by Jo Davis
His feet got moving, jumping over logs and dodging branches. Getting desperate, he looked all around, calling her name with increasing worry. Don’t panic. She’s fine.
Then she was there, jogging back toward him with the toy in hand, grinning triumphantly. He blew out a breath and met her halfway, then crouched in front of her and put his hands on her slim shoulders.
“Maddy, listen to me.” At his firm, serious tone, her smile slid off her face and her eyes widened. “Never go running off like that again where your mom and I can’t see you. I was getting scared when I couldn’t find you. Do you understand?”
“Yeah,” she said in a small voice. “But I was okay. The man helped me find it.”
His blood turned to ice. “What man?”
“The man in the trees.” Turning, she pointed behind her in the direction from which she’d come. “Back there. I saw him and he had the helicopter. Then he gave it back to me.”
Oh God. “Did he say anything to you?”
“He said I should be more careful not to lose my toys.”
All right, that’s not really threatening. Breathe. “Anything else?”
She shrugged. “He told me kids get hurt when they don’t stay with their mommies and daddies. And even sometimes when they do.”
Chris swallowed hard. “Is that all?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Okay. Let’s go find your mom.”
Putting a hand on her shoulder, he guided her out of the trees and over to where Robyn waited. There was a smile on her face—until she noted the expression on his.
“What’s wrong?”
Fishing in his pocket, he dug out his keys. “Take these and go wait in the car, please. And lock the doors.”
“Why? Where are you going?”
“I’m going to see if I can find the man Maddy was talking to in the woods and thank him for being so helpful in finding her toy,” he said in an even voice. But she read the truth on his face. The incident had rattled him, and he wanted to find this man, check him out.
She nodded, striving to keep her voice light. “All right. We’ll be waiting.”
Turning, he jogged back to the area that Maddy had come from. He searched for a good ten minutes but found no trace of the mysterious man, or anyone else. No cigarette butts, no footprints on the ground. No piece of clothing. Nothing.
Arriving back at the car, he’d almost convinced himself it really was someone trying to help. Almost. But that explanation didn’t sit well with him. In that case, the man should have come to meet Chris, made sure to see Maddy was safely returned to where she belonged. He sure as hell wouldn’t be hinting to her that sometimes kids weren’t safe with their parents. What sort of freak said shit like that to a little kid?
Maddy had already dismissed him, but Chris couldn’t.
Robyn helped him stow their picnic stuff in the back of the car once more. Their outing had been wonderful, up to the strange ending, and they were all ready to go back. Even Maddy was so tired she didn’t beg for more playground time, which was fine by him. He wanted some distance between the girls and this place.
There was an itch between his shoulder blades he couldn’t quite scratch.
Reaching for Robyn’s hand, he was gratified when she took it and curled her fingers into his. They rode quietly as he drove them home, and he soaked up the last of the evening with his new lover. He wondered whether he should stay overnight. But who was he kidding? If she asked, he wasn’t strong enough to say no.
They arrived and he carried the basket and other stuff inside that belonged to Robyn. In the kitchen he helped throw the rest of the trash away, clean out the basket, and put away the leftover chips.
Then Robyn disappeared to make sure Maddy got started with her bath, returning a few minutes later wearing a worried frown.
“Who was this man she was talking about?”
He related the whole story to her, emphasizing that it could’ve been nothing. Robyn wasn’t buying it.
“That’s just too weird, Chris. Why was he even hanging out in the woods? There aren’t any houses or trails right where we were, no reason for him to be there.”
“I don’t know. I took a good look around, but I didn’t find anything.”
“What he said . . . the last part could be construed as a threat.”
“It could,” he agreed. “But it’s equally likely it was the ramblings of a vagrant, and that the words meant nothing to anyone but him.”
“Could be.” Her blue eyes hardened. “I’m going to be extra careful for a while, though. There’s no telling what he was up to.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, dejected. “I should have caught up with her faster. I didn’t—”
“No! I didn’t mean you should’ve done anything different.” Moving to him, she touched his face. “Wasn’t I just telling you how she runs off when she’s excited? I have to find a way to get through to her about that before she gets hurt.”
“I may have overstepped.” The confession was heavy on his tongue. “When I found her, I crouched down and told her rather firmly not to run off like that again. I don’t know if she’ll remember next time, but it scared me so bad when I couldn’t find her. I had to say something, but I didn’t yell at her.”
“It’s all right. I believe you. In fact, when you spend time with us, I want you to feel comfortable correcting her as needed—if you want us to continue to see each other, that is.”
“Of course I do, gorgeous.” He smiled. “You’re both getting under my skin faster than you realize.”
“Same here,” she said softly.
He paused, let that sink in. “Well, I should go, I suppose.”
“You don’t say that with much conviction.”
“None whatsoever,” he admitted.
“Then stay. Maddy’s going to be finished with her bath and asleep before we know it.”
“And then?” His pulse quickened.
“And then we reward ourselves for being so good today . . . by being very bad.”
He almost came in his jeans. “That’s a plan I can get behind.”
Worn out from their big day, the little girl finished her bath and went to bed without a fuss. While Robyn was tucking her in, Chris snuck into the kitchen and fished around in the pantry until he found the item he was looking for. With a grin, he took it to the master bedroom with him and shut the door.
Naked or dressed? Taking a chance, he set the pilfered item on the nightstand, then stripped to his skin and crawled beneath the covers. He was sprawled on his back, stroking his hardening length under the sheets, when Robyn walked in, firmly shutting and locking the door behind her.
“Well, someone’s eager to get started,” she commented, arching a brow.
“Is the coast clear?”
“Completely.”
“In that case . . .” Flinging back the covers, he let her have an eyeful as he continued to stroke. His cock turned to steel as she licked her lips, riveted. With his other hand, he reached out and grabbed the plastic bottle on the nightstand.
She gave him a wicked smile as she moved to the bed, pulling her shirt over her head. “You’re a bad boy, Detective.”
“Me? I’m a good boy, really. I just like to get a little dirty sometimes.” He waggled the bottle of honey in his hand. “Wanna help me?”
Giving a husky laugh, she finished undressing as she spoke. “Would I? With the proper motivation, getting sticky can be one of my favorite things.”
Sweet Jesus, she was beautiful. Auburn hair fell around her shoulders, surrounding her face. Pouty lips were made for kissing and sucking. Her full breasts were begging for his hands and mouth, and those thighs went on forever.
“Why don’t you show me?” he murmured. He had to let go of his erection, or risk shooting too soon.
She cr
awled onto the bed, stalking him like a pretty cat, and crouched over him. Bending, she braced her hands on his chest and took his mouth, tongue slipping inside to taste. He returned the kiss wholeheartedly, until she pulled back and peppered kisses on his jaw. Then down his neck, to his chest. There she nibbled on each of his nipples, making him suck in a breath as his dick twitched, aching to be buried inside her.
“Shit, that feels good,” he breathed.
“That’s nothing. Just wait.”
Snatching the honey bottle from his hand, she flipped the cap and scooted down on the bed. Then she grasped his straining cock and drizzled the sweet liquid all over it and his balls before setting the bottle aside.
When she began to lap up the honey with slow, sensual licks, he nearly came. She laved his cock and balls, getting every drop, sending shivers of pure pleasure through his body. When she took the bottle and started to add more, he gently grabbed her wrist.
“My turn. If you do that again, I’m going to go off like a rocket.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“It is when I want to be inside you when I do.” Sitting up, he gestured with the bottle. “On your back, gorgeous.”
“I love it when you get all bossy in bed.” She complied, spreading her legs.
He gave a playful growl and then upended the bottle, pouring a generous amount of the golden treat on each nipple. Then he sucked each one, loving the taste of the sweet honey combined with her skin. It made for a heady aphrodisiac, and he added more, cleaning off each nipple again.
When he moved on to her sex, spreading apart the delicate lips to drizzle some honey there, she began to writhe in anticipation.
“Please,” she begged.
“Please, what? Say it.”
“Lick me.”
He couldn’t refuse such a heartfelt request. Setting the bottle aside, he crouched and gave her exactly what she’d asked for. He licked and sucked the golden sweetness until she moaned his name, buried her hands in his hair and started to pull.
“Chris, fuck me.”
At her plea, he retrieved a condom from his shorts pocket and covered his cock. Then he moved over her and positioned himself at her entrance. He pushed inside slow and easy, resisting the urge to come too quickly. He wasn’t going to last long, though. The fire already burned too high, his balls aching for release.
He began to move inside her, loving how she clung to his back. How her long legs wrapped around his waist and held on as he made love to her. He especially loved the breathy sounds of passion coming from her throat as she surrendered. They were connected not just physically, but emotionally.
It had never been this way with anyone else.
They came together again and again, until he couldn’t hold back a second longer. He stiffened and his release exploded, his cock jerking. She joined him with a cry, and they trembled in each other’s arms until they were spent.
Eventually, he moved off her and pulled her into his arms. She rested her head on his chest and they simply enjoyed the closeness for a while.
“I’m not done with you yet,” he whispered, pressing a kiss into her hair. “I plan on loving you again.”
And he did, twice more that night.
7
Robyn awoke to the sound of her cell phone buzzing on the nightstand. Not a welcome noise to hear when tangled with a sexy naked man in her bed.
Stifling a curse, she managed to wiggle from under Chris’s supine body and reach for the phone. When she saw the hospital’s number on the display, she slid from bed and padded from the bedroom, easing the door shut behind her before she answered.
“Dr. Lassiter.”
“Doctor, this is Lee Miller from the hospital. I know you weren’t scheduled to come in until ten and I’m so sorry to bother you, but we’ve got multiple victims coming in from a bad wreck on I-40.”
Immediately, she turned and dashed back into the bedroom, heading for the master closet. “ETA?”
“First ones are arriving in about fifteen minutes. The paramedics advise they’re almost ready to transport.”
She glanced at the clock—barely six a.m. Not quite light out. “All right, getting dressed now. Hopefully I’ll beat them there, but if not, I won’t be far behind. Thanks for calling, Lee.”
“I’ll let everyone know. Thanks, Dr. Lassiter.”
Swiftly, she pulled on her underwear and a bra, a pair of dark pants, and a blouse. Emergencies happened, and she was glad that she had taken the time to shower after their last lovemaking session.
“Hey,” a sleepy male voice called. “What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry,” she said, turning toward Chris, who was blinking at her from the bed. “I got called in. We have victims from a bad wreck on the way into the ER and I have to go— Shit! Maddy. I’ll have to call Rachel and see if she can come over early.”
Pushing from the bed, a mouthwateringly naked Chris pulled her in for a hug. “No worries. Let Maddy and Rachel sleep. I can go in to work later. There’s no rush. Plus it’s Sunday and there’s no school, so I’ll stay until Rachel gets here at her normal time.”
Robyn bit her lip. God, she had to leave, and she didn’t know what to do. “I can’t impose on you like that. This is so new, and so not what you signed up for—”
“Stop.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Do you trust me here, alone with your daughter?”
Her hesitation stung him. She could see the hurt in his liquid brown gaze. But it didn’t take her long to answer that question. “I do trust you. I know you’ll watch over her and keep her safe.”
“Always, whenever you need me to. So go, and focus on what you have to do. Maddy and I will be fine until Rachel shows up.”
Relieved, she squeezed him tight and gave him a sound kiss. “Thank you. I’ll make this up to you.”
Teasing, he waggled his brows. “I’ll entertain myself by thinking up all sorts of ways you can do that.”
She laughed, and stepped back to slip on her shoes. “I just bet you will.”
He started backing up toward the bathroom and hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “I’m going to get cleaned up and dressed so I can be ready when Maddy gets up. And if she asks, I’ll tell her I came back this morning to stay with her until Rachel arrives.”
“Thank you.”
“No prob. Have a good day, and don’t stress too much. I’ll text you later.”
With that, he disappeared and the water came on from inside the bathroom. Rushing out, she closed the bedroom door and hurried for the living room, where she collected her keys and purse. This was going to be a long day, starting it off with a tough call like this one.
But as she pulled out of the driveway and headed to work, a sense of calm washed over her. Whatever was developing between her and Chris felt right. She really did trust him, and she was comfortable leaving Maddy in his care.
He belongs already, in our home and in our lives. Is that insane?
The thought filled her with budding happiness—and more fear than before. The strengthening of his presence in her and Maddy’s lives came with the brand-new problem of having to face the fear of letting another man into her heart, and finally overcoming it.
Once she arrived at the hospital, however, treating the victims of the wreck took her entire focus. As the first two came in, she was shocked to learn that an eighteen-wheeler had run a red light and broadsided an ambulance that had been on its way to a call. She recognized the pair of paramedics from Station Two who were rushing into the ER, pushing a gurney with a third medic lying on it. The victim, firefighter/paramedic Clay Montana from Station Five, was bleeding profusely from multiple lacerations, and had several broken bones and a traumatic head injury.
The man would be lucky to survive.
Another doctor, a couple of residents, and nurses took over with the other
victims of the chain reaction wreck, none as badly injured as the paramedic. Robyn ordered him prepped for surgery, and the fight to save his life was on.
Clay made it through surgery, just barely, and nearly three excruciating hours later he was taken to the ICU, where he would remain in a coma for the next few days, or weeks. He might never wake at all, and Robyn’s soul was heavy as she cleaned up and then checked on the condition of the other paramedic who’d been hit. Then she went to the waiting room in search of relatives.
She wasn’t surprised to find the man’s team from the station instead, some pacing and some sitting, all anxious. The group parted and she was faced with Howard Paxton—the big captain she’d met at Shea and Tommy’s party.
“First of all,” the captain said, “Clay’s mother died seven months ago and he has no siblings. No family. So he’s got nobody but us. Lay it on me straight.”
She took a deep breath. “If any of you are inclined, prayers wouldn’t hurt. He has several broken bones, massive internal injuries, and a traumatic head injury. He’s in a coma, and with the swelling we won’t know about brain function for some time. If he survives, and that’s by no means certain, he’s got a long road ahead of him. I’m so sorry.”
Heads hung low and a few turned away, wiping at their eyes.
Howard cleared his throat. “When can he have visitors?” he asked hoarsely.
“They’ll have him settled shortly, and I’ll send someone to let you know. Two visitors at a time, for no more than fifteen minutes. I know there will be a lot of friends who want to come visit him, but please urge them to keep the numbers down, at least in these first few days. He’ll need to rest.”
The big man nodded. “I’ll see to it. How’s Julian Salvatore, the other medic who was riding with him? He’s family—he’s married to my wife’s sister. Kat and Grace are with him but I’ve been waiting out here for word on Clay. I had trouble reaching Julian’s brother, but he’ll be here soon also.”
“He escaped with relatively minor injuries, including a concussion, bruised ribs, and torn ligaments in his ankle. He’ll be fine after he rests for a few days.”