?” Her gaze darted from one of my eyes to the other. “From where I’m standing, we’ve been on one date with child supervision and we’ve hooked up once. That’s it. That’s what we are to each other.”
Why did she sound so defensive all of a sudden? I had a feeling I’d inadvertently smacked right into one of her barriers. It stood to reason that I’d trip over some of her baggage at times. It still didn’t scare me off.
Dipping my head lower, I positioned my mouth just above her ear, so close that her hair moved against my lips when I spoke. “We’ve hooked up once so far but it’s going to happen again. It was too good not to happen again. And again. And again. There’s so much I still want to do with you and have you do with me. Unless you feel differently? Have you had enough of me?”
Her head shook against mine. “Definitely not.”
“Then we feel the same way.” I took a deep breath to control the baser urges flowing through me with having her so close by. Then I took a step back to put some much-needed distance between us. “But in the meantime, how would you guys like to do something this weekend?”
When I looked at her, a light flush covered her cheeks and her lips were parted. Fuck, that’s sexy.
It was good to know I wasn’t the only one so affected but the knowledge made it that much more difficult not to drag her off somewhere for a quickie.
She rolled her lips into her mouth, closed her eyes, and took a breath before nodding. “Adi hasn’t spent much time doing anything fun after the accident. I’m sure she’ll enjoy it.”
“I figured that might be the case. I’ll make sure we do nothing that involves a motorcycle.”
April rolled her eyes at me. “If you tried to even show me one of those things right now, the owner had better be okay with it getting taken apart piece by piece and having some panel beating done to it.”
“I could bring a hammer and we could hit up a junkyard?” I suggested, sort of joking but also not really. “We could go fuck up some motorcycles if it’d make you feel better?”
“You’d do that for me?” Her head pulled back as she gazed up at me. “Without judging me, of course?”
“I’d be right there with you.” All I had to do was think about that day Adi came in and I was ready to tear every motorcycle I could find apart with my bare hands to ensure something like that—or worse—never happened to another kid. “Without any judgment. Don’t worry.”
A slow smile appeared on her lips. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that sometime. Let’s stay away from anything motorcycle or biker related this weekend, shall we?”
“We shall.” I took her hand and gave it a soft squeeze before jerking my head toward Hunter. “I’d better go step in before he undoes all the good work I’ve done with her.”
She fell into step beside me and bumped her shoulder into my arm. “Really? All the good work you’ve done? He’s helped a lot and you know it.”
I exhaled heavily, rubbing the back of my neck. “Fine, if you insist on diminishing my role here, I think we should stop therapy. That way, you’d be around all the time and you’d see how good I really am.”
“If I have to stalk you in order to see how good you are, you can’t be very good at all,” she teased. “I also don’t know why you’d want me around all the time. If I was, I’d look for every opportunity to distract you.”
“Really?” I smirked and arched a brow at her. “Tell me more about these distractions. What would I have to look forward to?”
“Well.” She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, pushing up on her toes to whisper since we were now too close to the others. “I could tell you about all those things I still want to do to you.”
I groaned. “That’s not fair.”
“How?” She laughed. “It’s fair when you say stuff like that, but not when I do?”
“Not when you say it when we’re about to join your daughter and my best friend for therapy.” I willed my brain to scrub those words clean before my cock could react.
April laughed again and looked like she was about to say something else when Adi spotted us walking over to them.
“Come look, Mom. I did it.”
Her words did the job my willpower hadn’t been abl
e to achieve when I noticed what she was talking about. I got down on my knees beside her and held out my hand. “Let me see something real quick. Give me your arm.”
She did as I asked, and this time when I told her to hold it, it stayed. A wide grin formed on my lips as I held up my palm for a high-five. “This is excellent progress. I wasn’t expecting that for at least another week or so.”
April gave her the most radiant smile I’d seen from her yet. It was so open and unguarded that it made me want to take a picture just so I could see it again.
“Well done, baby. I knew you were going to knock therapy out of the park.” She turned to me. “What’s next?”
“I think it’s time for us to progress to some more challenging exercises.” I climbed to my feet and nodded at Hunter. “Do you agree with my assessment that she’s ready for phase two of the treatment plan?”
Although the final decision rested with me, he’d been with her alone in this session so far and I trusted his judgment. “Yep. I think she can handle it.”
“Great. Let me show you what I want you to start on.”
Hunter and I demonstrated the exercises we’d be working on with her for the next couple of weeks until she was ready for more.
The rest of the session flew by. Adi was, as always, a model patient. She paid attention to what we did and tried her best to mimic us.
When Hunter called time at the end of the day, she was smiling despite the sweat dotting her brow. “Thank you for helping me, Chris. I’m happy that it’s you.”
“So am I.” I fist-bumped with her when she offered and ruffled her hair.
Hunter gave her a mock pout and jerked his thumb at his chest. “I’ve been helping too. Aren’t you happy I’m helping?”
She giggled and rolled her eyes. “Thank you for helping too, teddy bear.”
He winked at her. “You’re welcome.”
April’s gaze met mine, and for once, there was real warmth in it. “Thanks, guys. We’ll see you soon, right?”
“Definitely.” I really wanted to kiss her goodbye, but I didn’t.
Our relationship wasn’t quite there—yet.
One of these days, I was hoping it would be.
Chapter 18
APRIL
Late shifts were the worst. Everyone I passed in the parking lot looked more zombie than human by the time we got off.
It had been a busy one, too. There had been a pile-up on the freeway and it had us running around like crazy people trying to accommodate the surge of patients.
I was half dead on my feet but I still needed to pick Adi up from Katie. As I made my way to my beat-up old car, I checked my watch and cursed.
The weather was nice tonight, a warm and balmy evening with barely even a breeze. But it was also late. Despite the good weather, I wasn’t sure about picking Adi up if she was already bathed and in her pajamas.
Sticking a hand into my purse, I rummaged around for my phone and keys. Once I located both, I called Katie and stuck the phone between my shoulder and ear as I unlocked the car and got in.
I leaned my head back. So, so tired.
I yawned just as Katie picked up. “Hey, are you finally done?”
“Yep. I just got to my car. I’ll be there as soon as I can. At least there shouldn’t be much traffic.”
“Adi’s already asleep,” she said. “Go home, get some rest, and you can come to pick her up in the morning?.
“Are you sure?” My lids were so heavy that I didn’t have it in me to argue too much. “I don’t mind coming to get her. She’s my responsibility and you’ve already watched her all night.”
“We had fun,” she said simply. “Now go home. I’ll see you for breakfast.”
“Appreciate it.” I covered my mouth for another yawn. “See you tomorrow. Tell Adi I love her.”
“As soon as she wakes up,” my sister promised. “Drive safe.”
“I will.” We hung up, and I started the car, blasting music over the radio to stay alert. I drove slowly anyway, just to be safe, and was more than ready for bed by the time I made it to our apartment.
It was quiet and dark inside. I didn’t even bother turning on any lights. My bed called to me, chanting my name like it was putting me under its spell as soon as I stepped into my bedroom.
Just five minutes. I’ll brush my teeth and change in just five minutes.
I collapsed onto my bed before I could get out of my clothes, and I repeated my promise to myself. Before I could keep said promise, the scene changed.
Some part in the back of my mind knew I had fallen asleep, and I had the nagging feeling I shouldn’t have, but then I realized I was lying on a lounger on a deserted beach, and I stopped caring about why I should wake up.
Perfectly golden sunshine that didn’t seem to burn warmed my skin. Clear blue skies stretched as far as the eye could see, and waves lapped gently at the shore. It was the kind of blissful vacation I’d been longing for almost as far back as I could remember, but I’d never been able to take it.
I blinked, and a frozen cocktail appeared on a small round table beside me. Wow. This is fucking incredible.
Plus, it’s a dream, so no hangover. I did a little dancing jig and sat up to take a drink.
Which was when I realized I wasn’t alone in my little slice of heaven. Chris was in the ocean, his skin bronzed and his smile brilliant as he walked out of the waves.
Droplets of water glistened on his drool-worthy body and his hair was slicked back. He ran a hand through it to mess it up and came toward me.
“You woke up,” he commented. “Have a nice nap?”
“I think I’m still napping.” My eyes traced a drop that clung to his strong jaw before gravity defeated it and made it track down the column of his throat before it pooled into several others on his chest.
“If you’re still napping, then this is your dream. What would you like to do?” His tone was playful, but there was a definite bulge making itself known inside the thin material of his shorts.
More droplets ran in rivulets down the ridges of his torso, making my mouth water as I watched their path. “Come here.”
He smirked. “Your wish is my command. Where do you want me?”
I spun around and dropped my legs off the side of the lounge chair, opening my knees and gesturing to the space between them. “Right here.”
In the space of a heartbeat, he was there. His long fingers burrowed into my hair while he slid his free hand beneath my chin and coaxed me to look up at him.
“Now what?”
There were so many ideas running through my mind, but one was more prominent than the others. “You’ve gotten to taste me. I’d like to return the favor.”
“This is your dream and you want to go down on me?” he asked, disbelief flashing past the lust in his gaze.
I nodded. “You have no idea how much.”
He tightened his grip on my hair and stepped closer. “Go for it then.”
“Impatience won’t get you anywhere,” I joked. It totally would, but what the hell? As he so helpfully pointed out, this was my dream.
A soft chuckle came from him, causing his stomach muscles to ripple. I lifted my hands to those first, running my fingertips across the washboard in front of me.
Every muscle was defined, and the lightest smattering of freckles somehow made him even more perfect. The V between his hips must have been crafted by Aphrodite herself and the dark happy trail that ran down from his belly button made this girl extremely happy. And turned on.
He let out a soft groan when I slid my fingers down and cupped him over his shorts. “How is it that you can get me this hard when you’ve barely touched me?”
“Because it’s my mind giving you that hard-on?” I ran my nails lightly up the outline of his shaft. “Are you complaining?”
“Hell no.” His breath caught when I pulled on the string keeping his pants up, and his gaze was heavy on mine as I ripped the Velcro free, letting the wet material fall
to the sand.
It turned out Chris had gone commando. Thank you, dreamland. And I was suddenly faced with his long, thick erection standing proudly inches away from my mouth. It curved up to his belly button, and though I hadn’t gotten a good look at it the other day, I was pretty sure the impressive size was spot on.
I licked my dry lips and wrapped my fingers around his shaft, bringing the head down to my mouth. My tongue circled his tip and one hand went to his hip to keep him where I wanted him. Not that he seemed to be going anywhere.
He tasted salty from the water but there was something else there that was all him. Clean musk and spice that seemed to match the way he’d smelled when we’d been together.
He threw his head back and rocked his hips in time with the rhythm I was setting. Minutes or hours might have passed before he pulled back and covered my bikini-clad breasts with his release.
The next second, he was on me, fucking me senseless right there on the beach. I wound my arms and legs around him, bringing his hot skin as close as it could get to mine.
Our mouths clashed in an almost violent kiss that had me out of my mind in no time at all. Everything about him felt perfect. The weight of him on top of me, the hardness inside, and the light scratching of his stubble against my jaw.
When he wedged his hand in between us to stroke my clit, I was done for. My toes curled, and I came screaming his name to anyone who might be out here with us.
I jerked upright in bed, sweaty and panting. It took me a few long seconds to realize I was alone, fully clothed, and in my own bed.
Man, what a dream!
Disappointment stabbed like pinpricks at my gut about it only having been a dream, but I pushed it aside. Chris had promised me that there’d be more hooking up for real in our future and I believed him.
Sure, it would’ve been way better if he was here right now, but he wasn’t. There was nothing I could do about it except to make sure that someday soon, he’d be here when I woke up.
That way, I’d be able to wake him up in a special way and have him take advantage of the state my dreams left me in since I’d met him. Despite my recent orgasm, I was very much unsatisfied.
She’s Mine Now Page 12