by Burrows, Jax
Lexi’s voice was rising, and Casey feared she was going to lose it. He reached out and held her hand. She grasped it tightly.
‘He’d dived in after me and was holding my feet, so I couldn’t move. I was stuck, and my lungs were burning. I thought I was going to die. Then he let me go.’
She was shaking her head as she relived the terrifying memory. She burst into tears and Casey couldn’t hold back any longer. He threw his arms around her and held her tightly while she sobbed. He didn’t care if someone came in. Lexi was in a world of pain and needed him. He stroked her hair and murmured to her as he would have done to Jade.
‘It’s alright, darling, you’re safe. No one will ever hurt you again, I promise.’ Her body felt slight in his arms and she trembled as he held her close. ‘Did you tell anyone about it?’
‘No. When we got out of the pool, he said if I told anyone he would keep me down longer next time.’
‘Didn’t anyone see it?’ Casey couldn’t believe that no one had gone to her rescue.
‘Just the other kids, but no one said anything. I hid in the changing room until everyone had left. From then on, I made an excuse every week to avoid going back to that hateful place. I know I should have got over it by now, and I do want to learn, it’s just that…’ She trailed off and put her head on his chest. A gesture that meant she trusted him. He wouldn’t let her down. He felt a surge of protectiveness towards her but didn’t examine it too closely. She was in pain and needed comforting, that was all.
‘Listen, we’ll sort this out, okay? You’re not a wimp, Lexi, you’re a beautiful, brave woman who’s had a shit start in life, but things will be better now, I promise.’ He was about to say more when his phone rang, startling them.
‘I need to get this, it’s my mother,’ he said moving out of the cubicle and Resus. He kept the conversation brief so he could get back to Lexi and their unfinished business. There were things he wanted to say, but by the time he returned to the cubicle, she had got herself together and smiled at him reassuringly.
‘Everything okay?’ she asked. Casey could see that she had attempted to wipe all trace of her tears, but her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. The things he wanted to say would have to wait.
‘Fine. The kids are in bed and Jess is happily chatting with Mum. Dad and Riordan are having a pint in the Dog and Partridge. He’ll bring them back tomorrow morning on the way to the hospital.’
‘Oh.’ Lexi looked troubled and frowned. ‘Is Jade okay? She’s never been away from home before now.’
‘She’ll be fine, don’t worry. It’ll give you the chance to have a quiet evening to yourself. I bet you don’t get many of those.’
‘No.’ Lexi still looked uncertain, so he sat down again and, the intimate mood of before now dispersed, resumed the watchful vigil at Shelley’s side.
It was obvious, however, that their patient was out for the count. After ten minutes, a nurse and a porter popped their heads around the cubicle curtain.
‘We’re taking Shelley up to the ward now.’
‘Right,’ said Casey, springing to his feet, ‘we’ll be off then.’
There was a chill in the air as they wandered across the carpark, but it felt good to breathe clean air after the stuffy heaviness of the hospital.
‘Oh, look!’ Lexi cried, ‘a shooting star, did you see it?’
‘No,’ Casey said scrutinizing the night sky. ‘I missed it. Did you make a wish?’
Lexi looked at him and smiled. ‘Of course, but I can’t tell you what it was, or it won’t come true.’
He felt his heart turn over at the longing in her eyes. She deserved some luck in her life. She deserved to be loved and cherished, and to have someone think she was the reason the sun rose every morning. He wanted to be that for someone one day. The way his parents were for each other. He had thought once that the woman was Helen but look how that turned out. He didn’t know whether he could ever trust a woman again after the pain of her betrayal.
‘Well, I hope it comes true for you, whatever it is.
Chapter Fifteen
Lexi put the key in the lock and turned to face Casey, standing behind her. He had been silent on the journey home from the hospital, obviously deep in thought. Was he thinking about Shelley, or had his thoughts turned to more personal matters?
He was a caring doctor, that much was obvious, and he was going the extra mile to make sure Shelley got the help that she needed. But the hunger in his green eyes as he gazed at her now, told Lexi that he had left all thoughts of his patients behind.
The cottage was empty. They were alone. There was nothing stopping them spending the night together. Re-enacting the magical time that she couldn’t stop thinking about. Nobody need ever know. Just one night of hot sex with no strings. Would that be so wrong?
‘Would you like a coffee?’ she asked as her gaze met his. She wanted him to stay. She didn’t want to spend the night alone in the empty cottage, and Casey’s nearness was causing her erogenous zones to light up like a pin-ball machine.
He grinned, which made him look younger and transformed his features from serious medical professional to imminently desirable and sexy man. The sexiest man she had ever met.
‘I thought you’d never ask,’ he replied, ‘as long as you make it tea, I drink too much coffee at the hospital. I need something to relax me at this time of the day.’
She returned his grin, thinking of several interesting ways she could relax the good doctor, after she’d driven him mad with desire first. ‘Tea it is then, and how about I make us some pasta? There’s Bolognese sauce in the freezer. It won’t take long.’
They moved into the lounge, which felt distinctly chilly. ‘Brrr…’ she said rubbing her arms, ‘autumn’s definitely taken hold. Would you mind lighting the fire, Casey?’
‘Sure thing,’ he replied and set to work.
An hour later, they had finished their meal and were sitting side by side staring into the flames of a roaring wood fire. Lexi felt herself relaxing in the peaceful ambience and yearned to rest her head on Casey’s shoulder. Her thoughts were still with Jade, however. Not just the fact that the little girl had never been away from home before, but what the senior O’Connors really thought about the situation, and when they would have “the conversation”, whereby she explained why they had been denied the early years of their grandchild’s life.
‘Penny for them?’ Casey asked.
‘Penny? Even with inflation they’re not worth that much.’
‘You were deep in thought; you’re not worrying about Jade, are you?’
‘Yes. Well, a bit. But also, your parents’ opinion of me. They must blame me for the fact that they’ve missed out on so much of Jade’s life. I like your mum and dad, I don’t want them to hate me. But I just don’t know what to say to them when we have that conversation.’
Casey chuckled, and Lexi stared at him. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘You, worrying yourself needlessly about something that was not your fault. We’ve already had “that conversation” as you call it. They blame me entirely, not you. Especially my mum. “How can you have let that poor girl go through her first pregnancy alone?” I got plenty of earache from them both.’
‘You were angry with me, too, when you first found out. You blamed me.’
‘I know I did, and I’m sorry, it was wrong of me. We were both to blame equally, I realise that now. We both made it very clear that night that we just wanted a one-night stand.’
‘You asked me once why I didn’t stay the following morning.’ Casey watched her face and waited for her to say more. ‘It’s because I didn’t think you would like the real me.’
He frowned. ‘What do you mean by that? I liked the real you very much, and I thought you liked me.’
‘Oh, I did… do. Very much. But I wasn’t being myself that night. I was putting on an act, trying to be sexier, more confident, so I could enjoy myself more.’
‘Did it work?’
> ‘Of course. You asked me to dance and we ended up spending the night together. A night I’ve never been able to forget. Yes, I would say it worked.’
‘So, what about now, Lexi? Are you still putting on an act?’
‘No, of course not. I don’t need to. I’m a different person. Having Jade has given me a purpose in life and an identity. I’m a mother now and everything I do is for her.’
‘What about you? Your needs. It’s true you’re a mother but you’re so much more than that. You’re a nurse, a friend, and an incredibly sexy woman. You have needs too and they shouldn’t be neglected.’
‘Are you speaking as a medical professional or something else?’ Her heart was beating fast waiting for him to answer. Was Casey telling her that he wanted to satisfy her needs again as he had four years previously? His closeness was preventing her from thinking straight. She was starting to feel turned on by the way his eyes were wide and dark in the firelight, the desperate need she was feeling to stroke his face and kiss him.
‘I’m speaking as a man.’
He kissed her. His lips were soft at first, gentle and tender, but when she reached up and ran her fingers through his short hair, tugging ever so slightly, he moaned and deepened the kiss until the heat started to rise in Lexi and she longed to feel his bare skin against hers.
His mouth was hot, and he devoured her with a controlled urgency that reminded her of their first night together. Would this night be the same? They had been complete strangers then, now they were parents, sharing their daughter’s care. Would that make a difference to their lovemaking?
His fingers were tangled in her hair and she moved her other hand down his chest and quickly pulled his T-shirt from his jeans, stroking his bare stomach, the muscles twitching slightly at her touch.
‘Here or the bedroom?’ he asked, his voice husky with need.
It was tempting to stay in front of the fire where it was warm, but Lexi wanted this night to be a repeat of their first one together. She wanted to fall asleep with him in the comfort of her double bed, and more importantly, this time, she wanted to wake up next to him.
‘Bedroom,’ she croaked.
‘Right.’ He swept her up easily in his strong arms and carried her carefully up the narrow stairs to the bedroom. Her heart was fluttering madly as he laid her down gently on the bed and pulled his T-shirt off in one swift movement.
When he went to unbuckle his belt, she put her hands on his. ‘Let me.’
She undressed him slowly, looking into his eyes and loving the way her touch affected him. He moaned as she stroked his hard length, then took him into her hands, revelling in the feel of his heated flesh and the soft sounds he was making.
Before she could take him higher, he gently removed her hands and undressed her with the same studied concentration and care, kissing every bit of exposed skin, licking and tasting her as if she was a delicious meal he wanted to devour.
They lay down together on the bed. Despite their need for each other, Lexi sensed that this time they would take it easy. He kissed her again, then moved down her body, kissing her throat, her breasts, her stomach. She closed her eyes and let him carry her away on waves of sensation. He explored every inch of her, murmuring occasionally, words that sounded like endearments, but Lexi couldn’t be sure.
She felt as if she was on another plane of existence, no longer tethered to the earth. Her body was tingling at each place he touched her, kissing, stroking and licking her skin so that she shivered and moaned in ecstasy. She gave herself up to the feelings and let him do as he wished.
He pushed her thighs apart and kissed her gently. She was so aroused by this time that she felt her climax building steadily and she cried out. He pulled back and paid close attention to the area around her clitoris, taking care not to touch her there until she was writhing and pleading with him to put her out of her misery.
Swiftly and expertly he took her to the edge and held her as she fell into open space. Her orgasm shuddered through her and Lexi felt herself spinning deliciously out of control, as she came, not once, but several times, driven on by Casey’s tongue, lips and fingers.
She had never experienced multiple orgasms before and felt as if they would never stop. She didn’t want them to stop. The remarkable feeling of being carried away, like a bird gliding on air currents, not knowing where she was going to land, made her incoherent and helpless.
When she eventually managed to open her eyes, Casey was lying next to her with a smug grin on his face.
‘Good?’
‘Not the word I’d use,’ she said, her voice sounding remarkably normal, in the circumstances.
‘What word would you use then?’
‘Amazing, stupendous, incredible…’
‘That was only the beginning,’ he said and kissed her. She didn’t think she had any strength left but, as his tongue danced with hers, the tingling between her thighs started up again and she wanted him inside her. She couldn’t wait. It had to be now.
Luckily Casey was thinking along the same lines, as he rolled on a condom and entered her. He lifted her hips, holding her with ease, as if she weighed nothing, and she felt him filling her, stretching her inside and she clenched her body around his as if she could merge them together into one person.
She stroked his back and watched his face as he thrust into her hard and fast. She clung to him, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him as the sensations began to build once more.
There was no more thought as Casey took them higher and brought them both to their sweet release together.
They slept in each other’s arms, replete and spent, until one woke the other with a gentle kiss and they started the dance all over again.
*
Lexi woke the following morning in Casey’s arms, big, strong arms that held her gently, but firmly. She had her back to him and felt his soft breath on the nape of her neck. She felt something else too – his arousal. A shiver went through her at the feel of his morning erection reminding her, as if she needed reminding, of the night of hot sex they had just shared. It seemed Casey was ready to carry it forward to the next day. The thought made her squirm and his arms tightened around her.
‘Oh no you don’t.’ His deep, sleepy voice murmured in her ear. ‘you’re not getting away from me this time.’
She turned in the circle of his arms and faced him. He had one eye open, his hair stuck up at the back and his jaw was rough with dark bristles, but Lexi had never wanted a man as much as she wanted Casey at that moment.
‘I wasn’t planning on leaving,’ she whispered.
‘Good,’ he replied, planting kisses on her lips, cheeks, eyelids and forehead, ‘cos I wasn’t planning on letting you.’
As he moved over her, she asked, ‘What time is it? Don’t forget, Riordan is bringing Jess and the kids back early, ‘we don’t want them to find us still in bed when they arrive.’
‘It’s early, there’s plenty of time.’ Casey had reached for a condom as she was talking. He had obviously been ready for a repeat performance of their one-night stand, unless he carried packets of the things as a matter of course. He was an attractive man with a high sex drive. Why would she be surprised if he did? This was no time for her usual self-doubts as Casey rolled her onto her back and pulled the duvet off.
‘Time for breakfast as well?’ she asked, although food was the last thing on her mind at that moment, as Casey’s hand was working its magic on her right breast. She gasped as he teased her nipple.
‘Time for everything,’ he said before taking her nipple into his mouth. She grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged on it slightly as electricity shot from her breast to the sensitive nub between her legs.
When he entered her, she clung to him and wrapped her legs around his waist trying to pull him in deeper. They moved together, building up a slow and steady rhythm. Lexi was amazed at how little time it took for her to reach the edge of her climax. With each thrust of his powerful body she got close
r to the edge. She closed her eyes and revelled in the joy of being carried ever upwards into an infinite blue sky. She was weightless, flying and she never wanted to land.
But land she did. They both did, together, with cries of release, of total satisfaction and pleasure.
When their breathing returned to normal, Casey gently rolled off her and padded to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.
She lay exactly as he had left her. She couldn’t move. If she did move, it would break the spell and she would have to wake from the beautiful dream. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be woken like that every morning? To have a partner that was in tune with your needs and desires and who wanted to make you happy? Not because he had a hidden agenda, but because he loved you enough to put your happiness first, above his own?
Casey returned and lay down beside her. Neither spoke. What happened now? Did they go back to the way they were before or had their night of sex moved their relationship on a notch? Did they have a relationship or was the sex a friends-with-benefits type of thing? It couldn’t be that, as they had Jade to consider. She was more important than either of them, and her needs came first.
Casey kissed her gently then sat up. ‘Right. I promised you breakfast. Full English okay?’
‘Perfect.’
He got up and pulled on jeans and a T-shirt.
Okay, so they weren’t going to talk about last night, but at least she’d get a decent breakfast; she usually made do with tea and toast.
Chapter Sixteen
When Casey arrived home after another long, tiring day in A&E he put a bottle of wine in the fridge to chill, then gathered the ingredients together for a meal he was going to cook. His dinner guest would arrive in about half an hour.
Dr Catalina Martinez lived in the flat next to his in the doctor’s accommodation. She was a paediatric A&E consultant from Spain and had been working at Leytonsfield General for only a few weeks longer than he had. The first night he had stayed in the flat, she had made him a meal to spare him having to get take-out. He’d been grateful for her kindness, surprised at how well they got on and decided, by the end of the evening, that they would be friends as well as colleagues.