“Home?”
“Yeah, back to L.A.”
Focusing on Ryan’s face again, she almost missed the look between the two men.
“What?”
“Do you really think that’s a good idea, Whit?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Your husband left you for dead in the middle of the Grand Canyon. What if he realizes he wasn’t successful and tries again?”
“What do you expect me to do, Ryan, stay here with you? I don’t know anyone in Flagstaff. My father can protect me from Eric.”
“Why not?” Ryan asked, and she noticed the frown Brett gave him.
“What? Stay with you? You can’t be serious.”
“He wouldn’t know to look there since you’ve never met me before now. You’d be safe, Whitney, and that’s the important thing. At least stay with me until you can get in touch with your family and they can make arrangements to have him arrested.”
“Arrested for what? There’s no proof. My word against his.”
“How can he explain returning to L.A. without you when you came together?”
“He can just say we had a huge fight and he left me at the hotel or something.” She threw up her hands in exasperation. “We aren’t having this conversation.” With a serious glance at Brett, she said, “Tell him. Tell him this is crazy.”
“It’s crazy, Ryan.”
“Whatever. Mind your own business. You just don’t want her in your house.”
“Your house?” she asked, the question aimed at Brett.
“Yeah. Ryan and I share my house, or should I say, he rents the apartment over my garage.”
Her focus returned to Ryan. “See. You would have to have his okay, anyway.”
“You need somewhere to recuperate, Whitney, and Eric won’t find you there. You can call your parents from my place.”
She rolled her eyes. High-handed behavior usually pissed her off, but Ryan’s only made her want to let him pull her close and take care of her and she didn’t understand why.
“I’m not going anywhere for several days, right?”
“True,” Brett answered.
“Then we can discuss this later. I need to call my father and tell him what happened. He’ll be worried since I haven’t been in contact with him in several days.” She looked around the room until her gaze landed on Ryan again. “By the way, where is my cell?”
“In the drawer.”
“Can I have it please?” she asked, glancing at Brett, who sat closest to the nightstand.
He reached into the drawer and handed it to her. Flipping it open, she scrolled through the contacts and hit talk.
It rang twice before a female voice picked it up saying, “Morris, Armstrong and Collins, Attorneys-At-Law. Can I help you?”
“Can I speak with Aaron Morris, please?”
“May I ask who is calling?”
“His daughter.”
“One moment, please.”
Elevator music came on the line as a few moments ticked by. “Whitney?”
“Daddy?”
“Where are you, sweetheart? I haven’t heard from you.”
“I’m at the hospital in Flagstaff, Dad.”
“In the hospital? What the hell is going on there?”
“I had an accident.” She fought the sob in her throat, and the tears threatened to blur her vision.
“Let me talk to Eric.”
“Eric isn’t here.”
“Where is he? He should be by your side.”
“Daddy…”
Brett took the phone from her hand.
“Hello?”
“Hello? Who’s this?”
“My name is Doctor Brett Novak. I treated Whitney in the emergency room when she was brought in.”
“Tell me what’s going on, son.”
“She took a pretty good tumble in the canyon. Her left femur is broken, and she’ll need to be monitored for a few more days here.”
Whitney wiggled her fingers, trying to tell Brett to give her the phone back now that her tears were under control, but he only frowned and handed it back.
“Daddy?”
“I’ll have the jet fueled, and your mother and I will be there within a few hours.”
“No. Dad, you and Mom don’t need to come here. There isn’t anything you can do.”
“What aren’t you telling me, Whitney?”
Biting her lip, she held her silence for a moment as her gaze met Ryan’s and then Brett’s.
“If Eric calls you or comes by, please don’t tell him where I am or that I’m okay.”
“Whitney…”
“Daddy, please listen. I can’t explain right now, just don’t tell him anything. Act like you haven’t talked to me at all, and I’ll call you when they get ready to release me from the hospital. I’m fine. Ryan and Brett are taking good care of me.”
“Ryan? Who the hell is Ryan?”
She sighed and closed her eyes. “Ryan is the guy who helped me out of the canyon. He’s a rescue paramedic. Brett is the doctor who treated me in the emergency room, but they are cousins and they’re both sitting here with me. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
“All right, but I don’t like this at all. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“I love you, Whitney.”
“I know, Dad. I love you, too. Talk to you soon.”
The phone shut with a click.
“How soon can you get me out of here, Brett?”
“I can talk to the physician who is seeing you here on the floor, but I don’t understand. Why?”
“I could hear someone listening on the phone, and I’m afraid there might be another party working with Eric. If so, they know I’m here at the hospital.”
Ryan took her hand in his again. “Whit, I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect you. I hope you know that.”
“I can’t ask that of you, Ryan. It’s not fair to you. You don’t even know me.”
“It doesn’t matter. What Eric did was wrong on so many levels.”
A tear slipped down her cheek as a sob escaped her lips. “I thought he loved me, but he only wanted the insurance money. He’s been sleeping with one of my best friends!”
Ryan stood and slid onto the mattress next to her, pulling her close. She buried her face in his chest and cried.
“Shh. It’ll be okay. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Brett moved closer and took her hand, rubbing the top of it with his fingers. When she lifted her head from Ryan’s chest, the look in Brett’s brown eyes said everything would be okay.
“Neither of us will.”
* * * *
“You live here?” Whitney asked with awe, looking up at the expansive front of his house.
Brett chuckled softly as they pulled into his garage. “Yeah. I bought it a few years ago.” He checked the rearview mirror for Ryan, watching as he pulled his Harley in behind them.
“Is it just you and Ryan here?”
“Yep. No wife or girlfriend.”
A pretty pink flush splashed across her cheeks. “I didn’t mean…”
“It’s fine, Whitney. You’re the first woman to stay here for any length of time.” He pushed open the driver’s side and moved around to open her door, holding out his hand to help her.
“I don’t believe you’ve never had a woman here before.”
He cocked an eyebrow, and a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “I didn’t say that.”
She sighed. “Good.”
“Good?”
“Yeah. I was beginning to wonder about you, Doctor Novak.”
Roaring laughter rolled from his mouth. “I’m not gay, Whit. I appreciate a beautiful woman just like Ryan does.” He skimmed over her face with his gaze and then settled it on her mouth. Kissing her would be a really bad idea. Then why do I want to so badly? I know Ryan wants her. Sharing her wouldn’t be right, would it?
Moving to t
he back of the car, he grabbed the wheelchair and positioned it next to the side of the car. “Wrap your arms around my shoulders and I’ll lift you into the chair.”
When their eyes met, she inhaled sharply, and he knew she was attracted to him, too. With a shift of her hips, she swung her legs out of the door. Straddling her knees with his legs, he held out his arms and waited for her to make the next move.
Capturing her bottom lip between her teeth, she hesitated momentarily before she lifted her hands and laid them gingerly on his shoulders. He wondered if she felt the shiver roll down his back at her touch.
Wanting nothing more than to take her lips in a soul-searing kiss, he cleared his throat to dislodge the lump forming there and said, “Hold on tight so I don’t drop you.”
“You wouldn’t do that,” she whispered, her warm breath caressing his neck when he pulled her up and held on for a moment before swinging her around to the chair.
“Are we good, Brett?” Ryan asked, coming up behind them.
Once she was settled, he stepped back. “Yeah.”
“Well, move your ass so we can get her inside and settled, then.”
Ryan shot him a confused look and pushed Whitney into the house.
Brett stayed in the garage a moment, trying to bring his raging desire under control. He thought for sure she had felt his cock spring to life when her breath swept across his neck. Dropping his head back, he stared at the wooden beams above him as he exhaled.
How could she not? I practically jabbed her with it when I swung her around. Then again, her nipples were doing some poking of their own when I held her. That little tank top she has on does nothing to hide the pink nipples beneath it.
He smiled for the first time since he agreed to keep her safe by bringing her here. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all, once she’s healed.
A saucy whistle left his lips as he followed the other two inside.
The kitchen sat off to his right, and he could see Ryan getting Whitney settled on the couch when he headed for the refrigerator.
“You two want something to drink?”
“How about a beer?” Whitney called.
“You shouldn’t be drinking alcohol with those pain killers.”
She rolled her eyes, and he had to smile.
“Quit being the doctor. It’s not going to hurt to drink just one. I’ll probably fall asleep right here on the couch after one. I’m a lightweight when it comes to alcohol anyway.”
Ryan grinned from his spot next to her.
Brett ground his teeth together when Ryan dropped his arm across her shoulder and pulled her close. He wanted to rip his cousin’s arm from around Whitney, pick her up in his arms, and rush down the hall to his bedroom.
Shaking his head, he retrieved three beers from the refrigerator and headed in their direction, handing each of them one before he dropped into the chair on the other side of the couch.
“So what’s the plan?” Ryan asked.
“I don’t imagine her husband would have any idea where she is, so she should be safe here.”
“I know a couple of guys on the police force. I’ll make some calls after awhile.” Ryan grasped a tendril of hair from her shoulder and let it slide through his fingers.
Brett wanted to break his hand.
“Just so you know, I don’t want anything more to do with Eric. I’m not one of those women who would stay with a guy who would abuse her, or in my case, who would attempt murder,” she said, her gaze flipping back and forth between the two of them.
Ryan growled, “Good. He’s a dead man if I get my hands on him.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’ll take care of Eric.”
“We’ll take care of him, Whit. You aren’t in this alone,” Brett answered.
The look on her face told Brett she was confused. Her eyes held the look of awe, like she couldn’t believe two strangers would do this for her.
“How about something to eat? I can order pizza,” he asked, grabbing the phone next to his elbow.
“Pizza sounds good.”
“What kind do you like?” Ryan asked.
“Everything but anchovies.”
“A woman after my own heart,” Brett said, giving her an appreciative glance. “Supreme it is.”
Wiggling her butt on the couch, she said, “Mmm…guys? Can someone point me in the direction of the bathroom?”
Ryan stood and swept her up in his arms. A startled squeak left her mouth, and Brett smiled.
“Never let it be said I’m not a gentleman,” Ryan said, heading down the hall with her in his arms.
Voices sounded far off as Brett listened to the other two conversing for a moment. Ryan returned and took his seat on the couch with a frown.
Brett had finished ordering the food while Ryan had taken Whitney to the bathroom, so now he needed to say something while she wasn’t in the room.
“We need to talk.”
“I know.”
“You know?”
“I can see the attraction, Brett. I’m not blind.” Ryan raked his fingers through his hair. “I want her bad, too.”
“Then you know she wants us both, or at least that’s the impression I’m getting.”
“Yep, but she’s confused. She doesn’t understand.”
“Then we need to make her understand. She needs to know we don’t have a problem sharing.”
Emotions rippled across Ryan’s face before he asked, “What do you want from her?”
The sun had begun to set behind the hills with streaks of orange and purple, bathing the backyard in gold. Pine and alder trees dotted the front yard beyond the glass, and a small waterfall tinkled in the distance. “I wish I knew. I want to fuck her so bad, my balls are like rocks. Beyond that?” His shoulders lifted in a shrug. “I don’t necessarily believe in love.”
Standing behind him, Ryan chuckled. “Especially not after Corrine.”
“Corrine was the bitch from hell.”
“And she took your heart and snapped it in two before she left.”
He didn’t want to talk about Corrine. That part of his life was over a while ago, and he really didn’t want to hash it out again. The love he’d felt for Corrine made him leery of getting involved with anyone on a permanent basis, but then again…
“Whitney brings out a protective side of me I haven’t felt in a long time. We need to figure out how to protect her from this guy until she can get her insurance policy changed and file for divorce. I don’t think he’ll try to hurt her if he’s not the beneficiary anymore,” Brett added.
“True. I’m sure her dad will take care of that, but if there is someone in her father’s office that’s in with Eric, she’s not safe there either.”
“The only place she is safe is here with us.”
“Ryan?” she called from the bathroom.
“I’ll be right there.”
Brett didn’t think he’d ever seen his cousin jump to the bidding of a female so fast in his life, and it worried him.
Within a moment, Ryan carried her back to the couch and gently set her down.
“Have we figured out where I’m sleeping?”
Ryan looked at him, and Brett knew they were both thinking the same thing.
How about between the two of us?
“There’s a spare bedroom connected to the bathroom you were just in. I put fresh sheets on the bed and dusted this morning before we came to the hospital to pick you up.”
“You cleaned?”
He laughed and nodded. “You’d be surprised. I do most of my own cleaning and cooking, even if I am a bachelor. Now Ryan, not so much.”
A tinkling laugh came from her mouth. It brought a smile to his lips.
“How long before pizza is here?”
“About fifteen minutes,” Brett answered.
“Good. I’m starving. Hospital food sucks.”
The two men chuckled, and Brett said, “Yeah, we know. We both eat there more than we care to.”
&n
bsp; They made small talk until the doorbell rang, letting them know the food had arrived.
“I’ll get it.” Ryan moved from her side and headed toward the front entrance as Brett settled his gaze on Whitney. She shifted on the couch and pressed her lips together. He wondered if she was imagining his kiss. The pretty pink flush on her cheeks told him whatever the thoughts on her mind might be, they probably would be intriguing, to say the least.
When Ryan returned, he dished up a couple of pieces for her and brought them to the couch with his own pizza before taking his spot again.
“So, Whitney, tell us about growing up in L.A.”
She shrugged and settled her gaze on the plate in her hands. “Nothing to tell really. I have three sisters. I’m one of the middle girls. My father is an attorney and Mom stayed home to raise us.”
“What about this guy who left you in the canyon?”
Frown lines settled between her eyebrows and pulled down the corners of her mouth. “I met Eric seven years ago at a charity function my parents do every year. We dated for a couple of years before we got married. He’s an attorney too and works with my father.”
“You had no idea he wanted to kill you?” Ryan asked.
“No. Why would I?”
Ryan held up his hands in surrender. “Just askin’.”
“I thought he loved me,” she whispered. “We were having some problems, you know. Just like married couples do. We came to Arizona as a second honeymoon, and I hoped we could work things out.”
Ryan wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his side. “It doesn’t matter. We won’t let anything happen to you.”
After several moments, she wiggled out of Ryan’s embrace, placed the half-eaten plate of pizza on the table and said, “I love both of your company, but I’m beat.”
“By all means, it’s bedtime then for you, young lady.” He stood and Ryan scooped her up in his arms again before they headed down the hall together.
Brett pushed open the door to the bedroom and flipped on the light.
“Wow. This is really nice, Brett.”
“Glad you like it. It’s yours for as long as you like.”
Ryan set her down on the edge of the bed. “Need some help with your clothes?”
“I think I can get it, Ryan. These sweatpants are loose enough. I should be able to slip them off without too much trouble.” She captured her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed it for a moment. “I need to say something to both of you.”
Sullivan, Sandy - Unexpected Lovers [Between the Sheets 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 3