The process was long and at times tedious, but Lynn never gave up. She worked tirelessly, repairing all the damage she could, wanting desperately for the man to be able to keep the leg. There had been a time, in the not too distant past, when amputation had been the preferred method of treatment for an injury such as this. She didn’t want the man to lose the leg. The prosthetics had come a long way and, with the introduction of technology into them, quite often they performed close to as well as the real thing, but she’d do all she could to save what he was born with.
A woman came rushing in. She looked as if she’d been all put together, but the news of the accident undid all her hard work. Her hair was windblown and her cheeks were streaked with tears. The moment she spotted the man on the table, she screamed, trying to get to him. “Joseph!”
“Lisa,” Eli said, grabbing her around the waist, his voice soothing and reassuring. “Come on outside and wait with the boys. I sent for my momma. She’s coming to be with you during this. You don’t need to see this.”
Lynn took offense. The woman had every right to be with her husband. Because she was a woman did not mean she’d be weak of character. In fact, Lynn was betting the woman had more mettle than most men in the room if push came to shove. “You the wife?”
Lisa nodded.
“Come here and hold his hand,” she stated evenly. She wouldn’t sugar coat it for her. She needed to be with her husband and she needed to be strong. “He’s been worried sick about those boys and you. Can you stop screaming and be there for him or is Eli right? Do you need to be removed?”
She paused and then took a deep breath. “I can do it.”
“That’s what I thought,” Lynn returned.
The men made room for the woman seeming surprised she opted to remain. She moved in quickly, kissing her husband’s head. She held her tears back, pulling on a strength Lynn suspected she had. She did as instructed, calming her husband’s fears, letting him know she was there for him.
The woman looked at Parker. “Doc, is he…?”
Doc?
Parker was the doctor?
“He’s in good hands, Lisa,” Parker said, a certain level of authority to his voice. “When Lynn is ready, I’ll take over.”
Stunned, Lynn eased back, letting him take over. She would have walked away, but she knew Parker needed an extra pair of hands so she remained, handing him what he needed when called for. They worked in unison without incident, as if reading the other’s thoughts. The rhythm they struck was strange yet perfect for them.
“That’s it, he’s gonna sleep good and long now. I’ll get some blood ready to transfuse to help build his strength.” Parker walked to a side cupboard and withdrew a paste of sorts. Lynn had seen something similar before and knew it was made up of varying barks, spider webs and other natural materials, all absorbent and good for helping with the healing process. He spread some of the paste over the wound before bandaging it. He wiped his hands on a towel and reached for Lisa. “Trust me, hon. He’s gonna get through this.”
Nodding, she kissed her husband again who had, thankfully, passed out. The men surrounding the table glanced at one another and then Lynn. They didn’t say anything as they cleared out of the room, leading Lisa out as well.
Lynn made a move to follow the others.
“You stay,” Parker commanded.
Lynn froze.
“You a doctor?” he questioned.
She licked her lips. “No.”
“You sure?”
She glanced over her shoulder at him and then down at her hands and arms. She was covered in blood. No surprise. It had been a long time since she’d been elbow deep in a surgery and this was a messy one. Truth be told, she missed surgery more than she cared to admit. There was a certain thrill in saving a life. One she missed greatly.
Parker had the sides up on the exam table and a bag of blood on the pole, already transfusing the patient. He finished what needed to be done and popped a monitor dash open on the side table. It beeped several times as it booted up. The unit was a distant relative to the Frontier Stalls common all over the New Territory.
He keyed in a few directives and the computer took over from there. He hooked the sensors up to the patient and stopped in mid motion, his unnaturally alluring gaze finding her.
“He’ll be fine for a bit,” he said. “Come on, I’ll take you up and over to my place so you can get cleaned up. The wash room here does for me in a pinch, but I expect a lady would want something more.”
She knew he meant what he said in a kind way. Not as a condemnation to females. Blood covered the front of her dress, her arms, and she knew she probably had some on her face as well. She looked a mess and felt nearly as drained.
Angry shouts came from another section of the building. Eli’s words rang in her mind, reminding her there were more patients in need of tending. “The wounded outlaws are here too?”
Parker gave a slight nod. “They are.”
“How about I just use your washroom here and then lend a hand? You’ve worked all through the night, haven’t you?” Her father had done the very same thing when the situation called for it. He’d been a dedicated professional. Just like Parker. “I’m guessing you could use the additional help. Let me ease some of the burden on you.”
Parker watched her without speaking.
Assuming her help was not welcomed or needed, Lynn bent her head. “I’ll see myself out.”
He was suddenly there, standing directly in front of her. He was fast. Damn fast. “Come on, the washroom is just inside my main office.”
Suppressing a grin, Lynn followed close behind him as he led her back to the room she’d first awoke in.
Parker’s hands were so sweaty he wasn’t sure he’d be able to grasp the door handle to the washroom. Lynn had shocked him in more ways than one. She’d had formal training as a surgeon. He’d stake his life on it. And damn if it didn’t turn him on more. Everything about her did. His dick was hard simply thinking of her. There was much more to Miss Lynn than she was letting on. He wanted to know all her secrets. To unravel the mystery slowly, taking his time with her.
He opened the door to the washroom and stepped back, colliding with her. He was far from a small man and sent her tumbling backwards. Reaching out, he snatched hold of her, dragging her against his chest.
He tried to be a gentleman, but lost the fight with his inner beast. Bending his head, he slanted his mouth over hers. The woman tasted as good as he remembered. Better even. She didn’t fight him and he noted as much. In fact, her fingers curled in his shirt, tugging him closer. He crowded her body, pushing it against the wall as he kept going, kept kissing her.
She whimpered against his lips and he managed to wrestle the beast down, regaining something that resembled composure. Lynn, however, did not. The vixen yanked on his shirt and slipped her arms around his neck, biting at his lower lip.
Parker’s breaths were ragged as he remained against her. “Keep kissin’ me like that and I’m gonna fuck you here and now.”
That did it. She gasped, her eyes widening. “Oh, I, oh.”
She flushed and he pressed his lips to each of her cheeks. Lands sake, how he wanted this woman. He wanted to bend her, to ram into her, to possess her fully.
“S-stop,” she stammered, not sounding very sure of herself.
“That what you want?”
“Yes,” she whispered, her lips skimming his. “We should clean up and, if you want, I can help you with your remaining patients. You shouldn’t have to tend to everyone alone.”
It was so strange, having a woman who not only wanted to help him but one who actually could. He’d taken over his father’s practice when he retired and his father often poked his head in, wanting to be of use.
The corner of Parker’s mouth tugged upwards. “I’d like that.”
“You would?” She sounded surprised by the news.
Parker guided her into the washroom and pumped the water handle for her.
He stepped back, allowing her into the space more. He expected her to begin to freshen up. She took a cloth from the shelf, lathered it up with soap and water and turned to him, wiping his jawline. She cleaned his neck then before nodding and handing the cloth to him. He did the same to her only, as he wiped, more than blood came away. It took him a minute to realize she had on makeup.
She blushed more. “Molly is naturally tan. I’m pale all year round.”
He cleaned more, her skin as silky and creamy as porcelain. Parker wouldn’t have believed the woman could get any more beautiful. How wrong he was.
She tried to take the cloth from him and do it herself. He refused to let her. He wanted to touch her more.
“I wish I was like her. I think…”
“And I think you’re perfect the way you are. You look better without that stuff on your face.” Parker stilled, wondering what possessed him to say as much to her. He wasn’t exactly known the territory over for being good with the ladies. That was more of his other brother’s department. Though Eli did tend to tease Parker, making him out to be a born skirt chaser, when he really wasn’t.
The smile Lynn leveled on him made his chest thump madly. The woman had power over him, that much was clear.
He took a deep breath. “I’ll be right outside here.” Knowing he was being a chicken shit, Parker hightailed it out of the washroom, shutting the door behind him. Time ticked by slowly and he began to worry something had happened to her.
The door finally opened and she peeked out, her blue eyes crisp, holding an innocence about them, making him question her actual age. As she stepped out, Parker’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Gone was the blood stained blue dress she’d worn. She was now in what he’d consider undergarments, but he tended to run on the conservative side.
The off white, thin chemise she wore fit her snugly in all the right places. Her rosy nipples were visible through it and his cock responded in force, feeling as if he was breaking free of his jeans.
He raked his hungry gaze down the length of her body. Her hips were ample, her breasts more than a man needed, a blessing indeed. Her waist was slim and her legs long. He smiled as he spotted her boots. They were men’s but in her size. Seeming fitting—feminine on the outside, but underneath it all, a strength he’d seen in action.
She bit at her lower lip, lifting a foot and the hem of her chemise for him to see them better. They went to her knees. “Are you going to make fun of me for them? Cole does. I started wearing them because the boots for women make me even taller and I don’t like towering over men.”
“You don’t tower over me.”
She stared up at him. “No. I don’t.”
He couldn’t help but fixate on her nipples again. They seemed to harden under the weight of his stare, doing little to help his hard on. Groaning, he stormed over to his closet and pulled out one of the many extra shirts he kept in there. He thrust it at her. “Unless you want me ripping that shift off you, you better put this over it.”
She eased it from his hand, her fingers skimming his. He gritted his teeth, positive the woman wanted to inflict as much pain as she could on him. Her long, dark hair fell around her shoulders, going nearly to her waist. He wondered how it would feel running through his fingers as she rode him, those rosy nipples in his mouth.
The vivid image left him turning fast, putting his back to her.
She tapped his shoulder. “I’m covered.”
Thankfully, she was. He wasn’t sure he could have refrained from pushing her against the wall again, lifting her shift and fucking the living hell out of her.
Parker changed his shirt as well and then put his hand out to Lynn. “Ready?”
She slipped her palm into his and the moment felt right. “Yes.”
Chapter Four
Lynn bent near one of the outlaws and tried to look at his injured hand. Infection had already set in and she suspected his injury wasn’t new, but rather an untreated older one. He sneered at her and she ignored him, her only goal to treat him and be done. So far, she’d seen to three, fixing them up in order to stand trial. Seemed ironic to her, but Parker felt it was his duty and she knew he’d not sleep anytime soon without help.
The outlaw laughed. It was anything but kind. “You’re the one who runs with the Marshals. The other girl. Lucky Lynn. That what they call you?”
She paid him no mind, tending to his hand instead. She rubbed a mixture of molds and plants over the area. They’d serve well to help fight the infection, so long as the outlaw wasn’t allergic to any of them. Then, they’d do more harm than good. Sadly, she hoped a case of hives would appear on his gritty, grimy face and his airway would close up just so he’d stop speaking to her.
“From what I heard,” his rank breath slid over her, making her cough, “any man foolish enough to fall for you ends up going batshit crazy.”
She tensed. That wasn’t something many knew.
“That right? Huh?” he pressed. “They say a captain in the World Guards fell for you and that he went nuts. That true? They say he slaughtered a bunch of his own men trying to get to you. That he cut ’em up in lil iddy biddy pieces, all the while singing about how he was gonna carve you up real good when he got you.”
Lynn drew back somewhat, memories of old creeping up on her.
The outlaw kept going, kept taunting her as his rank breath assaulted her. “What kind of cunt you got, huh? It so good it drives a man insane?” He made a move to grab her but was shackled.
Parker slipped in between her and the outlaw. He punched the man in the face so hard that she wondered how he didn’t break the guy’s neck. He pointed at the outlaw, anger pulsing off him in formidable waves. “Speak to her again and I’ll shatter that jaw. Understood?”
Fire lit in the outlaw’s eyes and it was easy to see he’d rise to the challenge. It wasn’t as if he was the brains of the operation or anything. He turned his head to the side and spit out two teeth and a mouthful of blood. She wasn’t sure how many teeth he’d be left with but was guessing not many.
“Yes, Doctor.” He grinned, his remaining few rotted teeth were tinged pink with blood. “You the newest dick sinking into her? You gonna go crazy too? Gonna start carvin’ people up? Gonna cut ’em up in little pieces before you set the whole building on fire? You know they say she was a loon too, not talking for almost a year. Had her locked away, they did. I really hope her cunt is the best you ever been in. It’s toxic.”
Parker unleashed hell on the man. The pummeling he gave the man echoed through the entire doctor’s office. It was hollow, full of rage and fury.
Crying out, Lynn tugged at Parker, trying to get him to stop to no avail. He just kept wailing on the outlaw. She resorted to grabbing his face and forcing him to look at her. When he did, she pressed her lips to his, stopping his actions cold. With trembling hands, she released his face. “Parker?”
He blinked at her, seeming to come out of a dazed fog. He looked to the outlaw, who was barely breathing. Uncertainty masked Parker’s face. He lifted her, making her yelp as he carried her out of the exam room, down the hall and into his personal office. Lynn didn’t have a second to comment before he was shoving everything off his oversized, thick wooden desk. A two piece monaural stethoscope hit the floor. The last piece to hit the floor was a sphygmomanometer. Its dial front cracked, but Parker paid no mind to it. His only interest was her.
He plopped her on the desk top, his breathing harsh. It was on the tip of her tongue to deny him what she knew he wanted and needed, but she didn’t have it in her. He teetered on the edge with his beast because of her. Because he’d defended her. That alone wasn’t reason enough to let him have free run of her body, but the man made her feel things she’d never felt before. She wanted this, wanted to give him what he desired because she desired it too.
Parker thrust her legs apart, pushing her skirt up high. His hands found her thighs and she shivered against him. His mouth captured hers, chasing away some of the nervous energy she
had. He calmed her while heating her body all at the same time.
She tugged on his shoulders, unsure of exactly what she should be doing, only knowing she wasn’t about to let him change his mind. His kisses came faster and she got lost in them. Suddenly, his hands were everywhere, fondling her breasts through the shirt she wore, inching her skirt up more, revealing her sex to him.
Parker’s nostrils flared and he grunted as he jerked her hips forward. He undid the front of his pants and Lynn reached down, assisting in releasing his cock. She stroked him, both amazed and slightly scared of his size.
“Mmm, darlin’,” he whispered against her lips.
Parker could barely contain the beast as he drew in the scent of Lynn’s arousal. She’d be wet and ready for him. He was sure of it. Her hands worked his cock, pumping it, caressing it, nearly making him come right then and there. He couldn’t wait another second. He normally took his time with a woman, wringing every bit of pleasure he could from her before taking his own. This was different. It was primal.
Lining up with her heated core, Parker intensified their kiss. Lynn wrapped her long legs around his waist and it was all the go ahead he needed. He drove himself into her, meeting with a slight resistance before it broke away, letting him settle deep in her warm, tight body.
He froze, his heart pounding madly in his chest.
She’d been a virgin?
Her eyes were closed tight and her body was tense. Disgusted with himself for taking her like an animal, Parker pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger, feathering light kisses on her nose and eyelids. “Lynn.”
Parker’s Honor (Cowboys and Supernaturals 2) Page 3