by Radclyffe
Grinning at the memories, Beau figured she wasn’t doing much better now. Ali got her so wound up with a few kisses she’d probably embarrass herself the first time Ali got anywhere near her clit. The thought of Ali stroking her made her vision fuzzy.
Beau started to slow her T-Bird half a block before the red light and then let up on the brake when the light turned green. She was already into the intersection when she saw headlights shooting through the wall of snow off to her left. Whoever was coming, they weren’t going to stop. With the bridge directly ahead, she had nowhere to go except forward or over the side into the river. Adrenaline surging, she hit the gas as the oncoming vehicle headed straight for her door.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ali gave up pretending to read a three-week-old copy of Newsweek, tossed the magazine aside, and checked her watch. Less than five minutes had passed since the last time she’d checked. Beau had dropped her off almost two hours before. She’d obviously forgotten to text or call to let her know she’d arrived home. Probably checking in with a not-girlfriend with whom she hadn’t even had one date wasn’t high on her list of priorities.
Except Ali didn’t believe that Beau would say she would do something and not do it. Maybe she had car trouble. Except her car was obviously lovingly cared for and sounded like a perfectly tuned machine. Maybe she’d gotten called in to work an extra shift—the weather might have kept some people from showing up. But if that were the case, Beau still would have found time to call. Something was wrong. Ali knew it instinctively, the same way she knew when a patient was getting into trouble. There might not be any outward signs of impending disaster, but she sensed when something was off. When the rhythm of all the parts working together was just a little bit out of sync. Beau should have been home a long time ago, and she should have called to say so.
Ali sat down on the edge of the sofa and rubbed her temples with her fingertips. She could wait for someone at some point to tell her if something had happened to Beau. Or she could do what she did best. She could search out the facts and deal—somehow—with the truth. Her hands trembled. If something had happened to Beau, she might not be able to help her any more than she had been able to help Sammy. And she could lose her just as quickly. That was a truth she wasn’t sure she could face.
She moaned softly, and the sound of her own voice in the stillness forced her eyes open, forced her to her feet. She would not wait helplessly for the phone to ring and a stranger to deliver the devastating message or, as had happened with Sammy, for a knock on the door——
The ringing of her doorbell was like a pistol shot streaking straight to her heart. She gasped, and for one brief instant, considered not answering. But she knew from long experience denial would not alter the truth. Steeling herself, she went out into the hall to the foyer. All she could make out through the wavy glass was the indistinct figure of someone standing on her front landing. She pulled the door open and froze as her mind struggled to reorder expectation with reality. Beau’s hair lay in wet strands on her forehead and clung to her pale cheeks. Her jacket was gone and her gray shirt was so wet it looked black. She wore no gloves and her pants appeared to be soaked to the knees. She was shivering.
“Beau? Are you hurt?”
“I’m sorry, I—” Beau shook her head as if she’d forgotten what she meant to say. “I’m not hurt.”
“You’re soaking wet. Come inside.” Ali grasped Beau’s hand and drew her into the foyer out of the wind and snow. Her fingers were ice. She framed Beau’s face, brushed the damp hair off her forehead. Beau’s eyes were a little cloudy and confused. “You’re sure you’re not hurt?”
“I just needed to come back. To see you.”
Ali wanted to pull her close, to assuage her own fears with the solid reality of Beau in her arms, but Beau seemed so uncharacteristically fragile she held back. Beau needed caring for. “Let’s get you warmed up and into some dry clothes.”
“I’ll get your floor all wet.”
“Do you think I care about that? I was really starting to worry about you.” Ali shut the door behind them and led Beau by the hand into her apartment. “How did you get so soaked?”
“I walked.”
“Where’s your car?” Ali asked as calmly as she could. Beau was safe, but she wasn’t all right. “What happened?”
“Car accident. A woman in a minivan ran a light. Tagged my rear end. Didn’t do much damage to me, but the van jumped the curb and flipped.”
Ali’s jaw tensed. “What are you doing walking around? Why didn’t someone take you to the hospital?”
“Me? No, I’m all right. Hell, my car was barely dinged, but I hit the curb pretty hard when I spun around. I think the rear axle’s bent. I didn’t want to try to drive it, so I had the police arrange for a tow.”
“Did you lose consciousness? Were you examined at the scene?”
“The crew had enough to do with the mother and four kids inside the van.” Beau absently rubbed the side of her neck. “Little bit of a seat belt burn. Nothing else.”
“We’ll see.” Ali slid her arm around Beau’s waist. “Upstairs. I want to have a look at you.”
“None of the kids were belted in,” Beau said, her voice hollow. “I couldn’t even get to the ones in the back. I tried. Couldn’t get the side door open. Glass everywhere. I didn’t get a scratch.”
Ali pushed open her bedroom door, switched on the bedside lamp, and guided Beau over to the bed. “I need you to undress. Can you do that?”
Beau methodically unbuttoned her shirt, pulled it from her pants, and shrugged it off. The thin dark silk T-shirt underneath was wet and molded to her chest and abdomen. “The first responders were on scene in less than five minutes. Five minutes doesn’t seem like a very long time unless you’re standing by helplessly, doing nothing.”
“I know.” Ali gently tugged Beau’s T-shirt from her pants. “This too. And your pants. You can leave your briefs on.” She kept her gaze averted and pulled down the covers on her bed. “Slide in here when you’re done. I want to get my bag.”
Beau grasped Ali’s arm. “I’m okay. Can you just stay here? Just…stay.”
Ali stroked Beau’s cheek. “I’m not leaving. I promise. I just want to be sure you’re not hurt.”
“I’m not.” Beau swiped at the wet hair on her face. “I couldn’t do anything, Ali. No equipment. No meds. Nothing.”
“None of us can do much in the field without support.” Ali doubted her words would make any difference to Beau. She understood Beau’s need to do, to act, to banish pain and suffering. But right now, her only desire was to be certain that Beau was not an unwitting victim. “Pants off. In bed. Now.”
Beau nodded and removed her trousers. Ali lifted the covers and held them up until Beau climbed into bed. She’d seen Beau in various stages of undress before. She’d never seen her so close to naked. Her body was one long tight gorgeous expanse of hard muscle softened by the subtle curves of her breasts and slight flare of her hips. Her low-cut black briefs drew Ali’s eye to the mound between her thighs, and her throat tightened painfully.
Beau stretched out on her back and looked up at Ali. “I’ll get warmer a lot faster if you get in here with me.”
“Try to behave for at least a minute,” Ali said thickly. Then she covered her, leaned down, and kissed her. “I’ll be right back.”
Ali hurried to the hall closet and retrieved her emergency medical bag. By the time she returned to the bedroom, she had her unruly body under control and her mind focused. She sat on the side of the bed and tilted the lampshade to get a little more light onto Beau’s face. The left side of Beau’s neck just above her clavicle was red and faintly abraded. Drawing down the covers, Ali checked Beau’s chest and abdomen for any sign of seat-belt bruising. Other than a slight discoloration over her left upper chest, she didn’t see any evidence of deceleration injury. Nevertheless, she was acutely aware of all the things that could have happened that might not reveal themselves un
til later. Intestinal tears, aortic dissections, hepatic ruptures.
“Are you having any pain anywhere at all?” Ali asked, gently palpating Beau’s abdomen and watching her face for signs of tenderness. All that surgery. If the internal scars had torn loose… “No abdominal pain? You’re sure?”
“No, none.” Beau tried not to respond to Ali’s hands on her body and failed. What Ali was doing was perfectly appropriate, but every touch made her quiver inside. When Ali’s fingertips brushed over the scar in the center of her abdomen, heat shot deep into her belly. She felt herself stiffen and swell.
“Neck pain? Headache?”
Beau grasped Ali’s wrist, pressing Ali’s hand flat against her abdomen and holding it there. Each time Ali gently probed her abdomen, the pressure in her groin ratcheted up another notch. She was afraid she was going to whimper at any second. “I’m really okay. I just…when I saw that van flip, and then I couldn’t get into it…A couple of the kids were crying, but one of them, a little girl, just looked like she was sleeping. I was going crazy trying to get in to her.”
“I’m sorry.” Ali feathered the fingers of her free hand through Beau’s hair. “Are they all going to be okay?”
Beau half unconsciously guided Ali’s hand in slow circles over her abdomen. The firm warmth of Ali’s hand comforted and steadied her. “A couple of them had pretty serious head injuries. I almost went with them, but everything was so crazy and all I could think was to get back here.”
“I’m so glad you did.” Ali gently extracted her hand from Beau’s grip. Maintaining any kind of professional distance when she touched her was difficult enough without Beau encouraging her caresses. “Let me just finish looking you over. Then you need to call Jilly.”
“Oh, Jesus.” Beau tried to sit up but Ali held her back with a hand on her shoulder.
“You can call her in just a minute.” Ali retrieved her stethoscope from her bag and quickly checked Beau’s heart and lungs. Finally, she was satisfied and the hard ball of tension lodged beneath her breastbone began to dissolve. “Where’s your cell phone?”
“Damn it. It’s in my jacket and I used that to cushion the mother’s head while they were getting her out. It’s probably still in the van.”
“You can use mine to call Jilly and to let the police know about your jacket.” Ali got her cell phone off the dresser and gave it to Beau. “I’m going to make you some tea. You’ve still got goose bumps and you’re cold, even if you don’t know it.” When Beau grabbed for her hand again, Ali caught hers and kissed the bruised knuckles Beau must have hurt trying to get into the van. “I’ll be right downstairs. And I’ll be back in five minutes.”
“I can ask Jilly to come and get me,” Beau said quietly.
Ali braced her arms on either side of Beau’s shoulders and leaned over her. “You’re not going anywhere tonight. I want you right here where I can see you.” She kissed her on the mouth. “And feel you. Make your calls.”
*
“You’re sure you’re all right?” Jilly asked for the fifth time.
“I’m okay. Not a scratch,” Beau repeated. She could hear Bobby in the background asking questions. “I thought he was sleeping.”
“I woke him up when you didn’t come home and didn’t answer your phone. I wasn’t sure what to do. Ali’s number isn’t listed or I would have called her before now.”
Beau heard Jilly say in a muffled voice, “I’m not going to ask her that. God, you’re worse than she is.”
“What did he say?” Beau pushed herself up on the pillows and tucked the covers in around her waist. The bedroom door opened and Ali came in carrying a tray with two mugs on it. She paused inside the door and gave Beau an odd look. Beau grinned at her and mouthed Jilly.
“You don’t want to know,” Jilly said with a huff.
“Tell him to behave or I’m going to kick his ass.”
“That’s not necessary. I am quite capable of kicking his ass myself.”
Beau grinned when she heard Bobby laughing in the background. His laughter sounded good. So did Jilly’s when she joined in. Stunned to feel her eyes filling, Beau quickly covered them and leaned her head back against the pillows.
“So anyhow, I’ll see you in the morning,” Beau said hoarsely.
“Ask Ali to come to dinner tomorrow,” Jilly said.
“She’s working,” Beau replied.
“Then tell her I expect her to come by for leftovers this weekend.”
“Okay. I will. See you tomorrow.” Beau disconnected and set the phone on the bedside table. She rubbed her palm over her eyes and looked around the room for Ali. She stood at the dresser across the room, her back turned. “Hey.”
“You might want to cover up,” Ali said, her voice low and husky.
Beau glanced down at her nakedness. “You have seen it before.”
“Not quite in this context.” Ali turned, her eyes dark and glittering. “You look good in my bed.”
“I feel good in your bed.” Beau made no move to pull the covers higher. Instead, she twitched them aside, exposing her legs and the empty place beside her. She patted the mattress. “I’ve been keeping a spot warm for you.”
Ali carried a mug across the room and held it out to Beau. “I had every intention of getting in with you too, but I’m reconsidering.”
“Why is that?” Beau took the mug and sipped the tea, watching Ali’s face. When Ali’s mouth curled into a sensuous smile her thighs clenched. She traced her hand down the center of her chest and over her abdomen. When Ali’s eyes followed her movement, her hips shifted restlessly. “I love the way you look at me.”
“You’re gorgeous,” Ali muttered. She shook her head, hoping to shake some sense into it. When she’d walked into the room and first seen Beau propped up against the pillows, bare to the waist and every inch beautiful, every ounce of good sense and reason had fled. “It’s the middle of the night, you’ve just had a frightening experience, and we both have to work tomorrow. What you need is to get some re—”
“What I need,” Beau said, her voice oddly tight, “is you next to me.”
Ali’s protest died on her lips when she caught the glitter of tears on Beau’s lashes. Tears were the last thing she expected and her heart twisted. She sat down on the side of the bed and cupped Beau’s cheek. “Hey. Are you all right?”
Beau covered Ali’s hand and kissed her palm. “Yeah. I wasn’t scared. I got used to the idea of dying a long time ago. But I can’t get used to the idea of standing by and letting other people die.”
“Oh, Beau.” Ali kicked off her shoes and slipped into bed, pulling Beau into her arms as she did. When Beau turned into the curve of her body and pressed her face to Ali’s shoulder, Ali stroked her hair and held her tightly. “You save people every single day. You’re a hero, sweetheart.”
“I don’t think so.” Beau kissed Ali’s throat and pushed up on one elbow. She grasped the bottom of Ali’s T-shirt and tugged on it. “Will you please get naked?”
Ali skated her palms over Beau’s shoulders and down her arms, her eyes following the path of her hands. The taut muscles in Beau’s arms quivered under her fingertips and Beau’s nipples tightened, her breasts lifting with each quick breath. She wanted to look at her, touch her, taste her—everywhere. There might be a million reasons to say no, but she couldn’t think of a single one. She couldn’t think of anything at all. She’d never been quite as terrified, or as exhilarated, in her life.
“Maybe you should undress me,” Ali whispered.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Beau gathered Ali’s T-shirt in both hands. “Lift up.”
Ali raised her arms and Beau drew her T-shirt over her head, letting it fall over the side of the bed onto the floor. The room was warm but her nipples instantly pebbled. She focused on Beau’s face, anchoring herself in Beau’s deep blue eyes. When she reached for her, Beau caught her hand and gently placed it back on the bed.
“What’s wrong?” Ali whispered.
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Beau’s mouth quirked. “Not a thing. I want to go slow, and if you touch me right now, slow is not going to be possible.”
Ali smiled, loving the effect she had on Beau. She had never enjoyed making a woman want so much before. She slipped Beau’s grip and caressed her chest, brushing the inner curve of Beau’s breast with the backs of her fingers. “Maybe I want fast.”
“Maybe you do.” Beau braced her arm on the bed next to Ali’s shoulder and leaned over her, rubbing her lips lightly over Ali’s mouth. Almost a kiss, but not quite. “Maybe we’ll do fast the next time.”
Ali’s stomach clenched and the insistent beat between her thighs escalated. She had no idea what to expect next. She’d somehow lost control and she didn’t want it back. “We’ll do it your way, then. For a little while.”
“I’m going to make you forget all about time.” Beau didn’t want to miss a single sigh, a sole flicker of Ali’s lids when she caressed her. Every small sound of pleasure cut through her like a hot blade, the edge of arousal so sharp she had to be bleeding. Beau skimmed the tip of her tongue over Ali’s lower lip and dipped into her mouth for a small taste. When Ali’s tongue teased hers, she groaned and delved a little deeper. Ali arched against her, gripping her shoulders, and their breasts meshed. The first brush of Ali’s nipples over hers sent desire arcing through her. Ali moaned and Beau caught fire. She needed more. So much more.
“Your sweatpants,” Beau gasped. “They’re in the way.”
“You know what to do about it.” Ali slanted her mouth down Beau’s throat and sucked at the soft skin undulating to the beat of her heart. Beau’s skin was hot and salty, as searing as a naked flame. “I love the way you taste.”
Beau shuddered. “I love that you want me.”
“Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea.” Ali set her teeth to Beau’s neck, not caring if she marked her. In some utterly foreign part of her, wanting to.
Beau’s fingers shook as she loosened the tie on Ali’s sweats. Ali’s hands were all over her, stroking her back, her sides, the curve of her breasts. When Ali skated her palm onto her abdomen, sliding lower, Beau stopped her.