by Dawn Brower
“Harder,” she demanded.
He rocked back and forth inside of her, kissing her deep and hard. Sparks shot through him each time their tongues touched. He could kiss her a million times, and it would never be enough. Reese was everything he wanted in a woman, and he adored her. Making love to her was simply amazing. Each touch left a trail of sensations that shot through him.
Slowly, he trailed his lips over her cheek, jaw, and down her neck. He shifted his hands to her hips and held them as he moved inside of her tight sheath. He was on the edge of losing control. He barely hung on until he heard her breathless moans echoing through the room. She was close, and they could find ecstasy together. They were both primed to the point of exploding, and it didn’t take long for them to each reach their peak. The sex was phenomenal, and Dane couldn’t wait to do it again—after he remembered how to breathe...
He slid out of the bed and strolled to the bathroom. He pulled off the condom and disposed of it, then joined her back in her bed. He pulled a blanket over them and cuddled with her. “Sleep,” he whispered. “I’m here.” She sighed and snuggled against his chest. Not long after, he could hear her even breaths that suggested she’d done as he recommended. Dane, however, was wide awake and scared to death. He’d never been more in love with her, and his brother wanted to kill her... God help him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Sunlight peeked through the window blinds and created a kaleidoscope of different shapes mixed with white and yellow light dancing across Dane’s face. Reese trailed her finger across his cheek, disrupting the ray’s artwork. Of course, the man himself had a certain beauty to him too. They’d taken a step toward something the night before, and she had no regrets. There was something about this man that filled a hole in her life. She didn’t know exactly what that was just yet, but she intended to figure it out.
As far as mistakes went, she’d made plenty over the years. Dane; however, didn’t even measure up to all those disasters. He was a good man. One she could count on no matter what and someone she hadn’t counted on finding at this point in her life. In fact, she couldn’t recall the last time she’d been this happy.
Dane rolled onto his side. His nose a mere inch away from hers—his lips tilted up into a lazy smile. “Good morning.” He slid his hand upward across her bare back. His fingers left a trail of anticipation in their wake as he skimmed them across her heated skin.
“Not as good as it could be.” Reese rolled closer to him and rubbed against him enticingly. “Want to play a little bit before we face the day?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” he said huskily before he touched his lips to hers. Then he moved lower to kiss her neck and shoulder. “But don’t you have a meeting this morning with Dr. Foster.”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “Why do you have to be the voice of reason?”
“Darling,” he whispered in her hear. His husky voice sent waves of desire through her. “I’d love nothing more than to spend all day in bed with you, but we both have jobs to do—important ones. People depend on us to do them.”
Reese hated that he was right. She liked the idea of a whole day of just the two of them though. She’d have to find a way to make that happen and soon. “Fine,” she agreed reluctantly, then pushed away from him. “But why don’t we save some time and shower together.” She winked and then hopped out of the bed. When she reached the bathroom, she glanced over her shoulder and asked, “Are you coming?”
She didn’t wait to see if he would follow. He would or he wouldn’t, but she expected that, by the time the shower was warmed up, he’d be by her side. Reese reached into the stall and spun the knob to hot. Water poured from the head, spraying against the tile. Dane sneaked in behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him.
“I thought you weren’t coming.” Reese leaned her head against his chest, tilting it so she could look at him.
“I couldn’t resist such a gorgeous invitation.” He kissed her forehead. “The shower awaits us.”
Reese laughed and stepped into the shower. Dane followed behind her, closing the door behind him. He reached for the shampoo and then lathered it into her hair, massaging her scalp. It was almost as amazing as the sex had been, but not quite as earth-shattering. After the suds were rinsed clear, he worked on the rest of her, making sure not one inch of her body was left unwashed. As far as Reese was concerned, he could shower with her for the rest of her life.
“There,” he said and kissed her nose. “You’re now squeaky clean.”
“And aroused beyond reason,” she retorted. Reese wiggled her eyebrows enticingly. “Care to help a girl out?”
Dane lowered his hand until his fingers skimmed the curls between her legs. He dipped one finger in-between her folds and rubbed the sensitive bud. “Like this?” he asked.
“Yes.” She moaned as he rubbed a little harder. “Keep doing that.”
He had magic fingers. With each slide of his finger across her clit, she rose closer to her peak. Her moans reverberated around the shower stall. Dane pressed one finger on her clit and slid another inside her. He rocked his hand back and forth, one finger rubbing her clit and then the other slipping into her. After four repetitions of that motion she screamed as her orgasm rocketed through her. Her knees went weak and she’d have hit the floor if he hadn’t been there to catch her. He held her steady with one of his arms as he leaned down and said, “Easy now. Just breathe.”
Easy? Yeah it had been entirely too easy for him to destroy her ability to think, but oh, how good it had been. Days like this would lead her to a path of addiction—a Dane addiction. Was there any better kind to have? She might even be falling for him. She glanced up at him and smiled. “We’ll have to meet here again tomorrow morning.”
“There you go giving me tempting invitations again.” He chuckled lightly. “But we need to step out of this shower before it turns cold. I’ve taken enough of those by myself; I don’t need to start doing it with you too.”
Reese laughed and twisted out of his embrace. She left him in the shower to finish washing himself and went to prepare for the day. She did feel a little selfish leaving him aroused, but there was no turning back and finishing him off. She’d make it up to him later... If she didn’t have appointments, she’d go back and do all kinds of wicked things to him. Her meeting with Dr. Foster was about Halie Morris. It was not something she looked forward to and wished the necessity of it didn’t exist. That poor girl was so young, and she shouldn’t have to deal with life and death at her age.
The image of Halie filled her mind and she glanced back toward the bathroom. She would talk to Paige today and find out once and for all if Halie was Dane’s daughter. If she was, he had a right to know. Especially, with how sick she was. Dane would want to be with her no matter what the little girl had to face. Reese wanted to make sure he had that opportunity too.
REESE SLID INTO THE passenger seat of Dane’s car. They were going to be late, but she didn’t regret how her morning had went. Her body practically hummed with energy after the orgasm in the shower. Her hair was still damp, but she’d plaited it into a braid that wrapped around her head to keep it out of her way. It would be a long day, and she didn’t need to worry about how it looked.
“I’m going to stay at the hospital today,” Dane explained. “I know I can’t be in the room during your meetings with the doctor and patients—privacy must be observed. However,” he began. “I have a bad feeling about Nolan and don’t want to leave you completely unprotected. So expect me to check in with you often.”
“I’m all right with that,” she said. Her voice took on a suggestive tone. “I might even be up for a private meeting with you later in my office.”
“Behave,” he said with a laugh.
“Please,” she scoffed. “We both know you love when I’m bad.”
A week ago, she’d have been appalled if someone suggested she’d have an intimate relationship with Dane Hunter. Now they were sitting i
n his car teasing each other as if they’d known each other their whole lives. In some ways they had—just not as well as Reese would have liked. There were some things she didn’t fully understand about him. She did know a couple things for certain though; he made her feel good and treated her like a princess. Every woman should know what it was like to be loved by a man like him. She’d never felt so special in her entire life.
He eased his car into a parking spot and then turned the engine off. Without any prompting he stepped out of the car and opened her door for her. Was this what love was like? Would he tire of her after a few weeks of dealing with her neediness? She hated questioning it, but her track record wasn’t the best. She had to make sure she didn’t make the same mistakes she had in the past. Dane could be her future if she allowed herself to be happy long enough to accept him into her life.
They walked into the hospital side by side. As they strolled in it occurred to her that they were comfortable together in silence. They didn’t have to talk to fill the space around them. She’d never had that with anyone else. Too much quiet made her uneasy after a while. But with Dane—they could just be together and the rest of the world fell in line. How could something that profound not be right?
“How long will your meeting with Dr. Foster be?” Dane asked as they stepped onto an elevator heading to the third floor.
“I’m not sure. We have a few things to go over, and then I have to meet with Paige to discuss Halie’s treatment options.” The elevator dinged as it stopped on their floor. “I’m guessing a couple hours for both.” They stepped off and headed in the direction of her office.
“Do you have anything after?”
“No.” She probably had some paperwork to go over... “Did you have something in mind?”
“You, me—lunch.” They stopped in front of her office. The corner of his lip tilted upward. He stared down at her, and it was almost...adoringly. Her heart skipped a beat and her mouth fell open with anticipation. Surely he’d kiss her soon. “We can explore what the cafeteria has to offer. Unless you have a better idea.”
She could think of a few things. Maybe delivery and a little quiet time in her office instead. “I might,” Reese said cryptically. “Meet me back here at one and we’ll go from there.”
“It’s a date.” He leaned down and touched his lips to hers. It was a sweet kiss, yet even it set her on fire. Dane stepped back and cupped her cheek with his hand. “Be safe.” Then he turned and headed back to the elevator.
She should have asked him where he would be, but it didn’t really matter. He’d come find her in a couple hours and that would be enough. A man didn’t like a clingy girlfriend—oh, God, she considered herself his... That had escalated fast. She sighed and stepped into her office. Not long after that, Zachary Foster knocked on her door and joined her.
“I’ve gone over her results numerous times, and I’m afraid Halie is far worse than we first believed.”
“Oh, no...” Reese lifted her hand to her chest. “So, what do you propose for her treatment?”
“Chemo and radiation will buy her some time, but what she really needs is a transplant. Without one, I don’t expect she’ll survive six months.”
Reese hadn’t expected her prognosis would be so dire. Zackary’s expertise far outweighed hers. She had a lot to learn before she reached his level. He’d studied all kinds of cancer, but leukemia was the one he’d tried to find a cure for. Someone close to him had succumbed to it several years ago, and now he made it his mission to find a cure. So far, he hadn’t had much luck. That was one of the reasons she’d decided to work with him. The fundraiser was to help aid their joint research project. “We’ll put her on the registry, but perhaps there is a family member who is a match and can help her.”
“We’ll have to talk to her mother. She doesn’t have a father listed. Do you know who it is?”
Reese chewed in her bottom lip. She didn’t know for sure if Dane was Halie’s father, but he could be. It was time to have that heart to heart chat with Paige. “No, I don’t.” Reese stood and walked around her desk. “I’ll go talk to her now and see if she’ll tell me. I’ll contact you when I know more.”
Zachary nodded. “I’ll be in my office if you need me, or if Ms. Morris has any questions.”
“All right,” Reese replied and exited her office after Zachary. She rushed down the hall toward Halie’s room. Paige had been released yesterday, but she would probably be still hanging out in her daughter’s room. She rounded the corner and then counted the room numbers until she reached the correct one. The door was ajar. Reese pushed it open and stepped inside. “Paige,” she called out. “I need to talk to you about Halie’s condition.”
Reese froze as she took in her surroundings. Paige was there all right, but she wasn’t alone. Halie was fast asleep and unaware of the danger that lurked nearby. He was the last person she’d expected to find in the room, yet at the same time, it didn’t quite surprise her either.
“Hello, dear,” Nolan greeted her. His dark hair had grown long and curled around his neck. He must not have washed it recently because it appeared greasy and unbrushed. His blue eyes held a hint of madness to them that left her cold. He’d procured blue scrubs, probably in an attempt to blend in with the hospital staff. His lips tilted upward maniacally. “Did you miss me?”
He sat on Halie’s bed, stroking her dark hair. Reese wouldn’t exactly call it lovingly either. Nolan’s touch bordered more toward possessiveness as if the child belonged to him. Reese turned her head to meet Paige’s gaze. Tears streamed down her face, and she barely controlled the sobs from pouring out of her. It was then that it hit her. Of course Halie looked like Dane. She was his niece, not his daughter...
“Don’t get any bright ideas,” Nolan ordered her. “One wrong move and Halie will be no more. It would be a shame if she died since she’s my only child, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made.”
“What do you want?”
“Why, you...” he said. “I realize now that Claire was a mistake. I should have focused all my attention on you. I can rectify that now.”
Why couldn’t he have left her alone? Reese was finally in a good place and had stopped doubting herself. She should have realized a long time ago that Dane was a good man and the one for her. She’d let too many people guide her choices instead of listening to her own heart. Nolan was an evil bastard and seemed set on ruining her life. Though he probably looked for Claire first and couldn’t find her. He wouldn’t have settled on Reese otherwise. He hadn’t been interested in her before. At least her sister was safe.
Reese swallowed hard and prayed. She had no idea what to do or what action she should take next. Dane couldn’t even be counted on... He’d left her alone to do her job, and he wouldn’t return for over an hour. Why had she thought she could ever handle Nolan alone?
No bigger fool lived than her.
And to think her morning had started so well, and she’d begun to believe she’d found love. Ironic didn’t fully describe how incredibly fucked up it turned out to be. At that moment, she realized the impossible had happened. She did love Dane, and she wanted nothing more than a chance at a future with him. For that reason alone, she’d fight to live, and she’d do whatever it took to survive. Nolan would not win.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Reese remained rooted to the spot, not making a move so Nolan wouldn’t hurt Halie. She studied her surroundings, hoping for something that would assist them out of their situation. She doubted Paige would be much help. She had curled up into a ball and continued to cry relentlessly. It would be up to Reese to do something to save them all. Maybe the best bet was to lure Nolan away from those two and offer herself up as bait.
“Nolan,” Reese started, “Why did you come here specifically?” Did he want to spend time with his daughter, or did he somehow know Reese was her doctor. “Did you find out Halie might die? You could help her. She needs a bone marrow transplant—there’s a possibility you’re
a match.”
Generally, a parent wasn’t a match. A sibling would have a better chance, but maybe Nolan wouldn’t know that. It was possible another family member could help Halie too. These were all things she’d planned on discussing with Paige. It was why she’d wanted to know who the little girl’s father was. It was important that anyone in the family get tested to see if they could help Halie. Somehow, she doubted Nolan would be the first in line though.
“I just told you I’d be willing to let her die to get to you. Why would you think I’d care if the sniveling brat found a donor for her disease? It’s probably better this way. She’ll die eventually, and I won’t have to worry about her disrupting my life in any way.”
He really was a first-rate ass. “So, you’re here specifically for me.” She shook her head in disgust. “You really have a one-track mind, don’t you?” Reese glanced at Paige and a realization hit her. “She’s your type, isn’t she? Blonde, beautiful, and insecure.” She understood in that moment why she, then Reese, had been so appealing to him. “But Paige had something else too didn’t she—Dane. You hate your little brother that much, don’t you? You went after her because she was his friend and important to him.”
“Dane is a bastard.”
“Yes,” Reese agreed. “Your father never married his mother. But that doesn’t define who he is does it. Dane is honorable where you’re the rotten seed. Did it make you feel better to abuse and kill those women?”
Paige was just another one of his victims. Nolan had perhaps done her the most harm emotionally. No wonder she was a sniveling mess. She had to wonder how far Nolan had taken it. Did Paige sleep with him willingly? The way Paige was acting, Reese didn’t think so. No wonder she never talked about Halie’s father. When she’d first met Paige, she’d assumed so many horrible things about her. She should never have judged her so harshly. Paige had deserved better from her, and so had Halie.