Lacey Temptations [Crave 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Amy J. Hawthorn

  While he waited for his shower to warm up he walked into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and heard voices. When he’d looked out the window and saw the gun pointed at Lacey’s chest, his blood had run cold with fear. Then it had boiled over in anger.

  In the time it would have taken him to open the door and step outside, Derrick could have easily gotten a shot off. His only thought was to grab his weapon and hope he could draw attention away from Lacey by coming around from the cabin’s side.

  Part of his heart died when he’d heard Derrick mention Parker and when that shot sounded, another piece of his heart had gone with the first. Lacey and Parker were his everything. He wouldn’t be whole without knowing they were both a part of this world.

  Leading with his gun, he stepped around the corner and found Derrick on the bottom step of the porch. He was headed for the front door, swearing a blue streak.

  “There’s no point in hiding, you little bitch. I’ll find you and make you pay for this.” He held his left hand over one side of his face and the other pointed his gun at the front door.

  “Don’t you fucking move, Derrick. We’ve called the police and they’re on the way.”

  The door knob wiggled and Derrick fired a shot. The sound thundered loud and angry, then echoed. Terror, stark and powerful, slammed through him in a hard, brutal punch. Scared, enraged, and grieving, Ryan fired his own shot, hitting Derrick in the right shoulder.

  “Lacey!” If she was hurt, he’d commit murder without hesitation. He couldn’t lose both her and Parker. He wouldn’t survive the loss whole.

  He kicked away Derrick’s gun and looked up when the door opened.

  “I’m fine, Ryan. I stood out of the way and used a broom stick to jiggle the doorknob. I hoped it would draw his attention from you. I’m fine.” The air in his chest left in one great rush. There was no sweeter sound than that of her voice.

  “Baby, get me the handcuffs and then we’ll try Parker and then Dean.”

  “You have handcuffs here?” Equal parts sweet surprise and interest looked back at him through her eyes.

  He responded with the dirtiest wink that she’d ever seen. “Of course, they’re right beside the bed, in the bottom drawer of the nightstand. Where else would they be?” He couldn’t control his amusement when she rolled her eyes at him.

  As she turned to head inside, he could hear the sound of a car tearing up the gravel driveway at breakneck speed. He turned his head to see the silver flash of her car.

  “Oh! That’s my car. It’s gotta be Parker.” The trembling sigh she released sounded as if a thousand pounds of pressure had been released.

  “Thank God. Now go get the handcuffs or I’ll spank your ass.”

  Chapter 22

  If it weren’t for Ryan’s help she doubted she would have been able to get Parker to the emergency room. Even with his help and threats of blackmail, combined with her insistence and guilt trip tactics, it had been a hard fought battle. She wouldn’t be able to rest until she knew he would be okay.

  She didn’t know whether to be impressed by his determination for driving all the way from her house to the cabin with that lump on his head or enraged over his stupidity.

  “Parker, just sit and hush. I let you do your police thing, now you’re going to sit and behave while I do my nurse thing. If you were hit in the head hard enough that you passed out, you need a CAT scan. It won’t take but just a few minutes.”

  “Lacey, really, I feel fine. My head’s as hard as a rock. Ask Ryan, he’ll tell you.”

  “He’s right, his skull’s like concrete. It would take a wrecking ball to break through his hard head. There was this one drunken frat party where he—”

  “Hey! We don’t need to tell that story right now!”

  Was Parker embarrassed? She’d have to drag that story out of them another time. She was too on edge to appreciate it now. As much as she appreciated Ryan’s attempt at lightening the mood, it wouldn’t work.

  “Parker, are you pouting? It’s not the rock hard skull that I’m worried so much about. It’s the little brain inside that worries me. You know, the little pea in there that makes you the brave, wonderful, caring, stupid man that you are.”

  “Hey! Little—”

  “Parker, man, just let her do her thing. She is a nurse, remember? Considering she works here, she might know what she’s talking about. And just be glad she’s only insulting the size of your brain and not other parts of your anatomy.”

  “Boys, you can compare parts later, I want to get him off to radiology now. The aide’s waiting to take him.” She knew that more than likely he was fine, but she wouldn’t be able to rest until she knew for certain that all he needed was a few stitches. She could yell at him later for tempting fate and putting himself in harm’s way. She was touched by his motives and humbled by his bravery. And frustrated with his bullheaded stubbornness.

  Without thought she leaned in to give him a kiss on the mouth as an aide in burgundy scrubs unlocked the brake on the stretcher to pull it out of the room and take him on his way. She didn’t think twice about the fact that Ryan stood directly behind her with his arm still around her waist.

  “Well, Lacey, what do we have here? Two men? Still having trouble making up your mind? Why am I surprised? You could never commit to anything.” Her worst nightmare walked past the open curtain like he owned the place and put his hand on Parker’s bed. He blocked the way for Parker to leave and spoke loud enough that half of the emergency room must have heard him. She had never in all of her life wanted to slink down and disappear as desperately as she did right at that very moment. The humiliation and shame boiled and burned in her belly until she thought she’d vomit.

  “I mean, you’ve got one man with his hands all over you and your lips are on another? I knew you were nothing but a tease.” Why, why, why did he have to appear now? In her worry for Parker she never even considered that her ex would be working today, but as she thought it through, it made sense that he would be here. It was one of his regularly scheduled days.

  Now as hard as she’d tried to avoid telling Ryan about her ex, he was going to witness the nastiness firsthand. She should have known better. Was there any way to escape this mess gracefully?

  She raised her head from Parker’s mouth and turned to face Dr. Robert Wilton III. And no, it was clear by the way he blocked the cubicle’s exit with a nasty smirk on a face that she once thought was handsome, there was no way he would let her by without causing a scene. And by the hideously gleeful light in his eyes he was looking forward to it. He thought he’d just discovered gold and couldn’t wait to show his find to the world.

  Her world. It was her world, too, damn it!

  But did she really have to give him what he wanted? No. Why the hell should she duck her head and remain silent when that would only make his day. He’d been a snake in sheep’s clothing and the last thing she wanted to do was give him any more power over her.

  She was done with it, done with him and the vile way he treated her. Not only had he lied to her, he had shared his lies with two other nurses who worked in the same department, at the same time.

  Yes, she may have been touching two men at the same time, but damn it, her affection for Ryan and Parker was a clean and honest one. True. He was nothing but a liar and a cheat of the worst kind. She had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

  But he did.

  And she’d be damned if she would duck and run.

  Righteous anger rose with a quiet strength that filled her with a confidence that was long overdue. He wanted to air the dirty laundry, did he? Fine. She would play.

  She stepped forward and removed his hand from Parker’s stretcher and with one pointed finger pushed him out of the cubicle and into the main hall so Parker could be on his way. Not that the aide wasn’t now walking at a snail’s pace so he could hear the drama ready to unfold.

  “I mean really, Lacey, I knew you had trampy tendencies but this goes beyond even what I suspe
cted. You were so cold in bed, you couldn’t satisfy one man. What makes you think you could ever hope to make two happy?”

  “Excuse me? What I do in my bedroom is none of your concern. It hasn’t been since you took it upon yourself to lie to three different women at the same time about your intentions of marriage. In. The. Same. Month. While you were already married. At least when I go to bed at night, I know I’ve been honest with myself and the men I’ve come to care a great deal for.

  “FYI, we nurses work together, we talk to each other. Even you are not that good a liar. As for me being cold? Guess what. You’re going to have to try a lot harder to please a woman when all you have to offer is selfishness and no foreplay skills whatsoever. There’s just not enough going on down there to satisfy a woman, now is there? I feel dreadfully sorry for your wife.

  “Oh. And another thing. You are not going anywhere near Parker’s head. I’ve seen first-year residents do better with staples than you. I’d rather have the PA do it. Marie may not have an MD behind her name, but at least her hand is steady and her skills sharp.” She was so hot with anger she couldn’t even feel any relief when he silently turned on his heel and left.

  “Oh, God. I am so fired. I’ll have to start searching for a job tomorrow. What have I done?” She felt a light touch on her back and a comforting arm around her shoulder. Carrie’s warmth and strawberries-and-cream scent helped reduce the boiling in her blood to a simmer.

  “Lacey, honey, look at me. Yes, half of the ER probably just heard everything you said, but you know what? They heard everything he said to you to first. And each and every one of us in this department knows him for the bullshitter that he is. There’s not one woman in this department who doesn’t wish they had the courage to do what you just did. He won’t dare say a word to anyone in HR. I’d love to see him try it. Honey, not one person in this department would back his story up. Remember, you weren’t the only one he hurt. But you were the only one with the guts to speak up and say it to his face. Hell, I’m proud of you.” Lacey couldn’t help but release a smile as her friend raised her hand in the air for a high five.

  Yes, she’d made a mistake in listening to Robert’s lies and not her gut instincts, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t human and worthy of love. She was a damn good person and had nothing to be ashamed of.

  * * * *

  Ryan’s hands fisted at his sides. This smarmy, little asshole was Lacey’s ex? How dare he talk to her like that? She was the sweetest and hottest little woman he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing. His heart sank and his jaw ached as he’d watched her close her eyes in shame and drop her head to look down before she faced the asshole.

  He’d just taken a step forward and opened his mouth to give the prick a taste of his own medicine when he saw the change in her face. It was like watching the sun break through dark clouds. A fierce and fiery sun. She straightened, held her head high, and let the bastard have it. And she didn’t hold back. He was so proud of her he could burst.

  That wasn’t to say that if he happened to “accidently” run into the doctor later, he wouldn’t accidently knock him on his ass, repeatedly.

  She turned to face him, her face full of color and fire. If he guessed correctly it was equal parts anger and embarrassment. He ached to pull her into his arms and kiss the look off of her sweet face. He would never tire of her quiet, honeyed voice and warm presence. She defined the word woman for him.

  “Let’s go get some crappy coffee while we wait on Parker to come back. I’ll explain everything you want to know.” The look of defeat on her lovely face undid him. How could she not know how much he admired her strength?

  But how could he allow his selfish needs to ruin her life? As much as it hurt him, he had to let her go.

  * * * *

  “I’m sorry you had to witness that ugliness and I wish I had explained everything sooner. That’s certainly not how I would have chosen to explain things.” He held her hand in his larger one as they sat on a bench right outside the hospital’s front door. Its solid warmth did little to settle her nerves. Her stomach roiled with embarrassment.

  “Lacey, honey, you have nothing to apologize for. Absolutely nothing. Hell, I enjoyed watching you stand tall and take him down. So he lied about his intentions of marriage?”

  “Yes, but it was worse than that. It’s mortifying, really. He’d only lived here a few weeks when we started seeing each other. I should have known something was wrong when he didn’t want to be seen in public with me after the first date. But he said all the right things and acted so attentive and caring. After the first dinner date he insisted all the others were either out of town or at his temporary apartment. He insisted that we keep our relationship quiet at work. He said that he had a personal rule and never dated coworkers, but just couldn’t resist me.

  We had only been seeing each other about two months when he started hinting at the possibility of marriage. I knew it was fast, couldn’t help but be thrilled. Then at work, one day another one of the nurses was bubbling with excitement. She couldn’t contain herself and revealed that she and Robert were talking about marriage and looking at houses. Darcy, a second nurse, looked devastated and burst into tears. I was struck speechless and couldn’t have said a word if my life had depended on it.

  “Then not even a week later, his wife stopped by to surprise him at work. Apparently she stayed behind with their children in their old location until the kids finished out the school year and he found a home here to move them into.

  “So there you have it. The story of how blind and naïve Lacey is when it comes to relationships.”

  “That’s not what I see. I see an incredibly courageous, caring, and worthy woman. Do you have any idea the kind of courage it took to stand up and call him out on all of his faults like you just did? Not only did you stand up to him, you stood up for Parker and me as well. Lacey, that was an amazing thing to see. And I know for you that was not an easy thing to do. I’m awed by your strength and your heart.”

  She leaned into him, thinking to soothe herself with the contact but instead of wrapping an arm around her like she’d expected, he sat there stiff and still.

  “Let’s go see if Parker is back.” His voice dull, he patted her on the knee and stood.

  Chapter 23

  Ryan pulled into the driveway and stopped beside an unmarked police car. Dean maybe?

  Leaving them both at Parker’s house had been the smart thing to do. Lacey was safe and there could be no better person to care for the grumbling and recovering Parker than their own sexy nurse. He’d retrieved their things from the cabin and stopped by one last time to drop everything off. He had Lacey’s clothes, her e-reader, tote, and their combined goods from Crave in the car with him.

  Returning her things shouldn’t take more than five minutes and he’d be on his way. He gave the door a courtesy knock before opening it and walking in. It was a habit he and Parker had shared since college. Inside he found Parker on the couch in front of the TV and a baseball game and Lacey in the kitchen pouring tea for their company. Dean and Glen, another detective, joined the department’s Captain, Steve Jacobs, at the bar. The trio gathered around soaking up her smiles.

  Bastards. Though, he couldn’t blame them.

  “Hey, man, how are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine and wish everyone would quit fussing over me. It’s a little headache. No more.”

  “You have a hairline fracture in your skull and a concussion. Fine does not equate skull fracture.” Lacey, bless her heart, meant business. There was no arguing with a nurse on duty. She swept by Parker, paused and brushed a kiss on his cheek, and then continued on to him. His gut twisted as her smile grew brighter with each step closer to him.

  He ached to wrap his arms around her waist, pull her into a tight hug, and bury his face into the silk of her hair. Instead, he dodged her touch by stepping away and setting their bags down. He separated them into two piles, hers and Parker’s, and didn’t return to her s
ide.

  His heart shriveled and his hands throbbed with the urge to pull her closer and tuck her into him. He clenched them tightly and concentrated on acting as if he wasn’t getting ready to gut himself with a dull blade.

  He’d lost track of how many times he’d replayed the gunshots that had all been aimed at her. Each time he’d closed his eyes to go to sleep, again and again, without warning he’d been assaulted by the memories of the dangerous situations she’d been put in because of him.

  Not much more than sheer dumb luck had saved her the first time at the hospital. He’d been standing there watching her walk across the parking lot. One moment she was fine and the next, bleeding. He’d been to blame and worse, he’d been helpless to save her.

  The second time she had saved her own life and again, he’d done little more than clean up the mess after the fact.

  “Ryan, great timing. Dean stopped by to give me an update on Derrick’s latest ramblings and what info they have so far. Grab a drink and have a seat.” Parker waved him into the small living room just as he had any other time he’d stopped by. Parker’s voice and welcoming personality were the same as always, but he looked like hell. A thick white bandage covered the fifteen staples Lacey’s friend had set into the wound that had knocked him unconscious. His gut seized when he thought about how close his friend had come to dying.

  And all he had to thank for Parker’s life was Derrick’s ineptness.

  Parker had put his life on the line for his and Lacey’s and he had done nothing except jerk Parker’s chain by using his weaknesses against him. And Lacey? He remembered the embarrassment that colored her face when her ex had attempted to ridicule her in front of everyone at the hospital. She’d been ashamed because of him in front of her friends and coworkers at a place she had to go to almost daily.