The Ballerina's Stand

by Angel Smits

  But with Lauren here, any number of people could be stopping by to see her. He’d told the kids and Maxine to come by whenever. “Hold on, Addie.” Jason pulled his phone away from his ear. “Just a minute,” he called, hoping whoever it was heard him.

  Lauren was still in the bedroom, hopefully asleep, though he needed to help her with the medication and bandages soon. He hoped the vibration of the pounding didn’t wake her.

  He opened the door—and never saw the fist coming.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  LAUREN NEEDED TO put the bandages back on. Even the small amount of light filtering in from the hallway burned. Keeping her eyes closed helped, but the conscious effort of doing that was draining. And not nearly as effective. She’d just swung her legs over the bed to reach for the medicine and gauze when the picture hanging over the headboard moved. What the—? She flinched away in case it was an earthquake. It didn’t happen again.

  Her injured eyes open, she saw the light in the living room shift. She grabbed the nearest piece of clothing, Jason’s shirt that she’d tossed to the floor earlier. It was way too big, but it would do.

  What was going on? Standing, she moved cautiously to the doorway and peered out. She could see Jason, his back to her, and beyond him, another man in the doorway. She couldn’t quite make out the man’s features. She shielded her eyes as she stepped farther into the painful light.

  The stranger swung and hit Jason in the jaw. Jason stumbled back. Shocked, Lauren rushed forward, just as Jason got his balance back and grabbed the man. Jason was a big man, but so was the other guy. Jason shoved him out the door and pinned the man to the far wall with his forearm across his throat. The decorations hanging on the wall beside the elevator shook just like the picture over the bed had.

  Jason was talking to the man, but his teeth were clenched, so from this angle she couldn’t read his lips. She glanced around for a weapon, knowing she’d be worthless in a fight, but she had to help him. She had to—

  The stranger saw her then, and while she couldn’t fully meet his gaze and focus, she felt it. Anger. Pain. Something else, something dark, came at her. She shivered, and took a reflexive step back from the rage—and from the wicked scent of alcohol wafting off the man.

  Jason turned his head then and saw her as well. The only other time she’d seen him angry was when he’d brought Tina away from the foster home. That had been indignant anger. This...this scared her. It was a rage.

  Jason gave the other man another hard shove and stepped back, slamming the apartment door in his face. He twisted the lock with a harsh turn.

  Even though the door was closed, Jason was still talking, probably yelling if his facial expression and body language were any indication.

  When he finally turned around, she stared. Blood trickled from the left corner of his mouth.

  * * *

  JASON MIGHT BE a civilized corporate attorney, but he’d grown up in Texas. And somehow, the wilds of Texas had just shown up in LA, and not even Trey Haymaker got in more than one sucker punch. Especially a drunk Trey Haymaker.

  Though the door was closed solid between them, Jason still didn’t trust the other man. He waited, the last few minutes flashing through his mind as he fought to catch his breath.

  A high-pitched voice somewhere in the distance called Jason’s name. He looked around, knowing it wasn’t Lauren. The phone was on the floor, and Addie was screaming from a thousand miles away.

  Addie’s words from earlier echoed around him. Trey had threatened to kill Lauren. Jason had to keep her safe.

  Another sound startled him, and he looked back to see Lauren step farther into the living room. He prayed he could protect her. He’d slammed and locked the door, but he looked back now, just to make sure it remained locked.

  A fist hit the other side of the door. “Get the hell out of here, Trey.”

  “Jason!” Addie’s voice came from the phone still on the floor. He scooped it up, meeting Lauren’s pain-filled gaze as he straightened.

  “I’m fine, Ad. I’ll call you back.” He hung up on his sister, knowing there’d be hell to pay later, but the woman standing in front of him was more important.

  Lauren stared wide-eyed at him, her injured eyes still red and watering. Or were those tears? Had she recognized Trey? Could she even see well enough to tell who he was? What was going through her head? She backed up. Afraid, or protecting herself from the pain of the light? He reached for her, but she scurried away.

  He didn’t know what he expected, but her ducking into the bathroom wasn’t it. He heard the water running, and she hastily came back out to him. She lifted a damp washcloth, and cool water soaking the fabric, she pressed it to his lip. When she pulled it away, he saw the bright stain of his blood.

  Shit. Trey had busted his lip. It wasn’t his first, and probably wouldn’t be his last, but he hated it now. Trey had scared the crap out of both Lauren and Addie for it. The man had talent.

  Talent that didn’t extend to enough smarts to know when he wasn’t wanted. He pounded on the door again.

  “Go away, Trey,” Jason yelled. “I’m not letting you in.”

  “Is that her?” Trey’s words were clear. He must be right next to the door. Jason clenched his jaw to keep his anger in check, and words he’d most likely regret from erupting.

  “Let me in, Jason.” Another fist hit the door. “This is between me and her.”

  Jason stalked to the door, curling his fingers around the doorknob, forcing himself not to turn it. Letting that idiot in might make him feel better, but it wouldn’t help Lauren. “Get out of here.” He squeezed the knob harder. “We’ll talk when you’re sober.”

  “You’re one of us,” Trey practically yelled the last word. “She’s not.”

  Vague, muffled comments about Jason being a wimp and a chicken came through the thick wood. But they were fading. Hopefully Trey was leaving. Jason sighed, ashamed that this man was from the same neighborhood where he’d grown up. His brother actually considered him a friend?

  “Was that T-r-e-y?” Lauren signed and Jason’s heart sank. He would have to explain.

  * * *

  LAUREN RECOGNIZED TREY’S—albeit blurred—face from the pictures she’d pulled up on the internet when she’d first found out about her father. Her mind raced. Why was he here? Why had he punched Jason?

  The blood on Jason’s lip still scared her. She reached up to put the washcloth against his lip again, but he took it from her and did it himself this time.

  Her eyes burned. The pain increased each time she turned her head. She needed to get back to the darkness, knew the risks of more damage to her eyes, but if Jason was hurt—

  He started talking, and she tried to focus on his moving lips. But the bright sunlight pouring through the living room windows was like a knife. “I can’t see enough,” she signed, her panic too strong as he frowned, struggling to read her one-handed sign.

  She swallowed back her frustration and fear, not sure if it was fear for her vision, or fear for this man who meant entirely too much to her all of a sudden.

  Jason guided her back into the darkened bedroom where she sat down on the mattress. Carefully, he knelt in front of her, letting the light from the hall fall on his face and not hers.

  “I’m fine,” he said, and she was relieved she could see well enough to read his lips, though her gaze kept catching on the cut. “You need to take care of your eyes,” he said as he reached up and touched her temple.

  He picked up the tube of medication from the nightstand and their gazes met. She stopped his hand, shaking her head.

  “What’s the matter?” His frown was full of concern.

  “What happened?” she signed. She saw the picture over the bed tremble again.

  “Don’t worry.”

  She frowned b
ack at him. “You’re nuts,” she signed and pointed to the moving picture. “That—” What did she call Trey? Lunatic? Idiot? “He’s still pounding on the door, isn’t he?”

  “Not for long.” As if suddenly remembering the phone in his hand, he dialed. She saw the word guard appear on the screen. The picture moved again. His neighbors had probably beat him to the call.

  “The guard’s on the way up,” Jason explained.

  She waited only a second before signing, “Tell me.”

  “Tell you what?” Jason didn’t meet her eyes, and she grabbed his arm to keep him from moving away.

  “Tell me,” she signed again, her motions harsher this time. “Why is he here?”

  Jason looked down. Slowly, he signed, in sync with his words. She was almost too upset to notice that change. He didn’t often do that, combining words with sign like Dylan and Maxine, like longtime signers did.

  “I think.” He touched his forehead for the sign and then rubbed it. “To hurt you.”

  “What? Why?”

  Jason shrugged. “Addie, my oldest sister was on the phone.” He lifted the phone he still held. “He told her that he was going to kill you. Then he said he’d come for me.”

  * * *

  THE HURT AND DISAPPOINTMENT on Lauren’s face was too much. Jason stood, pulling her against him. He’d never lied to her, and wouldn’t start now. He knew she craved a family, knew she hoped that somehow these people she didn’t know would accept her. This wasn’t what she wanted.

  Lauren pulled away then, picked up the scattered bandages and medicine and stalked to the bathroom. She closed the door and he heard the lock click in place. He’d leave her alone for now.

  The pounding at the door had stopped and his phone rang. The guard. “We’ve got it handled, Mr. Hawkins.” The man’s deep voice sounded official. “Do you want us to call the police? Are you pressing charges?”

  Trey would be even more ticked then. “No. Just send him somewhere to sober up.” Jason couldn’t do anything more about Trey right now.

  Once he’d hung up, the phone rang again, and he looked down at the display. Addie. He cursed. He didn’t want to talk to her right now, but she’d been nearly as scared by Trey as Lauren had. His older sister had always been there for him. It wasn’t fair to ignore her now. “Hello, Ad.”

  “Are you okay?” He heard the tears, heard the panic and fear.

  “Yes. We’re fine.”

  “We?”

  “Uh, yeah. Lauren’s here.”

  “With you?”

  He couldn’t even begin to explain everything to Addie right now. He gave her the abridged version of the fire, of Lauren’s injuries and why she was here. He left out the details of last night and this morning. But he heard his sister’s suppositions.

  “Do you think Trey had anything to do with the fire?” she asked softly.

  “I don’t know.” And he didn’t. After the wildfire in Texas that Pal had caused, and that had nearly been blamed on Trey, Jason couldn’t see Trey being that mean, or that stupid. But the man was far from rational these days.

  The bathroom door opened then, and Jason simply stared. Lauren stood there, all her copper curls wound up in a towel on top of her head. Another towel wrapped around her body. Barely.

  She held it up with her casted arm. “Need your help,” she signed.

  Once again, Jason hung up on his sister.

  * * *

  LAUREN LOOKED AT JASON, wishing she could see more clearly and yet enjoying the muted view of him sitting there, on the edge of the bed, in the—thankfully—dim light. He looked less intimidating, less intense than the man she’d hurried away from moments before.

  Not because she was afraid of him—but because she couldn’t trust herself.

  In the enclosure of the shower, she’d felt enveloped by him—his scent, the dark masculine color of the tile, the memory of all he’d done to protect her.

  The mild-mannered lawyer she’d come to respect was a warrior at heart. And that confused her.

  And intrigued her. She took a step forward and froze when he looked up at her. Heat burned in his eyes. She swallowed the ache rising in her throat. “I n-e-e-d your h-e-l-p,” she signed one-handed, having to spell rather than sign.

  Jason nodded, the action seeming to bring the shutters down over his emotions. He moved toward her. Lauren felt the distance yawn between them, even though he was closer. Why was he shutting down and pulling back? Was he regretting taking her and all this baggage in? She barely resisted the urge to step back.

  The hand that took hers, guiding her back to the bed, was warm, gentle, restrained. He paused.

  Jason stared at her with such intensity, she felt the hot impact. “Oh, hell,” his lips said an instant before he leaned down and kissed her—hard, hungry, wanting.

  He didn’t have to sign anything. She let the towel drop and leaned into him, her own adrenaline pushing her to him. She had to stand on tiptoes to reach him, but she didn’t hesitate.

  He tugged the towel from her head, letting her half-dry curls fall in damp coils down her back. She burned so hot that the coolness felt good, tickling and teasing her sensitive skin.

  The love they’d made before had been perfect for a first time. But this? This was different.

  This was hot, and harsh, and Lauren hung on tight for the ride she knew would be quick and rough and delicious.

  There was no slow, sensuous undressing as she was already way ahead of him. He ripped his T-shirt over his head, barely giving her time to enjoy the view of all that naked chest before he shucked off his jeans. She could only stare.

  Slowly, like a powerful predator, Jason pushed her back onto the bed, his knee already parting her thighs. She felt the cool mattress for only an instant before he rolled over her and pulled her with him.

  Suddenly, he was on his back, his hands on her hips as he settled her over him. Her breath came in hot pants of need. Every inch of her ached to possess him.

  Beneath her, Jason was a big powerful man who was still protecting her, still reining in his strength and his need.

  Though she couldn’t see his features as clearly as she wanted, Lauren watched in fascination as Jason threw his head back. His hands settled on her hips, his grip hot on her skin as he lowered her until not even air came between them. His jaw clenched, the muscles of his neck and shoulders went taut as he held back.

  But Lauren didn’t want him to hold back. She didn’t need him to protect her, not now, certainly not from him.

  Impatient, yet knowing it was worth it, she waited until he opened his eyes. The frustration there answered hers. Holding his gaze, she moved. She had to.

  Now—now he was hers. This was how she wanted him.

  Closing her eyes, the burning pain of her eyes receded, and she let go of her restraint. Every thought left her brain as he moved with her. Harder. Deeper. Farther.

  The heat built, setting her afire a second before she exploded in a flurry of white-hot stars. He joined her an instant later, melting what was left of her sanity.

  Spent, Lauren collapsed onto his chest, his arms coming around her, holding tight. She hid her face against the side of his neck as much to hide her eyes as to recover from the wild woman she’d become.

  How could she possibly feel self-conscious? But she did, her cheeks warming with a blush.

  Jason’s lips, gentle and warm on her forehead, brought tears to her eyes with the sweetness of his kiss. She clung to him, not wanting the moment to end. Ever.

  He wouldn’t understand that, and she couldn’t tell him. Her brain didn’t seem able to send the signal to her hand to sign anything coherent.

  He turned, settling her on the sheets and leveraging up on an elbow. “Your eyes,” he said, misunderstanding her tears.

 
; Reaching over her, Jason grabbed the medicine and slowly, as carefully as he’d ever touched her, he opened the tube and put the medicine in her eyes. Though the goo warped her vision, she couldn’t look away. His hair, mussed from her touch, his injured lip, the line of his jaw...

  Once he’d placed the first bandage, he paused. “You okay?” he asked, so close she could easily read his lips. At her nod, he kissed her, hot and sweet. She cupped his jaw with her hand, enjoying the rough feel of his skin.

  Finally, he lifted the piece of gauze. She nodded and slowly lowered her eyelid, letting him know she was ready. She didn’t want to stop looking at him, but the medicine and darkness helped ease the nagging pain in her eyes.

  The darkness didn’t seem as bad this time, especially when Jason settled back against the pillows and dragged her into his arms. He guided her head to rest on his shoulder, fitting her perfectly to him.

  Moving her hand to the center of his chest, she felt his heart hammering beneath her touch. “This,” she made the sign. “Feels,” her middle finger slid down his breastbone in the next sign. “R-i-g-h-t.” She couldn’t see him, and feared reaching up to feel his lips in case she hurt him, but she hoped—really hoped—he smiled.

  * * *

  DEAR GOD, HOW could the woman in his arms destroy and save him in the same instant? Jason held Lauren. And as she fell asleep in his arms, he let her, resisting the urge to have her again.

  Adrenaline hummed hard in his blood, his heart beat harsh against his ribs. He wanted her again. He’d never been like this with anyone else before.

  Something inside him had changed since meeting this woman.

  He’d moved away from his family for a reason. Away from, he’d hoped, that strong need to take care of them, and a fear of failing. He wasn’t the oldest who’d learned to take care of things early, like Wyatt. He didn’t have DJ’s military training. He didn’t even have his sisters’ ability to cook.

  That fear of failing multiplied with Lauren. He had to admit to himself that her deafness played a factor in his fear.