by Joanna Blake
The Navy was notoriously tight lipped when shit went wrong. Which it had, rather spectacularly. I'd finally heard from the guys last night. I'd known that no one was killed in the explosion. Johnson got a mild concussion with some hearing loss and I got clipped, but that was it. Davis and Cain hadn't even been above deck.
Two of us, out of the service. But everyone had survived. Even the ship was being refurbished, though the guys had been reassigned.
We were fucking lucky.
Right now though, I didn't feel fucking lucky.
"You two know each other, don't you?"
I nodded curtly. Tabitha said nothing. I noticed the way her neatly pressed shirt was fraying at the edges, the plain straight lines of it doing nothing to distract from her outrageous figure. Her eyes were dark as she looked me over.
"Do you need help getting into the chair?"
"No, I'm good, thanks."
"On the floor?"
"Yes. I'm good. On the floor."
I smiled at her pleasantly. I had to figure out how to get her to leave, and then come back when I could walk and let me take another crack at her. And I meant to take another crack, and then some.
"Mom, can I talk to you alone?"
Tabitha didn't wait to be asked. She stalked over to the patio door and out. I did my best not to stare at that ass of hers. It had been way too long since I got laid, I realized. That was the only way to explain the way my body was reacting.
Because I was close to being fully hard and my mother was in the damn room.
"Yes?"
"Mom, this isn't going to work. First of all, she's not strong enough to lift me."
"She is, actually. They have to pass a test."
I clenched my jaw and ignored that little tidbit.
"And second of all, I don't need a damn babysitter. I just need a little help now and then and a nurse to change the dressing. That's it."
"Well, Tabitha is a nurse."
My jaw dropped at that.
"She is?"
"I believe she had one year of nursing school. She came home to take care of her grandmother. She's actually more qualified than most home aids. Unless you want a visiting nurse service and that's a much more expensive proposition. The doctor didn't think you needed it."
"I don't need a twenty-four hour nurse. I don't need anything-"
"Tabitha knows how to follow the doctor’s instructions and help speed your recovery. You want that, don't you?"
I clenched my jaw.
"She's a very nice young lady. I knew her grandmother."
She gave me a look that could freeze boiling water.
"I hope you haven't treated her unkindly, Gabe. I know how snobby people in this town can be. I didn't raise you to judge people because they don't have money."
"No. I don't. I haven't."
"Good. I'll just tell her to come back in so I can get to the office. Unless there's something else?"
I knew I'd been beat. My mom couldn't stay here all day and she wasn't willing to leave me alone. I'd just have to set this place up so I could be here by myself. This wouldn't last more than a week or two.
I was sure I'd be walking again in a month anyway. I had to be.
Tabitha came back in and hung her purse on the back of a chair. I decided to use this time to get to know her. To find out if she had a boyfriend. Hell, maybe I'd have a real shot at her now.
"So."
"So."
She pulled out a pad and a pen.
"What would you like for lunch? Any food allergies?"
"Are you going to write everything down?"
I was grinning but she just stared at me.
"Yes."
"Come on, Tabitha. Tell me how you've been. It's been a long time."
She put her arms down and bit her lip. I realized with a start that Tabitha Peterson was shy. All those years of people calling her a brazen hussy, and she looked nervous just answering a few questions about herself.
I'm not sure why exactly, but it was fucking adorable.
Plus, I actually wanted to know.
"My mom said you went to nursing school."
She nodded and cleared her throat.
"Yeah. I'm going to go back and finish. I just need to wrap up some stuff here."
"And you are a home aid now?”
She lifted her chin and stared at me defensively. Like I was interrogating her instead of trying to get her to loosen up. I'd like to help relax her- starting with getting her out of her clothes.
"I'm a waitress. It's the first time the service has called me."
"So, I'm the guinea pig, huh?"
She picked up her pad again.
"Let me know what you want to eat. The notes in your file said high protein and lots of vegetables. And it's almost time for your meds."
I leaned my head back and exhaled.
"I'm not picky. Surprise me."
She nodded and tucked her little pad into her back pocket. I perked up a bit at that, having a good view of her lower half from my seat on the floor.
"I think you should get back into the chair now. Let me help you."
"No, I've got it."
I used my arms to get myself back onto the fireplace ledge and reached for the chair. She held the handles while I scooted into it.
"You should put the brakes on next time."
I looked over my shoulder at her.
"Right. Okay, thanks."
She left to get my pills and set a timer on her phone. I stared out the window where I could see a sliver of the ocean. I used to love running on the beach, sailing and even surfing. The water looked rough today. I'd kill to be out there though.
I had a feeling today was going to be a lot less calm than the sea.
Tabby
"Try and drink one glass an hour."
He grimaced and held up his cup.
"Of juice? Can't I have a beer or something?"
I shook my head, feeling like I was talking to a child. A big, hunky child, but a child. I refilled his glass with OJ.
"Water is fine. You have to ask the doctor about beer. It might be okay if you skip your pain meds, but taken together it can be dangerous."
He moaned.
"When an American man can't even sip a beer..."
I shook my head at his dramatics.
"I'm sure you will be back in beer in no time. How is the pain today, on a scale from one to ten?"
He frowned, looking away. I could tell he was sensitive about his injury. It made sense. The most active people usually made the worst patients.
And Gabriel Jackson was more than 'active'. He was a war hero. And he'd been an incredible athlete, even as a kid.
"I need to know so I can give you your pain meds."
"I don't have to take them?"
I perched on the edge of the couch. It was the first time I'd sat down since I got here. I didn't know why but I was showing off a little. In full on nurse mode.
Maybe because I was afraid to let down my guard.
In fact, if I'd known who I was going to be looking after, I might have worn a potato sack. Or a suit of armor. Yeah, Gabe had wandering eyes. He always had around me.
That, at least, hadn't changed a bit. But I wasn't a starry-eyed girl who was begging for a scrap of affection anymore. I didn't tolerate anyone treating me like I was a piece of meat either.
I sat up as straight as I could, trying to project a serious vibe.
"I know it sounds macho to soldier through your pain, but it's not. If things aren't hurting so bad, we can cut your dose in half. But suffering for no reason can actually make you worse."
"It can?"
I nodded.
"Pain causes a chemical reaction in your body. Stress hormones, all kinds of things. And there's no need for it. You aren't going to get addicted."
"How do you know?"
I smiled at him without meaning to.
"It's a sign of weakness. From what I remember, that's not your thing."
/>
A smiled transformed his face. He looked like I'd just told him he'd won the lottery, instead of giving him an accidental compliment. I stood up to hide my discomfiture.
Why the hell had I just said that? I didn't want him to know I'd noticed him all those years ago. Noticed... hell, I'd had a raging crush on him.
Too bad he'd been such an oaf when he finally made a pass at me. If he'd asked any other time, I would have said yes.
I sighed and headed for the stairs.
"Finish the juice, I'll be right back with lunch."
"Okay, Nurse Rachette."
I stopped on the first step and looked over my shoulder at him.
"I'm not a nurse yet."
"You will be."
"How do you know?"
"You aren't into signs of weakness. Not your thing."
I stared at him, realizing he was right. And he was throwing my own words back at me. And letting me know he'd noticed me too.
This felt way too personal suddenly. I was just here to provide support and that was it.
He winked and I realized I was standing there like a fool.
I forced my legs to move. I hustled up the stairs, determined to ignore Gabe Jackson, no matter what it took.
Gabe
"Hmmfff, this is good."
I grinned at the gorgeous girl who was staring out the window. She was trying not to look at me, I realized. To give me privacy so I could eat.
It was considerate.
But I didn't like it.
Not one bit.
And this sandwich was damn good. Delicious even. She'd done something with basic turkey and made it delicious. Avocado, tomato and sliced onions. A touch of mustard and... I think she'd put a little salt and vinegar on the veggies.
I smacked my lips.
Yep, that was it. Oil and vinegar. That's the kind of sandwich you got in an authentic Italian cafe. I looked at her with newfound respect. Tabitha was full of surprises.
The girl could cook.
I let my eyes travel over her curves, wondering what else she could do. That led to a couple of visual images that were definitely not PG. Or even PG 13. More like R verging on those soft-core movies they showed late at night on certain cable channels.
The 'movies' with the terrible actors and actresses with fake boobs. There was nothing fake on Tabitha though. I licked my lips, looking her over.
Hmmmfff... not one damn thing. I tilted my head to the side, trying to imagine her naked. And smiling. And-
"Are you okay?"
Tabitha ran across the room and thwaked me on the back. I coughed out the bite I'd been slowly chewing. I had not been choking. I had simply been distracted by her bodacious-
"Gabe!"
She was staring at me, reaching for my mouth. I realized she was going to start manually clearing my air pipe in about three seconds if I didn't say anything. I guess she was a pretty good nurse after all. Or nurse-in-training.
"I'm fine!"
I was, however, hard as a rock. Tabby was kneeling between my knees, her hands on my thighs. It was an almost-about-to-give-head position. I stared at her, my eyes devouring her. I wanted to remember this moment, for later.
She smelled so good, like vanilla and cinnamon. She looked even better than she smelled, with her wide eyes and creamy skin, those gorgeous lips of hers parted unconsciously. It was too much. I felt my cock lurch in response.
I moaned. Loudly.
She leaned back, moving her hands away from my knees.
"Did I hurt you?"
"No. I just-"
I grabbed a magazine and dropped it on my lap.
"I'm fine."
She looked at me suspiciously, as if she knew I was lying. Or kind of lying. I was fine other than having a nuclear warhead in my pants. But she knew something was up.
Clearly, Tabitha's bullshit-o-meter was a finely tuned piece of equipment.
That didn't surprise me actually. She hadn't had an easy time of it back in high school. From what I could tell, the guys were always after her but she didn't have a lot of friends.
She had a reputation as kind of a tough girl actually.
She didn't look tough to me though. She never had. She looked... just over it. The girl was not easily impressed. I realized we had that in common.
"So, what have you been up to? Since high school?"
She narrowed her eyes at me. I could see her chewing the inside of her cheek. It made me want to yank her down on my lap and-
"This isn't a social call, Gabe. I'm here to take care of you."
I held up my hands and smiled cajolingly. Thankfully the magazine didn't slip. That would have been embarrassing.
And it would have ruined the plans I was making. My dirty mind was very, very busy today. First, I had plans to get her in bed, and then I had lots of ideas what to do once I had her there.
My earlier resistance to having her as my aid was rapidly fading. No, I did not want this ridiculously hot woman seeing me like this. But maybe I could use it to my advantage.
Gain her sympathy and all that.
Besides, I never backed away from a challenge.
Somehow, having her resist my attempts to draw her out was making me even more determined. She couldn't be more appealing if she was covered in whipped cream with cherries on top.
But she wasn't making it easy. Tabby was a tough nut to crack. I could not stop myself from wanting to crack her shell wide open.
As annoying as it was to be stuck in a wheelchair, I was going to use whatever I could to get Tabby in my bed. I was going to get this girl, once and for all. Not just once or twice either. I wanted a year long fuck-a-thon. Maybe longer.
I'd have to soften her up first though. I smiled to myself, thinking that wouldn't be a problem. I knew how to charm someone when I needed to.
By the time I was walking, she'd be at my beck and call.
"But I need to stay in good spirits. Isn't that part of healing? I thought I read that fifty percent of all healing was mental."
I gave her a sad look.
"I'm... lonely. Stuck down here by myself. I'm just asking you to talk, not for your hand in marriage."
She stared at me, her eyes searching. She glanced at her watch. Then she shrugged.
"Okay, fine. You don't need to take any pills for a few more hours. What do you want to talk about?"
I leaned back in my seat, mentally rubbing my hands together. And then undressing her. And then-
"I wondered what happened to you after high school. Fill me in."
She looked more than a little uncomfortable, but I didn't care. I was curious. And it wasn't like I was going to tell anyone.
"What do you want to know?"
I smiled.
"Everything."
Tabby
I stared at the sliver of ocean that was visible through the sliding glass doors. It must have been nice to grow up in a house like this. The rec room alone was nicer than anything at Gran's place.
"So you went to nursing school... after college?"
I nodded, trying not to look at him.
"Yes. I got an associates degree. I didn't want to do the whole four years and then get my license."
"That's smart. You're well-rounded."
He was smiling at me, with a self-satisfied look on his face. I didn't even look, but I could feel his grin. I hated this. I hated being poked and prodded. I'd told him to keep away for a reason the one night he'd spoken to me.
The night he'd basically asked me to bang.
I sighed, rubbing my arms. I looked at his impossibly handsome face, realizing he'd think it was bizarre if I ignored him completely. Even with everything he'd been through, he looked gorgeous. His dark hair and chiseled face... those eyes that were kind and mischievous at the same time.
The damn things twinkled for God's sake. And his lashes were longer than a girls! And his lips were soft and manly at the same time. The man was perfectly formed from head to toe, even with his injury.
It just was not fair how some people got dealt the best hands.
Just objectively, he was too good-looking for his own good. Or mine.
Not that I cared about things like that.
"Did you want something more to eat?"
He gave me a pointed look.
"You didn't answer my questions."
"Yes, I did."
"No, I asked how you've been. What you've been up to. You didn't even tell me if you had a boyfriend or-"
I stood up abruptly.
"I've been fine. I should check the bathroom, to see if you have enough leverage. Did you install safety equipment yet? I can help with that."
I realized I was babbling and snapped my mouth shut. Gabe was staring at me like I was a bug under a microscope. Some sort of strange creature.
I'm sure to him, I was.
I sighed and took the coward’s way out.
"Why don't you take a nap?"
He stared at me, looking annoyed. Then he smiled. I wanted to tell him to stop being so charming dammit.
"But I'm not tired."
"I'll rub your back for you. Actually, I'm supposed to massage your legs but I want to check in with your physical therapist first."
He actually looked shocked.
"You're going to- rub my legs?"
"Yes. Medical massage. It speeds healing, increases blood flow, etc."
His face was pale. I think I actually saw him gulp.
I smiled grimly, determined to get him into that bed and resting until it was time to eat again. If I didn't have to look at him, or talk to him, I'd be fine.
I could maintain my hard outer shell, and my equilibrium.
"Come on, I'll just do your back for now. It will knock you right out, I promise."
He nodded and pulled himself into the chair. I watched carefully, not offering to help unless he really needed it. I knew already that wouldn't go down well.
He was stubborn as a mule. And proud. And, well, strong enough to manage most moves, as long as he stayed off his leg. His upper body was almost ridiculously thick with muscles. He wheeled himself towards his bedroom so fast I was left behind.
I noticed he had brought his magazine with him, carefully placing it on his lap.