He had so many questions, but the two that had been plaguing him rolled out. “What if we hadn’t been there? What if she’d fallen against the bookshelves and hurt herself?”
“Phoenix and the other girls know what to do for her,” Marilynn answered. “And if she’d been alone, Reno would have pressed that button and emergency services would have been there for her, as would her father and I.”
He shook his head, his chest constricting. That’s not enough. Would anything be enough? “Should I have done anything differently?”
“No. You were calm, and you handled it perfectly,” Marilynn reassured him. “You kept her from hurting herself, and you remembered to time the seizure. Those are the most important things.”
He glanced at Sable, knowing she wouldn’t cushion a blow.
“You did good, Pennington. But you can’t argue with her.” Sable leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “I know you want to protect her. We all do. But she’s not defenseless.” Regret rose in her eyes. “Take it from someone who learned that lesson the hard way. If you truly love her—”
“I do. I didn’t intend to tell her the way it happened. I wanted to make it special, better than anything she’s ever dreamed of, but it just came out.”
“That’s how you know it’s real, honey,” Marilynn said.
“It was definitely memorable.” Sable’s expression turned serious again. “But as I was saying, if you love her, you’ll listen to her when she tells you what she needs. The minute she thinks she’s holding you back is the moment you’ll lose her forever, so you might want to choose your fights more carefully in the future.”
He felt sick at the thought of losing her. “I’m not great at thinking before I speak, especially when it comes to Amber. I’ll have to work on that.”
“You’ll learn,” Marilynn said. “It’s hard to put your head before your heart, but in this case it’s important.”
“I know. I’ll try. What else should I know? Should we get in touch with Amber’s doctor? How long should I let her sleep? What can I do to help her tonight?”
“I spoke to her doctor and made an appointment for Monday so he can check her out,” Marilynn answered. “It’s been years since she’s had a seizure, and breakthrough seizures, which is what they call seizures that occur after a sustained period without them, aren’t all that uncommon, but he wants to run some tests and check her out in case her meds need to be tweaked. As far as tonight goes, let her sleep. She will probably be sore and a little foggy. It takes a while for her body to recover. Just be your loving self. She’ll let you know what she needs.”
Sable smirked, earning an eye roll from Marilynn.
“I spoke to Phoenix earlier. She’s covering the bookstore for tomorrow, so Amber won’t need to go in. Do you want or need us to stick around?” Marilynn asked.
“No, but thank you for everything.”
Marilynn hugged him. Then she touched his cheek the way his mother often did, and said, “I’m going to miss our morning chats while you’re gone, but we’ll take good care of our girl.”
He wasn’t sure he was going to leave, but he kept that to himself as he walked them to the door. After they left, he headed into the bedroom. Amber was lying on her side sleeping, her hair covering one cheek, a pillow tucked against her stomach and Reno stretched out against her back. She was wearing black leggings, his VSU sweatshirt she’d confiscated earlier in the week, and pink ruffled socks. He swore his heart tripled in size at the sight of her.
Reno’s head popped up.
“Shh. It’s okay, buddy. Go back to sleep.” Dash toed off his shoes and climbed onto the bed beside her, lying nose to nose, the pillow between them. He put his arm around her, wishing with everything he had that he could take her epilepsy away, suffer it himself instead of her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and closed his eyes, her nearness righting all of his disheveled pieces.
WAKEFULNESS TRICKLED IN slowly with Dash’s familiar scent, his warm breath wisping over Amber’s lips. The weight of his arm on her side brought a feeling of safety. The bedroom was dark, the house quiet. He was still there, and he loved her. With everything I have and everything I am. She’d been too foggy to trust her own memory when they’d left the bookstore, and she’d made her mother repeat his words so many times, Sable had finally offered to get them tattooed across her chest if it would stop Amber from asking again. Their mother had told her how well Dash had handled her seizure, and Sable, her overprotective, big-hearted sister who didn’t believe in anything warm and fuzzy had said she’d felt Dash’s fear, but it wasn’t the fear of a pussy—Amber had cringed at her sister’s raunchy word choice then, just as she did now—it was the fear of a man who loved a woman so desperately, he couldn’t fathom anything happening to her.
Dash’s eyes opened, and he touched her face. “Hi, beautiful. How’re you feeling?”
“Like I slept for a month and want to sleep for another. I’m a little sore and my head’s still foggy. How long have I been asleep? And where are my pants?”
“Several hours.” He glanced at the clock. “It’s midnight. You got hot about an hour ago and took your pants off.”
“I’m sorry for ruining your signing and embarrassing you.”
“You couldn’t ever embarrass me, and you didn’t ruin the signing. We sold out of the books, and it still lasted an extra hour and a half because your enforcers made me stay and sign every book, bag, and notebook in the place.”
My enforcers. She warmed all over. “I’m glad you did. But shouldn’t you be at dinner with your brother and Shea?”
“Are you really asking me that? They’re having dinner with your sisters and their husbands, and then they’re flying out.”
“You should—”
He silenced her with a kiss. “You banned me from coming home with you and insisted I finish the signing. You will not send me away.”
“Okay, bossy.” She put her hand on his face, his whiskers tickling her fingers. A sliver of insecurity slipped in, and she hoped he wasn’t having second thoughts about saying he loved her. He didn’t sound like he was, but those were three big words. He could still care deeply about her but not have meant to say them. “How about you? How do you feel?”
“Like I watched the woman I love fight her way down the field without any protective gear, and I was shackled to the bench, unable to help.”
Tears dampened her eyes, because she knew he was telling the truth about loving her and feeling helpless.
“And like I never want to leave your side, but I know you won’t allow that to happen.” He tucked her hair behind her ear and pressed his warm, rough palm to her cheek. She put her hand over his, holding it there. “But mostly I’m glad you’re okay and sorry for not taking better care of you, for wearing you out and making your life more stressful with the signing.”
Emotions billowed inside her. She knew better than to let herself get run-down, and she wasn’t about to let him take the blame for her inability to keep herself in check. “That blame’s not yours to take, even if it feels like it is.”
“I’m owning it, sweetheart, and learning from it. I will take much better care of you in the future.”
A tear slipped down her cheek at his boundless love for her.
He brushed it away with his thumb, his brows knitting. “Why are you sad?”
“I’m not. I’m happy. You’ve seen all of me, and you’re still here. If I’d known wetting myself would make you fall in love with me, I might have done it sooner.”
He moved the pillow from between them and shifted closer, gently pulling her into a kiss. Threading his fingers into her hair, keeping her close, he whispered, “How am I going to leave you tomorrow?”
“Hopefully sexually satisfied.” She was in no shape to have sex, but she loved teasing him.
He growled and kissed her so tenderly, she knew he was worried about hurting her.
“What are the rules about sex and seizures?”
“You probably shouldn’t have sex with me while I’m having a seizure.”
He laughed softly. “You’re a regular comedian, aren’t you, sweet thing?”
“I get to see you smile when you laugh.” Her pulse quickened as her heart poured out. “I love your smile, and I love you.”
He closed his eyes, exhaling like he’d been holding it in all day, and his forehead fell forward, as if her confession had released the tension from his body. He opened his eyes, gazing deeply into hers as he said, “How can three little words change my entire world?”
Chapter Sixteen
DASH AWOKE WITH a start, a bead of sweat on his brow, his chest heaving. He’d been dreaming about yesterday, stuck in an endless cycle starting with the jolt of fear that had hit him when Amber’s vacant stare had registered and she’d begun falling. But in the dream, the woman wasn’t there to catch her, and he was running as fast as he could, but he wasn’t fast enough and she’d hit the bookshelves and gone down—over and over again.
He wiped the sweat from his brow. The bedroom was empty, the dusk of dawn creeping in through the curtains. He jumped to his feet in his boxer briefs. “Amber?” The bathroom light was off. He headed out to the living room, his heart hammering. If she’d had another seizure, surely Reno would have barked. “Babe?”
He found her in the kitchen, leaning over a half-eaten cinnamon bun, licking icing off her fingers, wearing his sweatshirt and those ruffled socks he loved. Her color had returned, and her eyes glittered again, all greens and browns and flecks of golds, and her sweet smile hit him square in the center of his chest as relief swept through him.
Reno lifted his head from where he lay at her feet.
“Sorry. I was starved.”
He slid an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. “No worries. Starved is a good sign, right?”
“Yes. I feel much better, just sore. Sorry I was so out of it last night.”
“Sweetheart, don’t ever apologize for that. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
“I can’t believe how much food Patty Ann sent over. I want to hear all about the signing again. I’m sorry about missing out on dinner with Hawk and Shea. Have you talked to them? I need to apologize to them. Did you eat last night? This is delicious. Here, try it.” She held up the cinnamon bun.
He knew her nervous ramblings when he heard them, but he didn’t need to ask her reasons, because he felt it, too. He was leaving soon, and even though he’d see her again in a little less than two weeks to meet his family and go to the fundraiser, he wanted to blow off the tour and never leave her side. Eyeing the cinnamon bun, he said, “That alone is not nearly sweet enough.”
He set the bun on the plate, scooped icing off with his finger, and painted her lower lip with it, taking her in a deep, sensual kiss. She was sweet heaven and gracious earth, white-hot desire and soul-deep love, and he was so fucking glad she was feeling better. He needed her more than he’d ever needed anything. Needed to fill up on her taste, revel in the feel of her, drown in the sweetness that was Amber Montgomery. Their lips parted on a sigh, and her eyes fluttered open, full of want and need, dredging up all the emotions he’d been trying to chain down.
He buried his hands in her hair, his lips against hers. “I want to stay.”
“You can’t do that to me,” she said softly, almost pleadingly.
He gritted his teeth. “God, I’m going to miss you. It’s only twelve days until New York, but man, I’m going to hate it.”
“I know. Oh no. Dash.”
“What is it?” He pulled back at the pain in her voice.
“I can’t drive to New York. I have to be seizure-free for six months to drive again.”
“Okay. Can you fly? Will you fly?”
She nodded, looking uneasy. “Yes. I don’t have a choice, and I’m going to hate being away from you.”
“I’m sorry about having to fly. But I’ll book you in first class so you have more room for Reno. Hell, I’ll charter a private jet.”
“You’re so silly. I can fly coach.”
“Not after what you told me about the last time you flew. You’re flying first class.” He kissed her hard. “And I’m getting you an on-call driver for the next six months.”
“No, you are not.”
“You’re right. You only need a driver while I’m on my book tour. After that I’m not leaving your side. We’ll travel together for my speaking gigs and press events. They’re usually only a day or two.” He cocked a grin. “And we’re not done talking about Maui.”
“You’re crazy.” She wound her arms around him, laughing softly. “I don’t need special treatment. All I need is you.”
“You’ve got me for as long as you’ll have me.” His lips came down softly over hers, and she arched against him, making him hard. A growl slipped out as he drew back. “Are you too sore to…?”
“No. Just be gentle. I’m a little nervous about losing control.”
She pulled his mouth toward hers, but he stopped short of kissing her. “We don’t have to do anything.”
Her eyes darkened wickedly. “We’d better do everything.”
They kissed tenderly at first, but careful quickly turned to devouring. His thoughts began to fracture, and he tried to pull back, to make sure she was okay, but she clung to him, kissing him harder, telling him she was fine in her own sexy way. He lifted her onto the counter, wedging himself between her legs, and drew his sweatshirt over her head. His eyes raked down her gorgeous body to her skimpy lace panties. She wore some form of lace every day—socks, bra, panties, shirts. He’d never had such a visceral reaction to fabric before, but every time he saw it on her, fire and desire coalesced, giving her the power to take him to his knees. “You’re so feminine, you kill me.”
He reclaimed her mouth, slow and deep, his hands traveling over her hips, pressing against her ass, holding her tight against his erection. She moaned into their kisses, rocking against him. He tore his mouth away, lowering it to her breast, teasing and sucking, earning one sinful sound after another.
“Oh…yes,” she said urgently. She pushed her hands into his hair, holding him there, mewling and arching. “Feels so good.”
She yanked him up by his hair, bringing his mouth to hers, thrusting her tongue greedily into his mouth. He fucking loved her mouth. He needed more, needed to lay her out for his taking. He lifted her into his arms without breaking their kisses and carried her to the bedroom, the scratch and patter of Reno’s paws on the hardwood trailing after them. He lowered her to the bed and stripped off her panties, visually devouring her as he tore off his briefs. His hand circled his cock, giving it a few tight tugs, loving the desire burning in her eyes, the wetness glistening between her legs as she watched him.
She sat up on the edge of the bed and reached for him. “Let me love you.”
He strode forward, his cock swelling in his hand as she licked her lips. She held his gaze as her delicate fingers circled his shaft. He was mesmerized by the love in her eyes as she loved him with her mouth, slow and so damn perfect, he struggled to keep from coming. Her eyes fluttered closed, and he tangled his fingers in her hair, thrusting slow and deep. Her eyes opened, holding him captive as she put her hands over his, moving them faster, giving him the green light for control. The trust and love that took was overwhelming. She loved him right up to the edge of madness, and he gritted out, “Christ, baby.”
He withdrew and bent over, greedily crushing his mouth to hers, fucking it with his tongue as he’d done with his cock. Lust pooled like lava inside him, and he tore his mouth away. “You’re going to come on my mouth so I can still taste you when I leave, and then I’m going to make love to you until we both forget our names.”
“God, yes,” she panted out.
He dropped to his knees and fulfilled that promise with hair-pulling fervor. She cried out his name, grinding against his mouth as he took his fill. When the last pulse of her climax moved through her, he kissed his way up her bel
ly and breasts and took her in a long, slow kiss. She never pulled away when he tasted like her. She kissed him deeper, more possessively, like everything they did made him hers as much as it made her his. He reveled in her possession, wanting to drive his cock into her, to feel her tight heat wrapped around him with nothing in between.
One day…
“I don’t want to stop kissing you, not even for a second.” He reclaimed her mouth, fierce and demanding, working up the willpower to break away for a condom. She clung to him, rocking against his erection, moaning, feverishly returning his efforts. Kissing her was everything, a gateway drug to the rest of their nirvana. He forced himself to draw back before they both lost their minds and snagged a condom from the nightstand. He quickly sheathed himself and came down over her, aligning their bodies.
He cradled her beautiful face in his hands, the urgency he’d felt obliterated by his need to love her, treasure her, fill her up with so much of him she would never be lonely again. He held her trusting gaze as their bodies came together, deep and tight and so perfect, he felt her in his every pore.
Her brow wrinkled, eyes dampened, whispering his name so sweet, tender, and tinged with pain, he knew he’d hear it in his dreams. He stilled.
“Does it hurt?” The thought that he’d hurt her crushed him, and he started to pull out.
“No.” She held him tighter, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes, tearing at his heart. “I didn’t know it was possible to love someone this much.”
Relief swamped him, and his heart roared out. “With us, anything is possible.”
He lowered his mouth to hers, finding the rhythm that bound them together. They thrust and ground, arched and groped, passion burning between them. They moaned and pleaded, the sounds of their lovemaking echoing off the walls. Their kisses were torturously rough and agonizingly sweet at once. When Amber cried out his name, her body clenching tight and taunting around him, he reared up, thrusting deeper, feeling every fiber of his being intertwine with hers as the world careened on its axis.
Sweet, Sexy Heart – the Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls) Page 22